I hope everyone had a great week, here's my present to you all. Chapter 16! I do hope you like it. To be honest, I found it so difficult to write this chapter. I started writing it the morning after releasing chapter 15. I spent close to five to six hours every night trying to write, but only spent about two hours of that ACTUALLY writing, the rest I was just staring at the computer screen... or my desk... or the wall. HONESTLY, it felt like trying to finish SCP-012.
InhumanNexus clawed at his wrists and splashed blood on the paper in front of him in an attempt to form words. "Hahaha... there we go... I just need... to finish it... it NEEDS to be finished. Wait, but... I just need..." Nexus stared at the bloodied mess in front of him. "I... it can't... I can't finish it... it's IMPOSSIBLE to finish... it can't be finished. It's impossible."
Something like that. Anyways, REVIEW CORNER:
JustinAT:Thanks dude, means a lot. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and will enjoy this one.
Zaralann:Hah, thanks. Hope you think so of this chapter, too.
The Sinful:Good to be writing again. I always enjoyed it, myself, when a story I thought was dead revived. More often that not, though, it had been adopted and lacked in quality. Bleh.
AEthereal Devastation:I'm glad you think so. I don't think I'll ever stop worrying about a decrease in quality from my hiatus, but it's good to see people think everything is still good. Please enjoy.
Rei Rusuragi:Yeah, I guess everything is just a learning curve. Thanks for your words, I hope you enjoy.
The Robdog:Glad you think so. I hope you can enjoy this chapter as well.
Aryk von Strain:Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it. I'll say again, I was most worried about there being a decrease in quality. I'd much rather leave it abandoned if I couldn't keep writing up to past standards. Glad they may not be necessary.
Demon of Zero:It really makes me feel bashful when someone says they enjoy my story so much to keep re-reading it after it's abandoned. Thanks, man. Sorry that I had to jumpscare everyone with my absence. Enjoy!
darkmachines:You never have a shortage of suggestions. Haha. I have plans with all the characters, and I hope that it will be an enjoyable read, seeing them all interact.
Seiei:Now that I think about it, I remember you being among the first few readers and reviewers of this story. I'm glad you are still a fan of this story, despite the hiatus. I'm not sure I would be so welcoming of someone who jumped ship at the first sign of problems. Haha. Enjoy.
darthmasterbanes:Really appreciate your review man. It can be tough, yeah, but I just needed a way to mitigate the stress and keep my outlook positive. I did the opposite of that, abandoning the story, but whatever. And your P.S., hell yeah, I've already begun practicing the drills, memorizing the general orders and Soldier's Creed, and Infantry Creed. Lot of work.
Sonofthelost:Good to be back. Please enjoy.
SilverFlameoftheWindScar:I, personally, enjoy writing out the Ichigo and Grimmjow arguments, so expect plenty of them. There is so much potential for that tag-team, moreso than Ichigo and Renji had, I think. Thank you for the support. Please enjoy.
Grinja:I am, indeed, honored by your dedication. Honestly, I figured I'd lose most of my fans for this story by disappearing and showing up again. Glad to see there's been a warm welcome for me. Please enjoy this chapter.
Sentiment Remains:Hah, I'm glad an update thoroughly surprised you, and everyone. I'm glad you think everything is up to their usual standards. Enjoy!
Datenshii:There, there, everything will be ok. Please enjoy.
Oni X-Wolf:I'm glad you enjoy my stories, enough to remember them without having favorited them. I appreciate your review and I hope you can enjoy this chapter.
And we're done! Now, everyone please enjoy Chapter 16! God... I'm such a tool.
(Urahara Shoten/Underground)
"I don't know about you people... but I'm really fucking bored." Grimmjow's right eye twitched as he said this, seated atop a large rock. As of now, he had spent close to two hours on top of the rock, resting his head in his hand. It seemed he had been silently seething, and had finally snapped and said something.
It was the morning after the Hueco Mundo rescue mission, and everyone settled in quite nicely. Urahara and his motley crew had worked through the night to expand the Training Room. Not only was the, already large, room even bigger, it also branched out into several smaller rooms. These smaller rooms served as housing for all the Arrancar that had so suddenly arrived the day before.
Currently, there were six hallways that connected to the 'Main Chamber'. Each of these hallways led to a different housing section, each section given to an Espada and their Fraccion, and one more given to Loly, Menoly, and Luppi, the only Arrancar that were neither Espada nor Fraccion. Urahara had even gone one step further and made individual rooms for each individual. Apacci, Sun-Sun, and Mila-Rose were especially thankful of this. Now, they had some privacy away from each other, something they usually went without in Las Noches.
Furnishing the rooms proved simple for Urahara as well. Each of the quarters were well furnished. Couches, beds, tables, the works. At the very least, Urahara saw to it that his guests were comfortable. He was very proud of his work, as usual, and this time, he actually received some compliments, rather than the usual brush-off. Of course, when the shopkeeper had begun further ranting about the creativity of his work, that was when everyone slowly drifted away from him.
Ichigo had left the night before, much to the disappointment of Loly, Menoly, Apacci, and Lilynette. Sun-Sun feigned indifference of course, something Apacci and Mila-Rose capitalized on. Orihime, Chad, and Uyru had left as well. This left the many Arrancar to the own devices for the morning.
Harribel, and her Fraccion, had yet to emerge from their quarters. Same with Starrk and Lilynette, though that didn't surprise anyone. Baraggan had left his quarters briefly to try and get a survey of Karakura Town. Urahara managed to talk him out of this, though, urging against such actions for the moment. This annoyed the former Segunda, but he decided that it wasn't important enough to fight about.
Aaroniero was the only other former Espada, besides Grimmjow, to leave his quarters. Per his request, Urahara made no artificial light in Aaroniero's area. Urahara had asked why and received a brief explanation on Aaroniero's abilities. They had intrigued Urahara greatly, but he didn't press the Espada further, merely returning to his work. Currently, the former Novena sat Indian style at a small table, slightly away from the others. His mask was off, exposing the two skulls in their vat of liquid. They quickly scanned the contents of the document in front of them. When he was done with his current document, he stacked it in the ever-growing 'finished' pile, before grabbing a new one. He had been doing this all morning, without any signs of stopping anytime soon.
Ggio and Luppi had decided to spend their time sparring with each other. Luppi mostly toyed with the fraccion, but was forced to make quick decisions to avoid potentially harmful attacks. This had been the only mildly entertaining event to occur all morning, at least for Grimmjow. Watching them grew boring however. Very quickly, too.
"You people? Oh my." Urahara seemed offended, feigning surprise at Grimmjow's statement. Grimmjow twitched again.
"You know what the hell I mean." He growled out. Urahara regained his composure.
"Well-" He began, looking away from the Sexta for affect. "-I suppose you could make yourself useful and help with some heavy-lifting up top."
"I could also kill myself." Grimmjow retorted, scoffing at the idea.
"You could. You'd be helping out, at least." Urahara said. Grimmjow glowered at the store owner. He opened his mouth to make a violent retort, but was interrupted with Harribel's presence.
"Urahara-san." She greeted simply. Harribel was alone, her Fraccion elsewhere for the moment. Urahara turned his attention to her.
"Aah, Harribel-san! I hope the accommodations were up to standards?" He asked, eager for the answer.
"They were sufficient, yes." Harribel told the shop keeper. "I had a question for you."
"Ask away. I will answer to the best of my ability." Urahara said, nodding.
"There are several Arrancar currently in Karakura Town, each with large amounts of reiatsu. Will this not prove dangerous to the humans in the surrounding area?" Harribel asked, showing no emotion in her eyes despite her question. Aaroniero looked up from his current document. It appeared he was curious about this as well.
"Excellent question!" Urahara exclaimed. He held up a finger and gestured towards the walls of the chamber. "You see, all these walls are lined with Sekkiseki. It is a stone usually found only in Soul Society. It completely nullifies all reiatsu that attempts to pass it. I assure you, the surrounding souls are quite safe. We might as well not exist down here."
"Interesting." Harribel glanced to the surrounding walls. She seemed satisfied at the answer, as did Aaroniero, who returned to his document.
"Of course, if you ever wish to leave, you will need to use a gigai." Urahara said, placing both hands on his cane. Grimmjow scoffed from the side, which was ignored. "I made my own copies of your Fraccion's gigai while they were here training with Kurosaki-san. As well as gigais for Loly-san, Menoly-san, Lilynette-san, and Ggio-san. I just couldn't help but improve on the shoddy attempt at a gigai they arrived in. I would be more than happy to prepare one for you, should you need one."
"That will probably be necessary." Harribel replied, nodding her head.
"I suppose I should prepare gigai for Starrk-san and Baraggan-san as well. Perhaps one for Aaroniero-san over there as well." Urahara said off-handedly, looking up in thought. Aaroniero made no movement at the mention of his name.
"That is all I wanted to ask. Thank you for your time." Harribel thanked respectfully. Urahara waved her off casually. With nothing more to say, Harribel left the two alone. Urahara stood in spot for a few seconds, before turning and walking away, whistling merrily. Grimmjow flared his nostrils, exhaling, clearly agitated.
"Nothing to say over there?" Grimmjow shouted at Aaroniero.
"..." Only the sound of bubbling could be heard for the few seconds of silence.
"No? Just gonna sit there and read your shit?"
"..."
"Fuck this place."
(Urahara Shoten/Harribel's and Fraccion's Quarters)
"So bored!" Apacci groaned out loudly from her spot on the couch. She rolled onto her back, sighing out dramatically.
"..." Sun-Sun said nothing, focusing on the book that Urahara had so kindly loaned her.
"I'm glad, you know, we're all alive and what-not, but I didn't think it'd be so boring." Apacci said, staring up at the ceiling. Only Apacci and Sun-Sun were in the room, the third Fraccion not having awoken yet. Apacci looked at over at Sun-Sun, who was reading quietly in the corner. She seemed quite content, too. Apacci thought for a second, then got an idea. She sighed loudly for affect. "Boy, I sure wish Ichigo-kun was here. I could think of some fun things to do then." Sun-Sun glanced up from her book briefly.
"I am quite content reading quietly, Apacci-san." She stated calmly. Apacci sat up on the couch, ignoring Sun-Sun.
"Yep, things would definitely be more lively around here." Apacci continued, appearing to be deep in thought.
"..." Sun-Sun tried to ignore Apacci, this only caused the horned girl to roll her eyes.
"Oh come on, you saw Ichigo-kun yesterday. He had no shirt on." Apacci's eyes twinkled in delight. "What a sight that was. Wouldn't you agree, Sun-Sun?"
"This is your fourth attempt this morning to elicit an emotional response from me regarding Kurosaki-san." Sun-Sun stated bluntly.
"Just admit it!" Apacci shouted out in frustration, surprising Sun-Sun at the sudden action. She shot up and pointed accusingly at Sun-Sun. "You have the hots for him!"
"..." Sun-Sun said nothing,
"You got yourself an eyeful of those chiseled abs and loved it! You're so deprived I bet you have ALL sorts of lewd fantasies of you and him together! You just shudder at the thought of him doing all sorts of dirty things to you! Don't you?" Apacci never stopped pointing.
"Apacci-san-." Sun-Sun started. Her cheeks were flushed a light pink, which she attempted to hide.
"Don't you!"
"I don't-!"
"Don't you!" Apacci accused once more. She huffed loudly, not breaking eye contact with Sun-Sun, nor lowering her finger. Sun-Sun said nothing for a few seconds, her face still flushed.
"What's with all the ruckus?" Mila-Rose emerged from her room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She was visibly annoyed at being awoken. Apacci turned her head sharply to look at her, pointing back at Sun-Sun.
"Ms.'Too-good-for-emotion' just WON'T admit it!" Apacci huffed, turning back to Sun-Sun.
"What? That she dreams about our Shinigami friend?" Mila-Rose was never too tired to tease her fellow Fraccion.
"I don't recall ever giving any sort of indication-." Sun-Sun began calmly.
"Shut it!" Apacci interrupted loudly.
It was going to be a long day for the green-haired Fraccion.
(Urahara Shoten/Ground Level)
"Aah, Kurosaki-san! Good morning and salutations." Urahara greeted exuberantly.
"Yeah, morning." Ichigo responded, walking into the store. He was in his regular body, wearing casual street clothes. His Deputy Badge swayed at his waist as he moved. "How is everyone?"
"Well, there have been no deaths as of yet." Urahara said simply. Ichigo sweatdropped.
"I guess that's all I can really hope for." He said, shaking his head. "Figured I'd just check in with everyone."
"By all means!" Urahara replied. "I do hope you approve of the modifications to the original training room. I know I do." Ichigo didn't reply. He proceeded down the ladder to the underground chamber. "One more thing, Kurosaki-san." Ichigo stopped and looked back at Urahara. "If you would kindly inform the Espada to gather in the main chamber tonight. I would like for you to be present as well."
"Alright, no problem." Ichigo nodded in affirmative, before proceeding back down the ladder.
(Urahara Shoten/Main Chamber)
"Kurosaki! Come here and let me kick the shit out of you!" Grimmjow shouted as Ichigo stepped off the ladder. Grimmjow had remained on his rock, watching Ggio and Luppi spar once more.
"Have you done anything productive at all?" Ichigo asked the former Sexta. He glanced around the room. Grimmjow 'tch'ed.
"Not my fault there's nothin' to do. At least in Las Noches I could go out and kill stuff." Grimmjow shoved his hands in his pockets, visibly agitated.
"Deal with it." Ichigo replied, glancing around the room to see who was present. The large room was mostly empty, save for Grimmjow, Aaroniero, Ggio, and Luppi. It looked as if only Grimmjow was aware of Ichigo's entrance. Ichigo walked up next to the rock Grimmjow was seated on, which provided a decent spot to watch the bout between Ggio and Luppi. "Read a book. It'll make you smarter."
"I don't care if you're a human right now or not, I will kick your ass." Grimmjow growled out threateningly.
"Uh-huh." Ichigo didn't look at Grimmjow, mostly ignoring him. This only agitated the Arrancar further. The two watched the fight without saying anything. Ichigo focused on Ggio and his technique, looking for any faults that he could potentially correct. Ggio seemed aware of Ichigo's presence now, and only re-doubled his efforts in his fight. Luppi seemed amused. Ichigo noted how strong Luppi was, and guessed his overall strength to be not too far behind Grimmjow's. Ichigo silently praised Ggio for his resolve to fight such an opponent.
"Kurosaki-san, it is pleasing that you were able to survive your excursion into Las Noches." Ichigo's thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched voice. He looked to his left at the source. There stood Aaroniero. His body faced forward towards Ggio and Luppi, but the two small skulls looked at Ichigo. "I see why Aizen had an interest in Orihime-san.." The low voice of Aaroniero finished.
"Uh, yeah. Her powers are pretty handy." Ichigo looked the Novena up and down, examining the odd-looking Arrancar.
"My appearance perturbs you?" Aaroniero stated more than asked.
"No." Ichigo scratched his head. "Ok, maybe a little. Just surprised, is all." He looked apologetic.
"It is alright. This reaction is typical." Aaroniero's hands were clasped in front of him, straightening his posture. Ichigo noticed just how tall the Arrancar was.
"Ninth, right?" Ichigo asked.
"Affirmative."
"Well, thanks for helping everyone out..." Ichigo thanked awkwardly, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Glad to have you on the team."
"Thanks are not necessary. I am doing what I must to prevent the eradication of my kind." Aaroniero said. Ichigo understood. Aizen didn't seem like the sort to hold on to his allies in the event of his victory.
"Psh, figures." Grimmjow scoffed, amused at Aaroniero's statement. "Acting like you're not here for a good fight."
"But of course." The two skulls raised themselves to look at Grimmjow, before looking back at Ichigo. "I anticipate the day we combat Aizen and his army alongside you, Kurosaki-san." Ichigo half-smirked at Aaroniero. He liked this Arrancar already.
"Looking forward to it." Ichigo nodded. Aaroniero seemed content. He turned and walked away, saying nothing else to the two. Ichigo blinked, remembering Urahara's request. "Oh, Aaroniero-san." The Novena stopped and looked back at Ichigo. "Urahara-san would like you and the others to meet here this evening." He gestured to the room they were in.
"Very well. Shall I relay this message to the others?" Aaroniero asked. Ichigo shook his head.
"That's alright, I'll tell them. I was hoping to check in with everyone anyways." Aaroniero shifted slightly to simulate nodding in acknowledgement. He turned and left Ichigo and Grimmjow. "That means you too, Grimmjow."
"Feh." Grimmjow said nothing else.
"Which way to Starrk-san's room?" Ichigo asked, turning to Grimmjow. Grimmjow said nothing, but merely cocked his thumb at the correct hallway. Ichigo nodded and left the Sexta to his own devices. Which, of course, was to continue watching Ggio and Luppi spar.
Ichigo entered what was a small, comfortable, living room of sorts. No one was there. He stood there awkwardly for a couple seconds, before announcing his presence. "Knock-knock? Anyone home?" It wasn't too surprising when Lilynette poked her head out from the her room.
"Ichigo-sensei!" She greeted happily, bursting from her small room to greet him. Ichigo smiled at the girl.
"Good morning, Lily-chan." He said warmly. Lilynette returned the smile, a little embarrassed.
"Morning, Ichigo-sensei." She replied sheepishly, trying not to appear too awkward in front of Ichigo.
"You don't have to call me sensei, you know." Ichigo told her, slightly amused at the girl's continued use of the suffix.
"Oh, I-I know. I just thought it would, you know, make sense." Lilynette replied, grinning sheepishly. She rubbed her forearm nervously. "Should I not?"
"No, no. You can if you want to." Ichigo corrected her, waving his hand at her. Lilynette nodded happily.
"So, what's up?"
"I needed to see Starrk-san. Is he still asleep?" Ichigo asked, unaware of Starrk's sleeping habits.
"That idiot is ALWAYS asleep." Lilynette groaned out, obviously annoyed at the fact. "I'll get him for you. Wait here!" Ichigo couldn't reply before Lilynette left the room to get Starrk. He stood there in silence, before he heard Lilynette waking Starrk loudly.
"WAKE UP!" There was the sound of a small scuffle. "Ichigo-sensei needs to talk to you!" Things were quiet for a few seconds after that. Starrk walked into the room, followed by Lilynette.
"Hm, Kurosaki-san." Starrk unceremoniously rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "You need to talk to me?"
"Just had a message. Urahara-san wants you and everyone else to meet this evening out in the main room there." Ichigo informed the former Primera. Starrk nodded, a bored look on his face.
"Alright." The idea didn't seem too thrilling to him. "I'll be there. Is that all?" Lilynette huffed in annoyance at Starrk's attitude. Ichigo nodded. "Ok." He turned to leave, Lilynette stepping out of his way.
"Actually, one more thing." Starrk stopped and looked back at Ichigo. "Thanks. You know, for getting Grimmjow and me out yesterday." Starrk looked over Ichigo, not expecting a thanks from the Shinigami. He seemed very sincere with his thanks, as he looked at the Primera respectfully.
"Don't mention it." Starrk waved him off. He said nothing else, going back to his room. When he was out of earshot, Lilynette looked back at Ichigo.
"Sorry. He's not much for conversation."
"No kidding." Ichigo snorted. "Guess I'll go tell Baraggan-san about the meeting now. Any advice?"
"He used to be 'King of Hueco Mundo'." Lilynette said, using air-quotes. "Don't piss him off, though."
"Heh, alright. Thanks." Ichigo turned and left the room, waving behind him. "Later."
"Yeah. Later." Lilynette said weakly, watching him go. A couple different emotions flashed on her face. She seemed as if she was trying to decide whether or not to stay in her room, or go with Ichigo. Lilynette tried to convince herself to leave with him, but her self-doubt won out instead. She sighed, then walked back into her room.
(Main Chamber)
When Ichigo returned to the large room, he saw that Grimmjow was now fighting Luppi. More than likely, his boredom got the best of him. Or perhaps Luppi said something to set him off. Both were equally believable, Ichigo thought to himself. Ggio watched the two, recuperating from his new collection of cuts, scrapes, and bruises. He turned his head when he heard Ichigo walked up from behind. He stood up right away.
"Ichigo-senpai." Ggio greeted respectfully.
"Ggio-san." Ichigo responded in kind.
"I was hoping you would train me today." Ggio stated bluntly, not bothering with any side conversation.
"Sure. Later, we can train." Ichigo nodded at the Fraccion. "You're Baraggan-san's Fraccion, right?"
"I am." Ggio confirmed.
"Urahara wants all the former Espada to meet here this evening. I was hoping to tell him." Ichigo told Ggio.
"I can tell him, Ichigo-senpai." Ggio volunteered.
"That's alright. There's something else I need to see him about, too." Ichigo waved off Ggio's request kindly.
"Allow me to show you to him, in that case." Ggio offered. Ichigo shrugged.
"Sure. If you want." He conceded to Ggio's suggestion this time, allowing the Fraccion to lead him to the Segunda's quarters.
Baraggan's quarters were no different than Starrk's, in size that is. It was a little more furnished than the Primera's had been, but still fairly simple. There were more individual rooms that connected to the common area, but that was to be expected, considering Baragggan's Fraccion consisted of six members.
"Wait here, Ichigo-senpai." Ggio instructed. Ichigo nodded and stood in the commons, watching Ggio walk down another hallway to a separate room. It didn't take very long for Ggio to come out again and beckon to Ichigo. Ichigo walked forward and into the room at Ggio's motion.
"Well, if it isn't the young Shinigami. Vega tells me you have a message from the shopkeeper." Baraggan said, regarding Ichigo with a critical eye. He sat in a mock throne of sorts, something that didn't surprise Ichigo, given Lilynette's description of the ex-Espada. The room itself was rather unspectacular. A bed, the throne Baraggan sat on, and a table with two chairs. The only thing that stood out was the chess set that rested atop the table, which caught Ichigo's eye briefly.
"Yeah." Ichigo nodded, looking back at Baraggan. "Urahara-san wants all the Espada to gather in the main chamber." Baraggan grunted.
"What for?"
"He didn't say." Ichigo shrugged. "He just wanted me to tell everyone." Baraggan pondered briefly.
"Very well. I will humor the shopkeeper." He said, resting his chin on his knuckles. "Was there anything else?"
"I also wanted to thank you." Ichigo said, feeling even more awkward than with Starrk. Baraggan had a much heavier weight about him, one that came from hundreds of years of war and struggle. It was almost like talking to the old man in Seireitei.
"For?"
"You and Starrk-san pulling me and Grimmjow out of Hueco Mundo like that." Ichigo answered. Baraggan seemed amused.
"Don't fool yourself, Shinigami. I accompanied the Primera to Hueco Mundo to make a statement to Aizen." Baraggan corrected Ichigo, spite in his voice as he spoke of Aizen.
"Whatever your reasons were, thanks." Ichigo said again. Baraggan settled for a grunt of acknowledgement this time, rather than a verbal reply. Ichigo, deciding to try his luck with a conversation, glanced at the chess board. "Chess, huh?"
"A game of kings." Baraggan replied simply, looking over at the board. "To think of what a simple game of strategy can tell you about an individual." Ichigo raised an eyebrow. He picked up on the subtle, unspoken, challenge that Baraggan was issuing.
"I have to go. Still have Harribel-san to speak to." Ichigo said, backing out of the room. Baraggan said nothing else, watching the Shinigami go. When Ichigo left, Baraggan looked at Ggio.
"You may leave." Ggio bowed, before he, too, left the room.
(Harribel and Fraccion's Quarters)
"The sooner you just admit it, the sooner I'll leave you alone, Sun-Sun." Apacci stated. "You have to be tired of arguing about this." She followed up. Mila-Rose decided to sit this one out and merely watch the exchange from her seat at the small table. It was definitely entertaining for Mila-Rose, watching Sun-Sun's unfortunate situation.
"You would be correct in that assumption, Apacci-san." Sun-Sun retorted. It was very apparent that the normally calm and quiet Arrancar was becoming increasingly agitated by Apacci's prodding.
"Come on. Just a few, very easy, words. I. Am. In. Love. With. Ichigo-kun." Apacci patronized. Sun-Sun said nothing, looking at her book. Though, not actually reading it. "I. Love. Ichigo." Still nothing. "I. Want. Me. Some. Orange-haired. Stud."
"A-Apacci-san." Sun-Sun started, stuttering slightly. Her face flushed pink. Apacci smirked.
'Got ya.' "Why so embarressed, Sun-Sun?" Apacci questioned evilly. "Have your darkest secrets been discovered?"
"D-don't be ridiculous, Apacci-san." Sun-Sun answered, hiding her face in her book. She seemed to take a deep breath. "I don't understand why you simply won't accept the fact that you're mistaken."
"And I don't understand why you just won't tell the truth." Apacci shot back.
"To be honest with you, Apacci-san, I fail to see how it's any of your business." Sun-Sun replied, averting her eyes.
"Ah-hah! You didn't deny it that time!" Apacci pointed accusingly.
"You're merely taking my words out of context, Apacci-san." Sun-Sun covered up quickly.
"Ugh! Stop speaking so formally!" Apacci held her head with one hand. She was getting a headache at the sheer stubbornness of her fellow Fraccion.
"I apologize if you find my words hard to follow, Apacci-san. It's to be expected of someone such as yourself." Sun-Sun said off-handedly, looking off to the right.
"Are you calling me dumb?" Apacci growled out, an evil smile appearing, as well as a tick mark on her forehead.
"Dumb. Unintelligent. Ignorant." Sun-Sun began listing off insults, which only served to further anger Apacci. "Am I missing anything, Mila-Rose?"
"Flat." Mila-Rose said simply, resting her head in her palm.
"Oh yes, that as well." Sun-Sun agreed quietly, making sure the book she had been reading covered the lower half of her face.
"That's it!" Apacci snapped. "You're nothing but a stubborn... idiot!"
"Good one." Mila-Rose said plainly from the side.
"I give up! Good luck with your crush!" Apacci proceeded to the exit of the room in an angry manner.
Klonk.
Apacci stopped suddenly when she felt a book hit the back of her head. She turned slowly, a crazy look in her eye. Sun-Sun stood there, looking at Apacci calmly. Mila-Rose looked as if she was biting back laughter. She was doing it quite badly too, which only infuriated Apacci further.
"Did you just...?" Apacci looked at the book on the floor, then back at Sun-Sun.
"Did I what, Apacci-san?" Sun-Sun asked 'innocently'.
"Why, you little..." Apacci brought her hands up, holding them forward as if to lunge forward and strangle Sun-Sun.
"What're you doing Apacci-chan?" Ichigo asked from right behind Apacci, a blank look on his face.
"Aah!" Apacci jumped in surprise, caught completely off-guard by Ichigo's sudden appearance. Mila-Rose burst out laughing. Sun-Sun smiled slightly behind her sleeve, amused at the sight. "I-Ichigo-kun! You scared me."
"Sorry?" Ichigo blinked, also surprised at the girl's reaction. "I didn't mean to scare you." Apacci calmed herself down, placing a hand on her chest, breathing deeply.
"Morning, Ichigo-san." Sun-Sun greeted, looking at him. Ichigo nodded at her.
"Morning, Sun-chan, Apacci-chan, Mila-Rose-san." Of the three girls present, Ichigo knew Mila-Rose the least, having only met her once before. She waved at him, not saying anything. "Sleep well?" He asked, looking back down at Apacci.
"Yeah, can't complain." Apacci shrugged, regaining her composure. "Though, it would have been better if you had joined me." She purred seductively. Ichigo almost choked, not expecting that as an answer. Sun-Sun visibly stiffened, but remained silent.
"Uh, y-yeah." Ichigo cleared his throat, still slightly embaressed. "Is Harribel-san here? I have something to tell her." Apacci sighed, slightly disappointed.
"Yeah, she's in her room. I'll see if she's available." Apacci turned swiftly and walked to Harribel's room. Ichigo glanced down at his feet and noticed the book on the floor. He picked it up and looked at the cover. It read, The Sonnets, it's author was William Shakespeare. Ichigo could only stare dumbly. He knew many of the sonnets shown in this book, being a fan of Shakespeare himself.
"Kurosaki-san." Sun-Sun said his name to grab his attention. Ichigo looked at her and saw that she was looking at the book in his hand.
"Oh, sorry. Did you drop this?" He asked, handing it back to her.
"Yes. I... dropped it." Sun-Sun lied, standing there awkwardly.
"Got any favorites?" Ichigo asked her, gesturing at the book in her hand. Sun-Sun looked at him, surprised. Then answered with,
"Fifteen." She said quietly. Ichigo nodded. He knew that one. "What about you?"
"Twenty-five." He answered. Sun-Sun seemed as if she was about to say something else, but they were interrupted.
"Ichigo-kun!" Apacci called out. "You can come see Harribel-sama." Ichigo looked down the hallway, then back at Sun-Sun.
"Talk to you later, Sun-chan." He said warmly, before leaving the room. Sun-Sun stared after him, before opening her book to the sonnet Ichigo had said. She found the page and read it quietly. Mila-Rose watched her, bored. She raised an eyebrow as Sun-Sun gave a small smile to her book, but didn't comment. Ichigo walked past Apacci into Harribel's room. Apacci waited out in the hall for him.
"Kurosaki-san, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Harribel asked curiously. Ichigo wasn't surprised with how formal she spoke. She struck him as that kind of person when he first saw her.
"I just had a message from Urahara-san. He wants you to meet with the others in the training room later tonight." Ichigo told her. He felt less awkward talking to Harribel, he noticed.
"Thank you. I will be there. Was there anything else?" She asked.
"No, nothing else." Ichigo replied, shaking his head.
"You are welcome here whenever you please." Harribel said suddenly, surprising Ichigo. "My Fraccion are quite fond of you from what I hear." Ichigo scratched his neck. Now it was a little awkward.
"Yeah, they're alright." He said. Harribel raised an eyebrow.
"Alright? Just alright?" Harribel seemed to be getting hostile, to which Ichigo gulped. He was hoping to avoid starting anything with the former Tercera, or giving her any reason to dislike him.
"Oh, no, no. Not to say that they're not... what I mean is." Ichigo stumbled over his words. "I like them. I enjoy hanging around them-."
"Calm yourself, Kurosaki-san. It was merely an innocent question." There was a subtle tone of amusement in Harribel's voice. Ichigo sighed, mostly in relief. "If there is nothing else..." She trailed off.
"Yeah, I'll be going now. Thanks." He said, looking to get out as quickly as possible. Ichigo left Harribel's room, opening and closing the door behind him.
"What did you have to tell her, Ichigo-kun?" Apacci asked.
"Oh, nothing. Just a message from Urahara-san." He answered.
"So, I guess you're leaving now?" Her voice sounded as if she was disappointed. Ichigo blinked in surprise.
"Well, yeah." He said, unsure of what to say. She feigned sadness, which sent off a signal for Ichigo to try and console her. "I mean, I only came here to talk to Harribel-san." Again, Apacci looked hurt. "I didn't want to intrude. I just assumed that, you know-."
Ichigo was cut off when Apacci suddenly laid her hands on his shoulders and pressed her lips against his, conscious of her mask fragment. Ichigo's eyes widened in shock, looking at Apacci's closed eyes as she kissed him. He wasn't entirely sure what had brought this on from the blue haired girl, but found that he couldn't pull away. Of course, Ichigo realized he didn't want to pull away. It didn't take long for Ichigo to wrap his arms around her waist and kiss her back. He hadn't forgotten their first meeting. How could he? At first, he hadn't understood why she had kissed him that first time, but the couple weeks that followed after that, Ichigo began to realize that Apacci seemed to be actually attracted to him. Was he attracted to Apacci? Well, that answer was obvious, given the way he was kissing the Arrancar deeply.
Kissing Apacci was far different than kissing Loly, Ichigo realized. Other than the obvious fact that they were two different people, Ichigo noticed Apacci didn't seem as 'hungry'. Of course, this was probably because of what he and Loly had been through. And Menoly, for that matter. The blonde Arrancar's kiss had been quick, and shy, not that Ichigo hadn't appreciated it.
Less than a minute later, the two separated. It was a simple kiss, in retrospect. Ichigo noticed it didn't seem as rushed as the first time he and Apacci had kissed. Or, to put it more accurately, the first time Apacci had kissed him. It seemed far more passionate this time around.
"It's ok. I forgive you." Apacci purred. Her face was flushed a dark red, but she kept her confident stance up as she looked into his eyes. Ichigo was still a little speechless.
"Oh. Well, that's good." He said dumbly. Apacci giggled at the look that hadn't left his face. "I guess I'll be going now." He said nervously. Ichigo let go of Apacci's waist and turned to leave, walking away rather quickly. Apacci watched him go. As soon as he was out of her line of sight, she breathed out a heavy sigh, slumping against the wall. Her legs were a little weak, but she quickly calmed herself. She stood up straight then walked out into the common area. Sun-Sun and Mila-Rose were unaware of what just happened.
"He left pretty quickly. What'd you do? Scare him?" Mila-Rose asked Apacci, who merely walked over to the couch and sat down.
"You could say that." Apacci looked at Sun-Sun. "You're missing out~." She said in a sing-song voice. Sun-Sun blinked, not entirely sure what Apacci meant. Though, she was certain that, at the least, it pertained to Ichigo.
(Main Chamber)
Ichigo had a slight headache. Now that the moment was over, Ichigo realized what had just happened. He kissed Apacci. She had initiated the kiss, true, but he didn't really put up a struggle against kissing her back. What about Loly? What about Menoly? Ichigo wasn't sure exactly what kind of a relationship he had with the two Arrancar. Three, for that matter. The three girls liked him, Ichigo was fairly certain of that, unless he had missed something. He liked all three of them. Wouldn't he have to choose only one though? Would it even matter, in the end? What, with the current situation at hand.
Ichigo needed something to distract him. He looked around, then noticed Ggio had returned to his previous spot. He was currently speaking to Luppi. Grimmjow was nowhere to be seen, probably back in his quarters. "Ggio-san!" Ichigo called out to the Fraccion. Ggio turned away from Luppi and looked at Ichigo. "Ready?" He asked simply, gripping his Deputy Badge and ejecting his soul from his body. Ggio was slightly taken aback by the sudden appearance of Ichigo, but didn't take too long to reply with a nod and a slight smirk. Luppi took a few steps back, giving the two room to go at it.
"Don't hold back." Ichigo said, the two getting into their respective stances.
Ggio wasted no time. He leapt forward, attacking with his kodachi-sized zanpakuto. He slashed at Ichigo's right, which Ichigo blocked easily with his large zanpakuto. Upon their blades meeting with a loud 'clang', Ggio followed his own momentum into delivering a swift spin-kick, aiming at Ichigo's head. To avoid this, Ichigo jumped back just enough for Ggio's leg to pass by harmlessly, giving Ichigo a clear shot at Ggio's back.
Ichigo retracted Zangetsu, then thrust forward quickly, as if to spear Ggio. Ggio turned swiftly, making sure to stay facing Ichigo's direction. He leaned back, almost unnaturally, dodging the attack. Ichigo then swung downwards at the opening in Ggio's guard, prompting the Arrancar to sonido away from his position to avoid being, potentially, split in two. Ichigo wouldn't allow something like to happen, but in a real fight it would have been a danger.
"Don't just come and try and whale on me. Have a plan." Ichigo instructed Ggio, getting back into his stance. Ggio stood in his stance, studying Ichigo. He then used a sonido to attack Ichigo from above, swinging his zanpakuto down on Ichigo. When Ichigo prepared to block the rather simple attack, Ggio then used another sonido to appear from behind Ichigo. Ichigo pivoted and blocked Ggio's attack quickly. "Don't stop now. Keep it going. Don't give me so much time to talk to you."
Ichigo shoved Ggio away forcefully, then followed through with a quick slash from Zangetsu. Ggio blocked and, to Ichigo's approval, parried the strike, allowing Ichigo's blade to pass harmlessly by him. He then quickly riposted, thrusting his zanpakuto at Ichigo's abdomen. With no convenient way to block the strike, Ichigo was forced to shunpo away to avoid the strike. The sound of a sonido was heard and Ichigo prepared himself.
Ggio appeared on Ichigo's left, swinging his fist around to strike Ichigo on the side of his head. Ichigo merely held up his right arm, blocking Ggio's attack with his forearm. Ggio's fist suddenly opened, a magenta cero charging in his hand. Ichigo was surprised at Ggio's boldness, but recognized the danger he was in. At the last possible second, Ichigo moved his head to the side, letting the cero shoot right by his head. The cero struck a large boulder, destroying it. No one was harmed though, or anyone near the explosion, so Ichigo focused back on Ggio. He grabbed Ggio's arm with the same hand he had used to block the initial punch and delivered a swift knee to Ggio's stomach. Sending the Arrancar reeling back.
"That's a little dangerous." Ichigo pointed out.
"No point in training if you're not going to go all out." Ggio retorted, smirking, recovering from Ichigo's knee strike.
"Nope, I guess not." Ichigo smirked in return. He began charging a Getsuga Tensho. "Just don't kill anyone who's not me."
(On the sidelines)
"Hah. Vega-san's cero is such an adorable color." Luppi mocked aloud, amused. "Don't you think, Aivirrne-san?"
"Sure." Loly replied simply. Luppi seemed amused at her attempt to not have to converse with him.
"Doesn't such a color appeal to you?" He asked, a strange grin on his face.
"I guess." Loly replied. Menoly said nothing from behind the two. She knew Loly didn't really care for Luppi. Menoly didn't really have any quarrel with the Arrancar. She wasn't entirely sure of his reasons for joining them, but she was at least thankful for any additional help.
"You don't really like me, do you?" Luppi asked, the grin never leaving his face.
"You creep the hell outta me." Loly told him bluntly, looking at him with a cautious look. Luppi chuckled.
"I get that a lot." He replied, cocking his head to the side in thought.
"I wonder why." Loly mumbled under her breath, rolling her eye. Again, Luppi chuckled.
"Just tryin' to make conversation... but I'm sure you'd much rather watch your boyfriend, hm?" Luppi asked, almost mischievously.
"Yeah, I would." Loly said, looking back at Ichigo.
It was true. When Ichigo and Ggio started fighting each other, both Loly and Menoly had sensed Ichigo's reiatsu immediately. They hadn't known he was here, so they wasted no time leaving their rooms to go see him. They had seen Ichigo's human body lying on the ground, which showed why they hadn't known he had initially arrived. In retrospect, they could have chosen to watch Ichigo and Ggio fight away from Luppi.
"Then let me quit botherin' you then." Luppi offered, snorting to himself. He walked away from the two girls. When he was out of earshot, Menoly spoke up.
"You don't have to be so hostile."
"Hey, he creeps me out. I don't really want to talk to him." Loly replied, shrugging. She crossed her arms defensively.
"Still, he is an ally." Menoly said, trying to scold her sister.
"Whatever. I'd much rather focus on Ichigo-kun." Loly told her simply. Menoly silently agreed, but still appeared to disapprove of Loly's actions. Loly noticed her sister's look. "Lighten up. Just enjoy the show." Menoly sighed, not really feeling up to arguing with Loly. And she did rather enjoy watching Ichigo fight.
"I wonder why he didn't come and tell us he was here." Menoly stated suddenly, furrowing her brow in thought. Loly didn't answer, though she was wondering the same thing. Menoly thought about it for a few seconds, before she slumped her shoulders. "Well... I guess he doesn't have to."
"Like hell he doesn't." Loly replied. Menoly looked at her sister, slightly amused, despite herself. "That's a requirement." Menoly smiled.
"Aren't you two just adorable?" A mocking voice cooed at the two Arrancar. Loly and Menoly both jumped in surprise. They turned and saw a fairly tall woman standing behind them with her arms crossed. She was dark-skinned and had purple hair. The woman was half-smirking at them.
"Who are you?" Loly asked, not too thrilled at having been mocked by the woman.
"Yoruichi Shihoin." The woman, now identified as Yoruichi, answered. "I imagine Ichigo-kun has told you all about me."
"How do you know Ichigo-kun?" Menoly asked Yoruichi warily.
"Me and Ichigo-kun go way back." Yoruichi chirped, knowing it would irk both the girls.
"He never talked about you." Loly said, narrowing her eye slightly. She already didn't like this Yoruichi too much.
"No?" Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "Well, he's told me all about you two." She said mischievously.
"Like what?" Menoly asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I must say, I'm so proud of Ichigo-kun." Yoruichi said, sighing. "To think someone managed to snap him out of his prudish ways."
"Prudish?" Loly asked. Ichigo prudish? She didn't think so. Her face flushed ever so slightly when she recalled a certain memory with Ichigo, in front of the Urahara Shoten.
"Oh yeah. Big time." Yoruichi said. She then added, innocently, "Why, the way he reacted when he first saw me naked. Hah, I can still remember his face." Loly and Menoly both froze at the statement. They also picked up on Yoruichi's use of the word 'first'. Yoruichi laughed at the two girls. "You should see the look on your faces."
"So... you're just joking?" Menoly asked, somewhat hopeful. Yoruichi laughed again, then stopped.
"Nope." She said sweetly. Loly grit her teeth. "Calm down, calm down. Nothing happened like you're thinking. I just surprised him, is all." Loly and Menoly both visibly calmed down. Slightly. Yoruichi seemed content, having messed with the two girls. "I'll leave you two alone. Take care now!" She shunpo'd away.
"I could have gone without that." Loly practically growled, clenching her fists.
"I think she was just trying to get under our skin." Menoly said, managing to keep her cool much better than her sister. "Try not to think about it." She advised. Loly remained quiet, deciding to seethe instead of heeding her sister's advice. Menoly sighed.
"Alright, Ggio-san! I'd say that's enough for now." Ichigo called out to Ggio. Unlike Ichigo, who's breath wasn't even labored, Ggio was panting heavily. He looked winded, yet was still disappointed that their spar was over for now.
No words were exhanged further between Ichigo and Ggio. Ggio simply walked away, passing Loly and Menoly on his back to his room. It was at this time, Ichigo noticed Loly and Menoly. "Oh, Loly-chan. Menoly-chan. I didn't know you were there. Sorry."
"Don't worry about it, Ichigo-kun." Menoly waved him off sheepishly. Loly didn't look too forgiving though, but she didn't mention it to Ichigo. It was obvious she was still upset at Yoruichi's previous teasing. Ichigo noticed this as he walked up to the two.
"We didn't know you were here until we sensed your reiatsu." Loly spoke up, hinting at her displeasure.
"Yeah, sorry. I came to check in, but Urahara-san had me do something when I got here." Ichigo said, not really looking at the two, something both girls noticed right away. "Then I kinda got sidetracked with Ggio." He had kept his eyes averted, his brow furrowed as well. It looked like something was troubling him.
"Everything alright, Ichigo-kun?" Loly, briefly forgetting Yoruichi, asked. She seemed worried about him. Ichigo blinked, then looked at her.
"Oh. Yeah, I'm fine." He replied, snapping out of his funk. He was still conflicted about what had happened earlier with Apacci, but was still happy to be speaking to Loly and Menoly. "Sorry, again, for not seeing you guys sooner."
"It's ok." Menoly replied, happy to see that at least Ichigo wasn't appearing to be troubled. "What are you going to do now?"
"Well, I guess I'm just going to wait until the meeting, or whatever it is, tonight." Ichigo answered, shrugging. There was a brief pause between the three individuals.
"Let's go do something." Loly suggested suddenly. She clasped her hands behind her back, her face flushing. "You know, like we used to." Ichigo and Menoly blinked at Loly's suggestion, but quickly agreed, the idea appealing to them both.
"Sure, I think that sounds great." Ichigo said, giving them a smile. "What about you, Menoly-chan?"
"Of course, that sounds wonderful." Menoly replied happily. Ichigo walked over to his body and slipped back inside of it. He stood up and briefly stretched his arms.
"I'll wait for you guys up top while you get your gigais." He offered, to which they both nodded. There was a little rush to their steps as they went back to their rooms. Ichigo watched them leave, his mood drastically improving. With nothing else to do here, he proceeded to exit the large room, returning to the ground level of the Urahara Shoten.
(Urahara Shoten/Ground Level)
Ichigo didn't have to wait too long for Loly and Menoly after arriving up top. He looked at them, seeing their apparel hadn't changed since the last time they had spent the day together.
"You guys ready?" He asked.
"Yep." Menoly nodded happily
"Come on, let's go already." Loly said impatiently, eager to leave.
"Alright." Ichigo said, glad to be with the two of them like this again. The three departed the store quickly.
(Later)
The three spent the day similar to how they had spent their first few meetings. They spent several hours walking, merely enjoying the presence of each other They had stopped to eat, but that was the only real stop they made. They conversed with each other happily over the course of the day, sharing some laughs and jokes at others' expense. Every now and then, Ichigo would get quiet, remembering what had happened earlier that day, but managed to cover it up before it affected either Loly or Menoly. It was a much needed day for the three, with the events that had happened to them all over the past few weeks.
The three returned to the Urahara Shoten, quite content. As per the tradition established nearly a month ago, both Loly and Menoly gave Ichigo a quick kiss. The action from the two caused Ichigo to visibly stiffen, but he gave them both a grin anyways, not wanting to worry them. Loly noticed this, but didn't say anything about it. With nothing else to say between the three, Loly and Menoly returned back into the underground chamber beneath the Urahara Shoten. Ichigo let out a sigh when the two left.
"What's with the sulking?" If Yoruichi's sudden appearance surprised Ichigo, he didn't show it.
"Just got some stuff on my mind." Ichigo replied simply.
"Someone like you shouldn't be looking so sullen, what with all the attention you've been getting." Yoruichi winked at him, her arms crossed. Ichigo gave her a blank look.
"Uh-huh. You would think."
"Just know, if you ever have any questions about the birds and the bees, you can always talk to me." Yoruichi offered, knowing it would trip Ichigo up.
"W-what?" Ichigo choked. "What're you talking about?"
"Nothing, nothing." Yoruichi cocked her head innocently. "Come on, I think it's about the time Urahara wanted everyone to meet." Ichigo checked the clock hung up on the wall. His initial embaressment had passed, but he was still annoyed at Yoruichi's statement.
"Ok, if you say so." When he looked back at Yoruichi, she was gone. A cat suddenly hopped on his shoulder.
"Well, hurry up then." Yoruichi instructed, to which Ichigo stared.
"You got something against walking there yourself?" He asked.
"No. This is just easier." Yoruichi replied, her tail swaying back and forth. Ichigo sighed, visibly annoyed.
"Lazy." He accused, proceeding to the ladder. Yoruichi merely purred.
(Main Chamber)
When Ichigo and Yoruichi had arrived, they appeared to be just in time. Everyone, except for Urahara, was gathered. Ichigo noticed the Espada had gathered in something of a semi-circle, spread out slightly, about five teen feet of space in between them all. Aaroniero, the one farthest on the left, stood up straight, his hands clasped behind his back, standing at attention. This time, though, his mask was on, obscuring the two skulls that was Aaroniero from everyone.
To his right was Grimmjow, who sat on top of a large rock. Grimmjow seemed annoyed, but Grimmjow always looked annoyed. His right arm rested on his right knee, whilst his left leg hanged limply over the rock's side. He noticed Ichigo, but made no gesture to acknowledge him, deciding to stay quiet and still. His eyes lingered on Yoruichi, who remained seated on Ichigo's shoulder, before he looked forward again.
Next was Harribel. She settled for standing on the ground, her arms crossed as usual. Ichigo kept his eyes averted away from Harribel's, rather exposed, breasts out of respect for the Arrancar. Though, he wasn't entirely sure just why she chose this attire. Maybe it was just a way to help in battle? From what he remembered of Shunsui-taicho, it'd probably be an effective tool. He almost shook his head upon remembering the laid-back captain. Harribel glanced over at him and, unlike Grimmjow, nodded at him, which Ichigo returned.
After Harribel was Starrk. He was seated, quite unceremoniously, against a rock, looking to be fighting the urge to go to sleep. Lilynette was right, Starrk did appear to sleep a lot. How he did it, Ichigo didn't know. There has to be a certain point in which your body just refuses to sleep. Maybe it was something the Primera was doing to put himself to sleep? Ichigo decided thinking about how an Arrancar slept was dumb.
Baraggan was last, on the furthest right of the semi-circle. As Ichigo expected, he was seated on a boulder, sitting quite formally, too. He appeared bored and particularly unwanting to be here.
"Aah, everyone's here, and on time!" Urahara said jovially, making his presence known to the gathered group of Arrancar. Yoruichi jumped down from Ichigo's shoulder and quickly situated herself on Urahara's shoulder. "I hope everyone has been properly accommodated."
"What is the purpose of this gathering, store keeper?" Baraggan asked gruffly, preferring to get right down to the business at hand.
"As much as I'm sure everyone would like to kick back and relax a little.." Urahara glanced at Starrk. "I'm afraid we'll have to focus on more pressing matters."
"Aizen." Harribel said.
"Mostly, yes." Urahara confirmed. "I would also like to discuss the individual Fraccions as well."
"How so?" Harribel asked, prompting Urahara to wave her off.
"In due time. Now, Aizen. His 'army' has been halved, with the stronger Arrancar leaving him." Urahara stated the obvious. "I won't say this will make him desperate, but any plans he had will have changed. I felt I could predict his actions before, but this was before you all defected."
"What do you think this will push Aizen to do?" Aaroniero asked.
"Aizen is in possession of the Hogyoku. With it, his own imagination is the limit. If something is possible, he will find a way to make it happen." Urahara said, becoming slightly more serious at bringing up the Hogyoku.
"What exactly can Aizen do with the Hogyoku?" Starrk asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That, I can't say for sure. Not even I know the full extent of the Hogyoku's power, and I created it." This surprised the gathered Arrancar, having not known this fact before. No one said anything, however.
"Aizen used the Hogyoku on an Arrancar named Wonderweiss." Baraggan brought up, pondering that particular event. "The kid was a complete fool, though."
"Hmm." Urahara seemed to understand. If he did, he didn't expand for the Arrancar.
"You saying Aizen will use the Hogyoku on the Espada?" Grimmjow asked, obviously appearing annoyed at the idea.
"It's a possibility. Aizen is forever curious as to just how far the laws of nature can be broken or manipulated." Urahara told them, remembering a few key events that he had been witness to. "Before he experimented with the Arrancar, he managed to create Shinigami-Hollow hybrids with Shinigami in Seireitei. I'm curious as to see what his next project is."
"The remaining Espada are either blood-crazy or near-fanatical in their following of Aizen. They'll do anything Aizen wants them to." Harribel said, furrowing her brow.
"Mainly, I will be left to worry about the Hogyoku. I have the most extensive knowledge on it, after all." Urahara told them. "I just wished to inform you all of the possibilities, which brings me to the next subject." He paused. "The current level of power our allies are at will not cut it. They will be slaughtered in any confrontation with Aizen or the remaining Espada." Both Harribel and Starrk knew this all too well. "Let alone, the Seireitei and their captains and vice-captains."
"Speaking of-." Aaroniero spoke up. "What is the level of threat the Seireitei poses?"
"If they declare us their enemies, then it certainly wouldn't bode well for us." Urahara replied seriously. "However, given that there have been no more confrontations with them as of yet, I believe Yamamoto-taicho is adopting a... wait-and-see approach."
"Given Kurosaki-san's history with the Seireitei, I'm confused as to why they have not attempted any sort of negotiations." Aaroniero said, calling upon memories of past souls consumed.
"Yamamoto-taicho is over a millennia old. He is not one to take chances, nor allow sentiment to affect his decisions." Urahara replied. "He is aware of the potential threat Kurosaki-san posses, and if Kurosaki-san was indeed an enemy, it would not be something to take lightly. I would have made the same decision were I in his spot." Ichigo remained quiet, recalling the confrontation with the Hitsugaya Advance Team. "But this brings me back to my theory. The reason Yamamoto hasn't declared war on Ichigo is because he is, indeed, allowing sentiment to affect his decision. It wouldn't surprise me if an emissary was sent to us in the days ahead."
"And in the event that happens?" Starrk asked.
"I'm not quite sure. Of course, it would only help us to know that Seireitei was allied with us, but there is also the alternative." Urahara said, sighing loudly. "If Seireitei declares us enemies, that would be unfortunate. Though, we are not entirely defenseless." He referred to the three strongest Espada. "And we also have allies here in Karakura. Kurosaki-san knows them." Ichigo raised an eyebrow.
"Do you mean the Vaizards? You know them?" He asked.
"We've had our interactions the past." Urahara shrugged. "Normally, they prefer to stick to their own and only act if they are threatened, but I think they can be convinced."
"Who are the 'Vaizards'?" Baraggan asked suspiciously.
"They are a group of individuals similar to Kurosaki-san here." Urahara answered simply. This got everyone interested. One Ichigo was destructive enough. A whole other group? This could prove fortunate for them. "Do you think you can convince them, Kurosaki-san?"
"Probably. I can try." Ichigo answered, shrugging. He remembered his attempt at telling Shinji about the situation previously. Of course, Shinji was pretty disbelieving at the time. He then remembered he has promised to bring one of the Espada to speak with him, to which Shinji had seemed amused, but agreed nonetheless. "It might help to have one of you accompany me."
"I shall do so." Harribel volunteered. Ichigo nodded at her.
"Splendid!" Urahara exclaimed, a carefree smile on his face. "Now, to circle back... the Fraccion. They will need some drastic improving, don't you agree?"
"What did you have in mind?" Starrk asked.
"Oh, nothing too complicated..."
(Kurosaki Clinic)
Ichigo opened the door to his house quietly, being sure not to awaken anyone. When he wasn't greeted by his father's foot, he closed the door behind him and proceeded to his room. He was surprised at how the meeting went, unprepared for the civility of it all. Especially from the Arrancar. He stopped himself from thinking about that, not wanting to start appearing prejudiced against the Arrancar. Still, it went well. He walked upstairs, arriving at his room. He opened the door and entered, closing the door behind him. He turned the light on.
"Ichigo-kun." Ichigo jumped in surprise. Loly sat there on his bed, looking at him. She was in her gigai, and she was alone.
"L-Loly-chan? What're you doing here? You scared me." Ichigo said, quite uncharacteristically of himself. He walked forward towards her.
"I needed to talk to you." Loly stood up as she said this. She walked past Ichigo, to his door. She locked it and looked back at him. "What's the matter with you?" Ichigo blinked.
"What? Nothing's wrong. How did you get here?" He asked. Loly ignored his question.
"Don't bullshit me, Ichigo-kun. All day, something's been bothering you." She said sternly, crossing her arms. She walked up to him, looking right into his eyes, unflinching.
Ichigo stared at her for a few seconds. Finally, he sighed in defeat. "How do you know?"
"Because I know you, Ichigo-kun." She answered, her violet eyes showing nothing but concern and caring for the man in front of her. Ichigo sighed, deciding to concede.
"I'm just... confused." He furrowed his brow, unsure of how to answer.
"About what?" Loly tilted her head.
"About us." Ichigo answered, surprising Loly.
"What about us?" She asked this genuinely, not mocking his words. Ichigo averted his eyes for a brief second. Loly could tell he was in uncharted territory here. She was too, now that she thought about it.
"I love you, Loly-chan." Ichigo began, looking at her directly, his brow furrowed. Loly was surprised at the sudden confession. "But... there's also Menoly-chan. And Apacci-chan." He finished.
"What about them?" Loly asked, tilting her head to the side. Ichigo remained silent. "You love them too?"
"... yes. I do." Ichigo answered. "I've spent a lot of time with them. With all three of you. I've kissed all three of you. More than once." He added, furrowing his brow further.
"And?" Loly asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow. Ichigo blinked, completely taken aback by Loly's reply. "What're you confused about then?"
"I just... I thought that-." Ichigo didn't really know what to say. Loly shushed him.
"Shh." Ichigo stopped talking. "They love you too, Ichigo-kun. We all do."
"You're not mad?" He asked, surprised at the unexpected turn in the conversation.
"Well-." Loly fidgeted slightly. "-at first, I was... I kind of wanted you all to myself at first. I mean, I'd still prefer that, but so would they, I'm sure."
"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.
"Well... we've all, kind of, reached an agreement." Loly said, looking back into his eyes. Ichigo didn't quite believe what he was hearing. His mouth opened, but he couldn't form the words that he wasn't even sure he was thinking.
"I love you, Ichigo-kun. I couldn't let you choose... because you wouldn't choose any one of us over the other." Loly said knowingly. Ichigo looked at her quietly. She really did know him. "At least this way, we're all happy."
"I... I don't know what to say." Ichigo confessed. Loly then placed her hands on Ichigo's chest, leaning up into him. She kissed him without a moment's hesitation, closing her eyes. Rather than stop and think about what was going on, Ichigo only wrapped his arms around her protectively and kissed her back. Ichigo fell back onto his bed, slowly, as to not interrupt the kiss. It didn't take much longer after that for Ichigo to take the initiative and bite her lip softly. Loly accepted his request and parted her lips enough for Ichigo to slip his tongue in-between them. The two battled for dominance for a few seconds, Loly straddling his waist.
Loly slid her hands down Ichigo's chest, past his stomach, and stopping at the button on his pants. Ichigo grabbed her hands suddenly, breaking the kiss. Loly's face had a dark blush on her face as she looked at him.
"Wha-?" She was confused. "Don't you want to?" Ichigo groaned.
"Yeah, but... I just think we should wait." He told her, guiding her hands away from his lower half. Loly seemed disappointed, but more surprised at Ichigo's words. "I don't want to rush things right now. I mean, it sounds like I have Menoly and Apacci to talk to about all this, at the very least." Loly could tell he still felt a little awkward about the whole thing. "Is that ok?"
"Yeah... yeah, I guess." She sighed lowly. Ichigo half-smiled up at her, before leaning up and giving her another quick kiss. This seemed to please Loly, as she appeared content when he pulled away again. She laid her head on his chest. Ichigo held her closely to him, resting his head on the top of hers. They stayed this way until they had both drifted off into a comfortable sleep.
(Seireitei)
Captain Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto tapped the floor with his 'cane', effectively silencing the room's occupants. To have another Captain's Meeting so soon after the last one was unusual, but these were extraordinary times.
"This Captain's Meeting has been called on account of the recent developments regarding Aizen and his Arrancar allies." He started, looking between the two rows of captains in front of him. "As well as the situation with Ichigo Kurosaki."
(End of Chapter/Author's Note)
And done. As usual, I don't really have anything to add at the end of the story. I hope you enjoyed it. I will be working on 17 shortly, so keep an eye out. And now, what you have been waiting for, the;
Beta's Rant:
Y'ello all, how's it going? Alright, THIS one is probably going to ruffle a few feathers. Just please keep in mind that I'm only talking about IN FICTION. Any situation where you can apply this rant to something in real life is up to you and you only. With that said... I really don't care much for the title of "hero".
Yeah, I know, we're used to playing as the hero of the game, the guy who we guide on his epic journey through the world for whatever reason. The man who shows up to a town, solves their problem whatever it may be, gets a reward and leaves to the next town to repeat the process. But let me ask you this: is that really a good thing? You're showing up to solve a problem that's been plaguing a town for however long to reap rewards just out of nowhere. I get it, that's supposed to be the whole shtick of the hero. But to me, it's bullshit. A hero is not some dude from fuck-knows-where who appears once all the bad shit has happened to clean up the mess, get rewards and bitches, and keeps on doing so. To me, that's not really something to respect AT ALL. Little Timmy has come to save the town of Generictownonthebeach? Well, bully for him, where the fuck was he when we had mountain trolls making sweet sweet love to our village walls? This leads to a second problem I have with the whole hero thing. The town guard.
Holy shit, where to begin here? How about the fact that they're usually made to look like complete and utter idiots who wouldn't be able to navigate a grocery store if I gave them a map and someone to hold their fucking hands while the intercom is telling them when they made a wrong turn? Seriously, these are the guys who are tasked with protecting their town, the place they LIVE! And they volunteer for this shit. They're doing it by CHOICE! And yet they're also complete and utter incompetents who flee at the first sign of trouble and eagerly pass THEIR job of protecting the citizenry off to the stranger they just met 2 bloody minutes ago. I can understand if the town is damaged, like the walls are broken or something, and most of the guard is dead so the soldier who gives the party the quest stays where he is. Because he's doing his fucking JOB. You know, staying behind with what remains of his soldiers to protect the townspeople who remain? But no, he's got to be made to look like a coward who cares more for his own neck than those that he's chosen to protect.
Some of you may argue that if he truly cared, he'd go after the monster/s and/or people that that have wrecked his town's shit. No, I think that'd fall under the thing of "looking for revenge" or "personal-glory seeking". I may not be a soldier, but I can guaran-damn-tee you that any soldier will tell you that the lives of the civilians or whoever/whatever they're protecting is their first priority, not going after the enemy. That waits until reinforcements show up, a plan is made, and the safety of the town and its people have been secured. That's a soldier's duty, and I find that that's something to respect more than the glory-seeking of some ass-hole from the backwoods. This is Lazruth, and to hell with making dedicated soldiers look like fuck-twats!
Musical Inspiration for this Chapter:
Band:A Day To Remember
Song:NJ Legion Iced Tea
Get up, get out, this is your wake-up call! We run this town and you can't fight us all. We keep on coming back for more. And don't think you can hold us down, we'll tear this building down. Try to be careful what you say...
Please read and review! Constructive criticism is welcome, but flamers will be hunted and beaten up by me personally, I assure you.