The Mystery that is Arturo

"Byakuya…" was all Michiko could whisper as Byakuya shunpoed them from the prison cell where she was held captive by Arturo Plateado. The sight of him, his smell, and his presence was so comforting that even they were still on enemy grounds she knew that they would be alright. If I die, right here, right now it would be alright for he is here with me… she thought, tears welling in her eyes.

As if he read her thoughts, Byakuya gently set her down and kissed her tenderly. Michiko could no longer contain herself and kissed him back with all her emotions bursting: relief that at long last they were together again, her happiness that they would be having twins, her fear of what would happen to them, her concern about the war.

"Michiko…" Byakuya said tenderly as he looked at her. Tenderly he dried her tears and embraced her gently.

"Byakuya… I… we…." Michiko stammered as her husband embraced her.

"… are having twins…futago, my love…" he said a smile on his handsome features. Tenderly cupping her face with his hands he softly said, "and we will have a lot more I promise you that… but first, I must know that you and our children are alright" he said as he tenderly placed his palm on her flat stomach.

"We are fine hanata... how did you find me?" Michiko asked, still weak since her reiatsu was being consumed while inside the chamber.

"I traced your reiatsu… but it was difficult since it was unstable most of the time." Byakuya replied as he gently caressed her hair. He looked at his surroundings and it seems they were in a secluded area since he did not feel any reiatsu. Moments later he felt a familiar reiatsu approaching and Yoruichi arrived.

"Yoruichi-sama…" Michiko said, relived that she came along with her husband. "Domo arigatou…"

"Ne, Michiko-san… we should have come sooner" Yoruichi replied as she smiled at the couple. Looking around, she checked their surroundings. "How are you and the children?" she asked.

"They're alright, though Michiko is still weak from the lethality stone walls where she was imprisoned." Byakuya answered for her. Tenderly he lead her to a rock and gently settled her to sit on it, blushing she said. "Hanata… I'm alright… no need to worry about me…"

"Let me worry about you and our children, hanata…" Byakuya gently replied.

Yoruichi smiled as she looked at the couple, added "Let him take care of you Michiko-san…it's a rarity to see the mighty Kuchiki clan head fuss over someone" she chuckled.

Byakuya did not mind Yoruichi's teasing as he continued to heal his wife. Michiko on the other hand, remained silent and let her husband heal her, looking at him intently as if memorizing every inch of him.

Moments later, Yoruichi stood up, looked at the couple and said, "We should not stay here long though. Those arrancars might trace us and we need to get back to where we entered Bya-boo."

"Right." Byakuya replied, then looked at his wife and asked; "How do you feel hanata?" He thought of his wife's condition since she is carrying twins and weakened by being imprisoned in a lethality stone prison cell.

Michiko stood up, looked at Byakuya and Yoruichi and said, "We better get going then. I feel better now, domo arigatou."

The three completely masked their reiatsus and continued their journey. Michiko glanced around, and for the first time noticing the coldness of Hueco Mundo; this is literally an empty place… just like Aizen… like his heart… he cares for no one; only himself; Michiko thought as they walked.

Yoruichi, Byakuya and Michiko reached the said location and moments later the Garganta opened and the three stepped inside.

At Urahara's basement, it was Shiro, Jinta and Ururu who the three shinigamis first saw as they returned to the human world. "Ahoy there!" Urahara called as he leaped from the platform.

"You opened the Garganta just in time" Yoruichi said, grinning at him. "So how is it going while we were gone?" she asked.

"Not good I'm afraid… " he said, his expression, grim.

"What do you mean?" both Byakuya and Michiko asked.

Urahara looked at Byakuya and Yoruichi and replied, "a lot has happened since you went back to retrieve Michiko-sama" he began then looked at Michiko.

"Ikkaku-san, Yumichika-san, Kira-san and Shuuei-san are tasked to guard the four pillars of the replica Karakura Town… " Urahara replied.

"Guardians… your mean that the real Karakura Town has -- " Michiko stated

"Absolutely Michiko-sama. The pillars are located in the replica that I built, where the battle is being held. But those pillars should be protected at all costs. Any damage would make the real Karakura Town come back.

"I see… " Michiko replied, "I am wondering who is that arrancar who attacked me and my husband… it seems that he has an extremely different reiatsu. And worst, he could also shape-shift to the point of duplicating Byakuya's blood type."

"That is what I want to find out." Yoruichi answered, "He used a very high level kidō when he made the hole that got Byakuya." She looked at Byakuya and asked, "What happened to you after you slipped in that hole?"

"I found myself in a forest full of Menos Grandes. It seems that the spell is some kind of a vortex that transfers its victim to a different dimension." Byakuya replied.

She looked at Urahara and said; "I'll be checking the family scrolls and see if there is something I could find there."

"I can also check the family archives" Byakuya joined in.

"That would be perfect Bya-boo" Yoruichi said and looked at Michiko, "you take care alright? I want to be godmother to my adorable futago"

Michiko smiled and Byakuya looked at Yoruichi in his usual stoic manner, "Alright, daibo you will be. But first let's take care of this."

"Absolutely" Yoruichi replied and grinned at him.

"I shall open the special pathway then" Urahara said and the three nodded.

At the Shihōin palace…

"Yoruichi-dono, here are the scrolls you requested" one of the Shihōin staff hands her a box full of scrolls, records of important events that occurred in the past.

"Arigato Sunako-san. I will call for you if I need more" Yoruichi replied as she took one scroll from the box.

"Would you need a refill of the tea you had?" Sunako asked the Shihōin clan head.

"Iie, could you give me a glass of warm milk instead?" Yoruichi smiled as she requested Sunako.

"Hai, hai Ojousama" Sunako replied and left the study room.

Yoruichi began scanning the third batch of box that she got. Minutes turned to hours and she felt that she was going nowhere, until she saw a special covered scroll amongst the others in the box. She took the said scroll and began reading it, her eyes widening as she read on…

Prisoner of the Sōkyoku:

Name: Plateado Arturo

Origin: Hueco Mundo

Specie: Self-made Arrancar

Zanpakutou: Fénix

Remarks: Subject is sealed beneath the Sōkyoku Hill…

oOo oOo oOo

Author's Note: gomen ne for the long delay... the good news is... i am back :) to those who read, reviewed, made it to their story alert, their favorites, and made me one of their favorite authors, my heartfelt thanks. i have never forgotten you guys, things have been pretty chaotic a few months back and now i am back for good. :)