Kick About, Destroy, Bind
Chapter 7: No Hay Vuelta Atrás
Outside Karakura Town
Gunfire rang through the night.
Yoshi looked at the work that the twin sisters, Ying and Yang, along with the other members of the Kage no Tanken who she sent with them, were doing on the train. Each of the sisters stood on the back of a wagon, screaming with joy as they turned the crank on their Bala-class automatic shooters. While not as powerful or destructive as the Cero-class canons, the Bala-class shooters could do a lot of damage.
"Yoshi," the woman next to her said.
Yoshi looked at Carolyn who was tugging at her long, curled purple hair. Her purple eyes seemed to sparkle as she watched and stroked the necklace of rabbits' feet she wore around her neck.
"What is it, Carolyn?" she asked.
"Do you think they're dead by now?"
"Why? Are you growing impatient?"
"Oh no, in fact I'm rather enjoying the show."
"Good," Yoshi said and brought out her watch. "Alright, that's enough," she yelled. "Let's get the Hell out of here before a Gotei Squad comes to see what happened. Ying, Yang, it's time to go."
"Aw, do we have to?" Ying moaned, as she brushed a hand through her blue hair.
"Yeah, we were starting to have some real fun," Yang said as she tossed her head, allowing her short red hair to become even more messy.
"I bet you were starting to get a little…wet down there," Ying said, smirking.
"You know it, and I bet the same could be said with you," Yang said, laughing.
"Enough of that, you've had your fun," Yoshi said. "But, you can kill them," she said and pointed to the crew who were tied.
"With pleasure," Ying said and the two adjusted their Bala-class shooters and mowed down the helpless men.
"Ho, Ban," Yoshi said to two of the younger men in the group. "Take care of any survivors. Koga, I want you to take care of the wireless."
"Yes ma'am," Go Koga, a rather large and muscular man with a bright orange Mohawk said and he made his way to the cabin where the wireless office was. Meanwhile, Ho and Ban separated to either end. "The rest of you, let's get the Hell out of here. We're done."
Senkaimon Express to Fort Seireitei
Dordoni looked at the cuffs and frowned.
"Why are we the ones locked up?" he asked.
"Aizen said that we would be the right ones to have as the 'prisoners'," Gantenbainne said.
"Yeah, no shit," Cirucci said. "This way we can be part of making a nice big bonfire. Although, I wish that he hadn't had them put on so tight."
"Relax, as soon as we get far enough from prying eyes, Master Aizen will allow you some freedom," one of their "guards" said.
In one of the other cabins, Aizen sat with Arturo and Mordred Plateado.
"So, what's the deal?" Mordred asked. "Are we going to hit them right away or not?"
"Not quite yet," Aizen said as he stared at the chess board before them. "I want to make sure that everything happens in sync with each other. By now, Tsukishima would have made his own moves to take out some of our opponents. It will be interesting to see how he can help take out some of their pieces," he said and moved one of the Knights to take out a Rook.
Arturo looked at the board and nodded as he moved a Pawn to take out one of Aizen's other Pawns. Mordred gave a snort and looked out the window.
"So, what is your next move?" Arturo asked.
"Ah…that would be my Queen's Bishop," Aizen said as he moved said piece, "to take out the King's Knight."
"That's a nice move," Arturo said, looking at the board. "However, you ignored this simple piece," he said and moved a Pawn to the end of Aizen's side of the board. "This gives me another Queen and I put you in Check."
"Clever," Aizen said, grinning. "However, you also failed to notice something…" he moved his other Rook and took out the second Queen. "This game of chess is exactly how I'm playing the larger game. And now, I have Checkmate in two moves."
"Hmm, but even then, you mustn't become too sure of victory," Arturo said, smiling. "Even the smallest piece," he said and took out Aizen's rook with another Pawn and turned it into another Queen, "can do something to ruin it. Now, I have Checkmate in one move."
Aizen frowned as he looked at the board and then grinned. He moved his Queen to one of the positions that he hadn't seen before.
"Checkmate," Aizen said.
"So it would seem," Arturo said, smiling. "Shall we play again?"
Garganta Pass
"Did you really have to tie us up like this?" Lilynette asked.
"Yeah, we did," Jackie said as she rode ahead. "Are the ropes too tight, little girl?"
"Who are you calling, 'little girl'?"
"Just take it easy. I didn't mean to offend."
The group of eight rode through the Garganta Pass with Jackie and Riruka making sure that their prisoners kept in line. So far, none of their prisoners tried to make a run for it.
"Well, at least you're all on your best behavior, right? Or perhaps, maybe a little bit of naughtiness will be alright?" Riruka said, batting her eyelashes at Starrk.
"Sorry, but I'm already called for," Starrk said and gestured to Harribel who was glaring at them.
"Damn it, just my luck," Riruka muttered. "All of the hot guys I meet are either taken or gay or just don't give a shit."
"Riruka, we're stopping for the night," Jackie said as she noticed how dark it was.
"Fine," Riruka said and unsaddled. "You should have paid attention to that a lot sooner. It's going to be a lot harder to make camp."
"Stop your bitchin' and just get some firewood."
"Oh and how am I supposed to find firewood? What if I get bitten by some rattler or worse, a Death's Head Viper?"
"That's not my problem."
"There's a cluster Candle Bushes next to you," Starrk said. "Just use the wood for that to make a fire. It's usually good for about five hours or so if you're careful."
"Why should we listen to you, Arrancar scum?" Riruka said, clearly annoyed.
"Riruka, just shut up and do what he says," Jackie said, rolling her eyes. "Just because he doesn't like you doesn't mean that you have to be rude to him."
"Fine, whatever," Riruka said as she dismounted and tromped off to the cluster of dry Candle Bushes.
"Sorry about that," Jackie said.
"Is she always like that?" Harribel asked, narrowing her eyes.
"You have no idea," Jackie replied. "I trust that none of you will run away."
"We won't," Starrk said.
"You must be pretty dumb if you still think that we're gonna run away," Apacci said.
"Yeah, we made sure that all of you guys knew we were comin'," Mila Rose said.
"Yeah, but you can't be too careful," Jackie said.
Outside Karakura Town
Koga looked at the wireless and decided to just shoot the damn thing.
"There, that takes care of that little problem," he whispered.
He heard footsteps in the hall and turned to see Ban with his revolver walking by. Koga was glad that he didn't get stuck with having to kill any survivors. He walked out of the small office when he heard gunfire. He turned and saw Ban laughing.
"Did you find one?"
"Hell yeah!" Ban screamed. "Two…trying to beg for…for MERCY YHAHAHAHA!" he screamed.
"Fucking freak," Koga growled as he made his way to the exit.
Then more gunfire erupted. Koga got down to the ground and crawled into one of the empty compartments. He turned and saw Ban firing from the safety of the doorway of the compartment he just came out of. Koga couldn't see who he was shooting at, but he knew that he had to get out.
He saw someone running towards them and recognized Ban's twin brother, Ho. Ban saw his brother and gestured him to duck into one of the compartments.
"NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL FUN!" Ho shrieked as he dodged into the compartment across from his brother.
The two brothers laughed as they fired into the hall. Koga noticed that no one was shooting back.
"Damn idiots," he muttered as he checked his own revolver.
Ho and Ban realized that their first pair of revolvers were empty and were reloading when four figures rushed forward. The brothers didn't have time to react as the figures fired their own revolvers at them. Koga crawled deeper inside his compartment and hid under the seat. Outside, he could hear stomping feet and knew that things weren't turning out well for Ho and Ban.
"Shit, they have cyanide capsules," one screamed.
"Don't let them bite down," another shouted.
"Damn it," a third said.
At least those idiots had enough sense to kill themselves, Koga thought as he clutched his revolver.
"Kiyone, Sentaro, are either of them alive?" someone asked.
"No Captain Ukitake," one of them said.
"They had cyanide capsules."
"Nanao, are you alright?" another voice said.
"I'm alright, Captain Kyoraku. Unfortunately they got Bill and Bob. The two didn't have time to reach for their revolvers."
"Captain Unohana, it would seem as if the others are also dead."
"I know, Isane, but we can't do anything now."
"Byakuya, what do you think we should do now?" Ukitake asked.
"Let's check on the horses," Byakuya said. "They should still be fine."
Damn it, the fucking horses, we forgot to shoot the horses.
"What about the bodies?"
"Leave them. They'll be taken care of."
The footsteps left and Koga crawled his way out from under the seat. He was about to get up when he saw a revolver pointed at him. He clutched his revolver and stayed kneeling on the floor, making himself a smaller target.
"Don't even think about it," Byakuya said and he reached into Koga's mouth and plucked out the cyanide capsule hidden under his tongue. "You're coming with us and you're going to answer a few of our questions."
"I don't think so," Koga said and brought up his revolver. "I'm not going down alone."
Byakuya did not hesitate. He shot Koga's gun hand and Koga went down, blood pouring from the wound. His gun landed on the floor and was covered with blood. Byakuya approached him.
"You will answer my questions," Byakuya said. "Now, who sent you?"
"Fuck you," Koga said and brought out the dagger from its sheath strapped to his left arm and hidden by the sleeve of his jacket.
Byakuya's eyes widened as Koga slashed out. Byakuya dodged and Koga made a run for it. He was about five steps away from freedom when the door to the car opened and he saw Captain Kyoraku aiming a revolver at him.
"Not so fast. We need answers and we need them right away," Kyoraku said.
Koga turned and saw that Byakuya was blocking his path. He looked at the dagger and then buried it into his throat. Byakuya and Kyoraku rushed at him, but it was too late. Koga was dead.
"Well, that didn't go very well," Kyoraku said, frowning.
"Look at the tattoo on his hand," Byakuya said and showed Kyoraku the tattoo of a red skull in the webbing between his thumb and forefinger.
"Aka Zugaikotsu," Kyoraku said.
"Yes, and that means that the Kage no Tanken Squad is somehow involved," Byakuya said.
"Then we better get moving."
Ishida Residence
Uryu Ishida stared at the door, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. He knew that his father always locked the door, but it was hanging open. He brought out his revolver and opened the door with his shoulder, ready to shoot if he had to. His cane made a soft tapping noise on the carpeted floor and Uryu winced. However, everything was still quiet.
He saw the flickering light coming from the sitting room. Uryu made his way to the door and put his back against the wall next to the doorway. He then pivoted as best he could and aimed his revolver into the room. At first he didn't see anyone, but as his eyes moved towards the floor he felt himself go limp.
"Dad," he whispered.
There was no response. Fear rose in Uryu and he rushed to his father. Then he noticed that his father's face and side of his neck was bloated. Uryu saw the puncture wounds. Even though a part of him knew that his father was already dead, Uryu knelt and felt for a pulse. At first it was hard to tell if it was there, but then he felt it.
"I'll get Isshin," Uryu said as he ran to the phone.
Urahara Shop
"KISUKE!" Yoruichi shouted as she entered the shop.
With each step that she took, the more she became afraid. She refused to allow the thought that Kisuke was dead to even take root. However, she knew that it wasn't out of the question. Even though the assassin did not tell her who sent him, she saw the tattoo on his neck of a black dagger and skull when she stripped off his bandana. She only knew of one group that had that tattoo: the Kage no Tanken.
"Damn it," she said. "Maybe he's…"
"BOSS, are you alright?" someone shouted.
Yoruichi hurried and saw Tessai kneeling over the limp form of Kisuke. At first Yoruichi was afraid that he was dead, but then saw that Kisuke's chest was moving.
"Tessai, what happened?"
"I don't know. I just got back from the Sheriff's Office to tell Kisuke that they caught the Arrancars. Then…then I saw Kisuke on the floor."
"He's still alive?"
"Yes, he was just drugged with some kind of paralysis drug. Yoruichi, please get me some salt and I'll get some water and my bag."
Yoruichi nodded and then saw the wounds on Kisuke.
"Tessai, what do you think caused these wounds? They're kind of oddly shaped to be a knife's."
"That's not important right now," Tessai said as he brought out a cup full of water and a medical bag. "What's important is that we get Kisuke's body to flush out whatever is causing it."
"Tessai, what if it's already in his blood stream?"
"Don't worry," Tessai said. "I have a fairly good idea of what did this to him."
"What if you're wrong?"
Tessai stopped and looked at her. He shrugged and then got back to what he was doing. Yoruichi shook her head as she went to the salt larder. She opened it and took out the scoop and filled one of the bags with salt. As she made her way back to where Tessai was examining Kisuke she remembered something else that the assassin said. She put the bag of salt next to Tessai.
"I need to check on someone else," she said and rushed out of the shop.
Murphy Residence
"I'm so sorry," Yoshino said as she stuck the syringe into Davis Murphy's neck and pushed down on the plunger. "But you're going to wake up with one bitch of a headache."
"Well," someone said.
"Why are you here Jin?"
"You know me," Jin Kariya said as he stepped out of the shadows. "I just want to make sure that things are going smoothly. Ryo just got back from taking care of Ryuken."
"What did he say?"
"He told me that Ryuken is as good as dead now," Jin said. "I would have preferred it if he stayed to make sure."
"Right," Yoshino said as she looked at Davis Murphy. "This one didn't put up too much of a fight."
"How much did you give him?"
"Enough to make sure that he stays out for a bit. I'm surprised that not all of the targets were to be killed."
"I received my orders from Hanza Nukui and I only followed them. Let's go before someone comes checking on him."
"Who would?"
"Ryu failed in his assignment to kill the Shihoin bitch."
"What?"
"It's only a matter of time before Yoruichi comes here. We'll have to get going."
"Alright," Yoshino said. "I'm curious though. Why did Hanza allow them to see witnesses?"
"I don't know, and I doubt that even he knows for sure. However, if I was a betting man, I would say that everything is going well on Shadow Lurker's end."
"We're coming down to the wire, aren't we?"
"I would think so," Jin said, but he felt uneasy.
Las Noches
Sui-Feng sat on the bunk of her new cell. She felt as though she would break at any moment.
"I am a Captain of the Gotei," she whispered. "A Captain never shows fear in the sight of the enemy. A Captain…"
"…is a fool," Ggio said as he walked in. Sui-Feng looked up and saw that he was scowling. "Why do you even bother repeating that little mantra? You know it's not going to help you."
"It helps me to resist breaking," Sui-Feng said.
"I just don't get you," Ggio said as he pushed the bowl of watery broth and a piece of dried bread into her cell.
"Why are you here?"
"What does it look like? I'm here to give you your food."
"That's not what I meant. I meant: why are you looking after me?"
"I was assigned to…"
"No you weren't."
"What are you talking about?" Ggio asked, sounding nervous.
"No one was truly assigned to take care of me."
"You caught me," Ggio said, sighing. "You're right. Lord Baraggan didn't want any of us to look after you, but he did tell us that if we wanted to watch you and feed you and do whatever else we liked with you then we could. I guess…I guess I felt sorry for ya."
"Why?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
"Maybe later," Ggio said. "You better eat up. We'll be hitting the road pretty soon."
"What?"
"Lord Baraggan just told us, his Crimson Dragons, what Shadow Lurker's orders are. We move out tomorrow. That way we'll be in position in time."
"For what?"
"You'll see. Anyways, I brought you this as well," Ggio said and held out a small pocket watch to her. "I found it among your things. I thought ya might want it."
Sui-Feng's eyes widened as she took the pocket watch. Tears came to her eyes when she opened it and saw the picture of her father standing with Yoruichi.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Who are they?" Ggio asked.
"The man's my father and the woman was someone who I looked up to. She was…she was like a mother to me."
"Did they have some kinda fling?"
"No," Sui-Feng said glad to talk about something else. "My father was partnered with her for a few missions and they became…I guess you could say that they became like brother and sister."
Ggio sat on the wooden bench outside. It was clear that he just brought her some level of comfort and he was glad that he did. The look she got on her face was…radiant and filled with pride.
"Tell me more," Ggio said.
"Why?"
"I guess…'cause I want to know you more," he said and sighed.
"Why would you want to do that?"
"I don't know."
Ishida Residence
Isshin rushed through the door as Uryu limped as fast as he could. He rushed to where Uryu said Ryuken was. At the sight of his friend's swollen face and neck, Isshin felt all of the color drain from his face. He knew that he had to hurry as he saw the wounds around the bite marks turn into an ugly yellowish brown color, the color of rotting fruit.
"You'll be alright," Isshin said as he opened his bag and took out a scalpel. "You're lucky that you were bitten by a Death's Head Viper before, otherwise you would be dead by now."
Isshin pressed the blade on the area close to the bite mark and pressed down. Blood flowed from the open wound and Ryuken's torso arched. Isshin then made a small cut close to the edges of the swollen areas. He had to make sure that he got as much of the venom out as possible and one of the best ways was to bleed him.
"How is he?" Uryu asked from the doorway.
"He'll be alright," Isshin said. "He was lucky that he got bitten by a Death's Head Viper on a mission that we were on. It helped to slow the process."
"How did a Viper get in here?"
"Someone let it in," Isshin said. "Death's Head Vipers are rarely seen outside of the Hueco Mundo Wastes. Whoever used it obviously didn't know that Ryuken's body is able to combat the venom. If they did, they wouldn't have used it."
"Unless they wanted him to die a cruel death," Uryu said through gritted teeth.
"No, his body would have fought it off in time, but he would have been in a lot more pain while recovering. You were right to call me. This way he'll have an easier recovery, but it will be long."
"Someone tried to kill my dad. I want to know who it was."
"Don't look at me. Someone must want him dead for some…reason," Isshin's eyes went wide and he rushed out the room.
"Hey…what am I supposed to do?" Uryu asked and grabbed Isshin's coat before he could get much further.
Isshin looked at Uryu and then at Ryuken.
"When the swelling gets down to about skin-level; cover the incisions with some bandages. Then get him to Gotei Hospital. They should have blood. Do you know his blood type?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Make sure that he gets a blood transfusion. He's going to need it."
"Where are you going?"
"I need to check on Yuzu and Karin."
Fort Seireitei
Aizen looked out the window as the train pulled into the station. Arturo and Mordred looked at him and nodded. He returned to looking out the window and saw that Gotei soldiers were standing in a row and he recognized some of them as those he recruited. He smiled.
"Alright, gentlemen," he said and turned to look at the Plateado Brothers. "It's show time."
"How long do we have to put up with this charade?" Mordred asked.
"Until I say it's time to strike," Aizen said and he walked out of the compartment.
"Shall we fetch our 'prisoners'?" Arturo asked as he put on his hat.
"Of course," Aizen said.
"Very good," Arturo said. "Moe, Reiichi, fetch the prisoners."
"Yes sir," the two young men said and rushed off.
"Are you ready for your debut?" Aizen asked.
"I am," Arturo said. "Mordred, try to keep your temper in check. If you fuck this up, I swear that I will kill you before any of the Gotei scum. Do I make myself clear?"
"Like crystal," Mordred muttered.
"He sometimes needs a firm hand," Arturo said.
"I understand," Aizen said smiling. "Now then, just follow my lead and everything will go well."
At that moment, Moe and Reiichi returned with the three Privaron Espada who were rebound in their chains.
"Master Aizen," Dordoni said and bowed.
"You three must do your parts as well. If you have to…call me a cock-sucking bastard or any other vulgarities that you can think of," Aizen said. "It makes it look more realistic."
"As you wish…you fucking cock-sucking mother-fucker," Cirucci said. "Like that?"
"Exactly," Aizen said. "Now, let's give them a grand performance."
Sheriff's Office, Karakura Town
"Ichigo, what's going on?" Renji asked as he rushed into the office.
Ichigo sat at his desk and looked at the messages he just received. Too much was going on for him to know what to deal with first. He was at a complete loss of words.
"Renji," Rukia said. "It's about time you got here. Ichigo and I have been absolutely swamped with what's been going on."
"What are you talking about?"
"First, Jackie and Riruka caught six of the Arrancars who were coming here," Rukia said. "Aizen caught the three Privaron Espada and is bringing them to Fort Seireitei with the help of the Guardians of the Borderlands."
"You mean that group led by the Plateado Brothers?"
"That's the one. Anyways, then we received a report that someone attacked Kisuke Urahara at his shop and Ryuken Ishida at his home."
"What?"
"I know, but it looks like Ryuken will live. But, he was bitten by a Death's Head Viper and recovery will take some time."
"What about the Kurosaki family?"
"Ichigo just heard from his dad. Yuzu and Karin are alright."
"That's a relief."
"I know. It's strange. This evening there've been multiple attacks and the night before we had a series of coordinated train robberies made against the Senkaimon Express. Something's going on."
"Tell me about it. How's Ichigo holding up?"
"He's coping. I just don't know for how long."
Fort Seireitei
Aizen stood before the assembly. Arturo and Mordred stood on either side of him and they faced General Yamamoto along with the other Captains. Aizen looked around and saw that Captains Sui-Feng, Amagai, Unohana, Kuchiki, Kyoraku, Zaraki, Hitsugaya, and Ukitake were not present.
"I noticed that some of the Captains are absent," Aizen said.
"They have their own assignments. Captain Sui-Feng is currently searching for the whereabouts of the other Arrancar and should be sending in her report any day now."
No she won't, Aizen thought.
"I sent Captains Unohana, Kuchiki, Kyoraku, and Ukitake to Karakura Town to help Ichigo with the situation there."
"I'm sure that the boy could use all of the help he can get."
"Indeed," Yamamoto said and nodded. "Captain Hitsugaya decided to go as well, but he missed that train and had to go on the next one. He should be arriving in Karakura Town sometime around dawn."
"What made him decide to go then?"
"He said that he would also like to help with the investigation. He was quite persistent about it."
"That's interesting," Aizen said. He suddenly had a desire to burst out laughing. He began to think of making it look as though Hitsugaya was Shadow-Lurker, but the idea of doing that was just too outrageous. No, it was better if he kept with the original plan in that regard.
"As for Captains Zaraki and Amagai, they are, of course, at the border forts Zaraki and Kusajishi."
"Am I to understand that Captain Amagai is currently at Fort Kusajishi?" Aizen asked.
"That is correct. I received a telegram from Captain Zaraki informing me that he has decided to increase the number of border patrols. Captain Amagai has sent a telegram to inform me that he is currently strengthening the fortifications at Fort Kusajishi, but that he needed another three Cero-class canons to replace three that were in too bad of a condition to be useful.
"Now, Captain Aizen, I understand that you caught three Arrancars with the help of the Guardians of the Borderlands. Is that correct?"
"Yes sir, it is. The two gentlemen with me are the main leaders of said group. They helped me willingly."
"Is this correct?"
"It is," Mordred said and bowed.
"Sir, even though we are technically a mercenary group, we also value our homes," Arturo said with a bow. "When we heard that Captain Aizen was out searching for the Espada, we offered him our assistance. We felt a great shame knowing that Arrancar scum marched through the Borderlands to attack Karakura Town four months ago. We wished to regain our honor and our pride. Unfortunately, we only caught three Arrancars who used to be Espada some time ago."
"But it is still a success. The three Privaron Espada were once considered a great threat against the Gensei Provinces."
"Unfortunately, their time of glory has passed," Aizen said. "However, they did lead us to Rudobon's hideout."
"I see," Yamamoto said. "Tell me more."
Garganta Pass
The sun was beginning to rise. Starrk sat on the ground and looked down at Karakura Town. He looked around and saw the overlook where he and the other Espada looked down at the town only four months before. He sighed at how much could change in only four months.
"Good, you're already up," Jackie said. "Dwelling on days gone by?"
"You could say that," Starrk said as he got up he looked at her and saw that she was holding his dagger.
"Where did you get this thing anyways?" she asked.
"It was given to me," Starrk said.
"Who gave it to you?"
"Why are you so curious about that?"
"I just am. It's an unusual dagger and I was curious."
"I'll tell you where I got that dagger if you tell me why you don't clean your boots."
"Touché," Jackie said and smiled. "I guess you could say I don't clean my boots because the dirt on them is from all of the places that I've traveled and I want to keep those places with me in some way."
"You collect dirt the way that other people collect coins or rocks," Starrk said.
"That's right. It's your turn."
"Well, Bel and Lily already know the story, but they're close to me. However, I did make a promise."
"That's right."
"I got it from a Shaman from the Valley of Five Rivers. He told me that the dagger was meant for someone who had the Spirit of Okami in him. You probably think that's odd."
"No, I don't. I know the legends of the Valley of Five Rivers. I spent some time there and that's where I got these babies," she said and patted her boots. "I needed to get a new pair and I just saw them and bought them from an old woman."
"Ah you must have seen the Shaman's wife then," Starrk said. "Did she tell you anything about them?"
"Yeah," Jackie said. "She told me that the dirtier they got, the more faithful they would be to me. So far, they haven't worn out and I haven't tripped over anything in them, and that last is a miracle in itself."
"Then she was right," Starrk said.
"Whatever, go on with your story."
"So, you already know what the Spirit of Okami is."
"Of course, it's their term for someone who is strong and yet gentle. Those who have the Spirit of Okami often have the same dream, but I never found out what it is."
"It's the dream of a wolf, a wolf's cub, and a doe walking in the desert under a crescent moon. Those who would become his companions will have the same dream and the three will form the center of a group that will gather to help fight against those who would try to destroy those who do the right thing."
"I see," Jackie said. "The wood carving…"
Starrk turned on her and a she thought she saw a flash of gold in his eyes.
"Those were private. You had no right to go through their Treasures without their permission," he snarled.
"Relax, the woman, Harribel, showed me last night. I know a girl's Treasure Box when I see it, and I saw that you have one too. Don't worry. I didn't go through any of them and I gave strict orders to Riruka not to go through them. I allowed Harribel and the girl to keep them and I'll allow you to keep yours."
"I…I'm sorry," Starrk said and his gaze softened. "I jumped to conclusions."
"You're just protective of them," Jackie said. "So, the girl, Lilynette, right?"
"That's right."
"I take it that she's the wolf cub and Harribel's the doe."
Starrk only nodded his head.
"Well, you two are up early," Riruka said. "I guess that means that I should wake the others."
"Let them sleep for now," Jackie said.
"Huh? But why?"
"Because I said so," Jackie said.
"Whatever," Riruka said.
"What's her problem?" Starrk asked watching as Riruka walked away from them.
"She's always like that," Jackie said and rolled her eyes. "She's like a little sister. She can be a real pain in the ass and yet you still love her and want to protect her. I guess that's why I volunteered to go with her."
"I know what you mean," Starrk said as he looked over to Lilynette and smiled.
Las Noches
"Pack up, we're leaving," Baraggan shouted.
Grimmjow woke at his voice and stood up. He saw that the horizon was taking on the painted hues of sunrise. He didn't expect that they would be moving so soon and he never got a chance to find out the information he wanted about how many of the Gotei soldiers stationed in the Borderlands were addicted to Brujería and Amor. He needed to find some way to tell Nel about this.
"Sir," Di Roy said as he came rushing towards him.
"I know Di Roy," Grimmjow said. "I heard him. Are the others awake?"
"Shawlong and Edorad are," Di Roy said.
"Good; have them wake the others and tell them that I want to hold a small meeting before we move out with the others. But I want them already packed."
"Yes sir," Di Roy said and he rushed off.
Grimmjow turned and rushed to where he and Nel met the night before. He took out the small notebook and pencil that he kept with him for whenever he needed to take notes, which wasn't often. He wrote a quick message and then tucked it under one of the stones, making sure that a corner stuck out. When that was done, he rushed back to where he was in time to see Shawlong making his way to their usual meeting spot.
"You're already packed?" Grimmjow asked, grinning.
"You know me," Shawlong said. "I always like to be prepared to move."
"I guess that'll never change."
When he saw that the other Panteras were coming towards him, Grimmjow stood up. All of the others gathered around him.
"So, what's up?" Nakeem asked.
"Yeah, what's the plan?" Edorad asked.
"Do you trust me?" Grimmjow asked them.
"What do you mean? Of course we trust you," Yylfordt said.
"Then there's something I need to tell you," Grimmjow said. "Do you believe what Aizen said about Starrk, Ulquiorra, and Harribel?"
"What are you saying?" Shawlong asked.
"First, I want to know what you think about what Aizen said about them."
"It's bullshit," Di Roy said. "What reason would they have to betray us?"
"That's right," Edorad said. "The only reason why some of the others believe it is because of Zommari and Zommari believes anything that Aizen tells him."
"I agree," Shawlong said. "Yammy is too moronic to think for himself. Aaroniero doesn't really care either way. Nnoitora only cares about fighting the Gotei."
"Then why does Baraggan believe it?" Nakeem asked.
"Because," Yylfordt said. "Baraggan wasn't the Primera the last time and he considers himself above everybody else."
"Baraggan's stuck in believing that he's living his golden days when he was the most feared Arrancar in the Hueco Mundo Wastes," Grimmjow said. "But those days died when Rudobon began his campaign and they became even more dead when Starrk was doing his little raids in the Borderlands."
"What's this about anyways, Grimmjow?" Shawlong asked.
"I'm glad to know that you don't buy what Aizen said. The reason I wanted to talk to you is because I need to confess something. I'm keeping Ulquiorra informed and he's keeping Starrk and Harribel informed as well."
"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Edorad asked.
"I promised Ulquiorra that I wouldn't. But things are coming to a collision course and when the time comes, I need to know if you'll stand with me against Aizen," Grimmjow said. "What better way, than by stabbing him in the back?"
"It's risky," Shawlong said.
"I know, but I need to know. Will you stand with me?"
"We made a promise, didn't we?" Di Roy asked.
"Yeah, we promised to stand with you," Nakeem said.
"Even if we died because of it," Edorad said.
"And a Pantera never breaks his word," Yylfordt said.
"So, what's the plan?" Shawlong asked.
"We ride with them, but when the time comes, we turn against the others. They will not expect it."
Junrinan
Jidanbo looked over to the soldier who was standing two soldiers down from him. They were in line for morning roll-call and Colonel Kagine was doing inspections. However, while all of the other soldiers were lined-up and standing straight, this soldier was quivering and twitching. Jidanbo thought that he might have some kind of medical problem.
"Justin Carroway," Kagine said.
"Present."
"Richard Carson."
"Present."
"Raymond Carson."
"Present."
"Daniel Carter."
Silence.
"Daniel Carter."
Then Jidanbo watched as the soldier, collapsed.
"DAN!" one of the others cried out and got out of line.
"You, get back in line," Kagine said.
"It's my brother, sir. He collapsed."
"Who are you?"
"I'm George Carter."
"Then I guess this lazy sack of shit must be…holy shit," Kagine moaned when he saw the boy on the ground twitching. "Akemi, Sachiko," he shouted to two of the other soldiers.
Jidanbo looked and saw the Amaterasu sisters running towards the convulsing soldier.
"Yes sir," Sachiko said.
"I need you to take him to the Squad 4 Clinic IMMEDIATELY!"
"Yes sir," the sisters replied and picked up the soldier. As they did, a glass vial fell from his pant legs. Kagine saw it and picked it up before George had a chance to grab it. Kagine looked at it and his eyes narrowed.
"What is this?" he asked George.
"It's…it's a glass bottle, sir," George said.
"I can see that. I'm asking what was in it."
"N-n-nothing, sir."
"I highly doubt that. Now, tell me the truth or I'll have you flogged."
"Please…please sir, I…I don't want my brother…"
"He's already in deep shit," Kagine said. "However, if you tell me what was in this, then it may help him survive. Now, if you don't want your brother to die…TELL ME WHAT HE WAS ON!"
"Brujería, sir," George said.
"Fuck," Kagine muttered, "another one. You two were recently sent here, right?"
"Yes sir."
"Where were you stationed?"
"Fort Kusajishi, sir," George said, his voice quavered.
"How many there did you see with these vials, son?"
"About…about two-thirds of those stationed there, sir."
"I see. Then I'll have to get word to whatever commanding officer is stationed there and inform him of this. And he better not be using."
Jidanbo looked at George and saw that some of the other recruits were giving him hard stares for some reason. Then he noticed that most of them were shivering slightly and others had glazed-over expressions. He had a bad feeling that quite a few more empty glass vials would start to show up.
Fort Kusajishi
While not as intimidating-looking as Fort Zaraki, Fort Kusajishi still looked strong. Its wooden walls were surrounded on the outside by a low level of stone that rose about four feet. At various intervals, a hole was carved out of the wood and the barrel of a Bala-class shooter faced out.
Inside, at the rear of the fort that was built on top of a steeply-angled incline, a dirt ramp and mound was made and held in place with stone. At the top of these mounds, a Cero-class canon was aimed at the Wastes beyond.
Captain Shusuke Amagai stood on top of one of these inclines with his Lieutenant, Makoto Kibune. He looked at the telegram that Kibune gave him and nodded.
"Send another telegram informing Colonel Kagine that I will look into the matter."
"Yes sir," Kibune said and gave a salute before marching away.
Amagai looked at some of the men and saw that they were exhibiting the same symptoms that Kagine mentioned in his telegram. The Squad 4 members were rushing around in a desperate attempt to find a cause. He already saw that over a half of the men stationed at Fort Kusajishi were already going through withdrawal.
Fort Zaraki
"HELL YEAH!" Kenpachi screamed and howled with laughter as he saw the telegram.
"What is it, Kenny?" Yachiru asked.
"It looks like we're in luck. We might actually get to do some fighting," Kenpachi said and showed the telegram to his Lieutenant.
"Ooh, Rudobon," she said and grinned. "So he's hiding out in the Precipice Mountains?"
"That's what it says. God damn I wanted to face El General de los Huesos for quite some time. Now here's my chance."
"YAY!" Yachiru shouted. "When do we leave?"
"Right away," Kenpachi said and grinned. "I'll let Ikkaku and Yumichika come with me."
"Yeah, Cue-Ball and Eye-Brows have been kinda down since they got beat up in Kagamino. This should cheer them up. But, who are we gonna leave in charge?"
"Huh…I never thought about that," Kenpachi said. "Fuck it; let's just give Maki-Maki the charge."
"Sounds like a great idea, Kenny," Yachiru said and smiled.
"I know. Ain't I smart?"
United Hogyoku Bank Headquarters
"Are your men in place?" Gin asked on the phone.
He tapped his finger on the map of the Garganta line. His icy blue eyes were opened into narrow slits and his usual smile was gone. Then his smile returned.
"Good. Make sure that you have your men ready at the twenty-mile north-bound marker. The train should be there at around 11:45 PM. Make sure that there are plenty of carts ready to take away the gold and then head to the agreed meeting spot."
Gin stopped and listened to the person on the other end.
"I know, but by then it won't matter. Kaname's already in his position. Tsukishima is ready. Hell, I'm ready on my end. Everyone is where they need to be and the moves are already being made."
The person on the other end said something and Gin laughed.
"Yes yes, but don't worry. Things will be taken care of. Oh, and Tsukishima already moved the Kage no Tanken…I know it was a bit premature, but it did help us get rid of some potential problems."
Gin brought out the report that Hanza Nukui gave him and looked at it.
"They got Kisuke Urahara out of the way. Unfortunately, Yoruichi escaped but that's alright since she won't leave Kisuke until he recovers. Ryuken has also been taken care of, even though he survived. A bite from a Death's Head Viper takes some time to recover from after all and the last moves are only a couple of days away.
"Well, as for those two…I'm leaving that up to Tsukishima. He already has put his plans in motion and I like where it's heading. It could take care of any number of potential problems."
Gin paused as Aizen asked him a question.
"Aizen, he will go through with his part. The question is: what should we do about him?"
Gin listened as Aizen explained and nodded.
"I see and what about…?"
Aizen said something and Gin nodded.
"I understand. I hope that things will go well on your end as well. Bye," he said and hung up the phone.
Sheriff's Office
"You know that I have quite a few questions for you," Ichigo said as he looked at the six prisoners that Jackie and Riruka brought in.
"We'll answer them," Harribel said.
"You will?" Renji asked, his tone said that he didn't believe them.
"Damn right we will," Apacci said.
"Yeah, why do you think we came here in the first place?" Mila Rose asked.
"You could have surrendered to Yumichika, Ikkaku, and Maki-Maki at Kagamino," Renji said.
"We could have, but they weren't the ones we wanted to speak to," Sung-Sun said. "Harribel told us that the only one to talk to would be Ichigo Kurosaki."
"It's true, and when I talked to Starrk about it, he agreed," Harribel said.
"Why would you need to talk to me?" Ichigo asked.
"It's because you're friends with Orihime," Lilynette said. "She told us quite a bit about you."
"When did she talk about me?" Ichigo asked his tone icy. "Did she talk about me while you monsters kept her prisoner?"
"Who are you calling a monster, Berry-Boy?" Apacci asked.
"You watch it," Renji said and shoved a finger in her face.
"Get…that…fucking finger…OUT OF MY FACE, PINEAPPLE HEAD!"
"Great, he's being an idiot again," Rukia said and hit Renji on the head with a curled fist.
"Damn it, Rukia. Why'd you do that?"
"Because you're being a complete idiot," she said. "And you, Ichigo, are no better. They're not monsters out of some fairy-tale." She turned her attention back to the six Arrancars. "So, when did Orihime Inoue discuss her friendship with Ichigo? Was it when she was held prisoner?"
"No," Starrk said. "At least, as far as I know. Ulquiorra would know more about her time as a prisoner with us. No, it was when she and Captain Unohana helped to heal Harribel and Ulquiorra."
Renji and Rukia looked at each other and then at Ichigo. The shock on Ichigo's face could not have been plainer. He stood up and looked at Starrk.
"You're lying," he said.
"I'm not. While Harribel and Ulquiorra were recovering, she told us about you and her other friends. We figured that if ever Shadow-Lurker tried anything against Karakura Town again, then we would repay our debt to her by helping you in any way we could as well as get some payback for ourselves."
"You know who Shadow-Lurker is," Ichigo said.
"We do."
"Who is it?"
"Let me ask you something, Ichigo Kurosaki. Have you ever wondered why those three just happened to stumble across a gunfight and decide to jump in? Have you ever wondered how they picked that exact moment to help drive the Espada away from Karakura Town?"
"What are you talking about?" Renji asked.
"You may not want to hear it, but you must. The future of the Gensei Provinces depends on what you do here and now. Ichigo, Souske Aizen is the Shadow-Lurker."
Silence fell upon all in the room. Ichigo felt as though he was lying on an anvil and had just been dealt a blow with a large and heavy hammer. He felt as though his legs were about to give out from beneath him.
"You're lying," Renji whispered, not really hearing what he said.
"That's…that's impossible," Rukia gasped.
"Yet it's the truth," Starrk said. "You have six witnesses who can verify it. Ichigo, if you truly love this town, then contact Fort Seireitei immediately. Tell them that they need to arrest Aizen immediately and anyone who came with him. If you don't then everything that you love and hold dear and swore to protect will be turned to ashes."
"I…"Ichigo muttered, trying to process the information. "I've heard nothing more than the snarling of an Arrancar dog."
Rukia and Renji looked at each other and then at the six Arrancars. They looked devastated, but Starrk kept his gaze on Ichigo. His eyes were full of sorrow.
"So, you still view us as nothing more than animals. In that case, let me talk with Kisuke Urahara or Yoruichi Shihoin."
"Unfortunately, Arrancar," Renji said, snarling, "Kisuke's in the clinic recovering from injuries he sustained last night along with Ryuken Ishida and Davis Murphy and Yoruichi is in no condition to help."
"Wait, Davis was hurt?" Harribel asked.
"Why should you care about that?" Renji asked. "Why should a monster care about what happens to a human?"
"What did we ever do to you?" Starrk asked his voice filled with sorrow.
"YOU ALMOST KILLED RUKIA!" Renji shouted. "You kidnapped Orihime, and when we went to rescue her, one of the Espada almost killed Rukia! Another almost killed me! If that's not reason enough for me not to trust you, then I don't know what is."
"So, you love her," Starrk said and pointed at Rukia.
"I…I…uh…" Renji was taken aback and he looked at Rukia who was blushing and couldn't meet his gaze.
"I was not the one who tried to kill her," Starrk said. "So, I ask again. What did we do to deserve this?"
"YOU ATTACKED US!" Ichigo yelled and brought out his revolver. He aimed it at Starrk, but Starrk never blinked or looked away.
"STARRK!" Lilynette cried out.
"Ichigo, what are you doing?" Rukia asked.
"SHOOT HIM!" Renji shouted. "SHOOT THE BASTARD!"
"If you do this, you can never take it back," Starrk said. "If you shoot me, you would be no different than how you see us."
"You're all a bunch of mad dogs," Ichigo said. "When you see a mad dog in the street, you shoot it dead before it bites you. All Arrancars are nothing more than a bunch of mad dogs."
"I'm warning you," Starrk said. "If you even think about hurting those I love, then I will rip your throat out before you have the chance of pulling the trigger. If either of your deputies dares to harm either Lilynette or Harribel or Sung-Sun or Apacci or Mila Rose, I will send the wolves on them and you, Ichigo Kurosaki. But, if you direct your anger only towards me, then I will not stop you if it means that they have a chance. Because unlike you, I'm not a mad dog," Starrk said and seemed to tower over all of them.
"I am a Wolf. And a Wolf will do whatever it has to do in order to protect the pack.
"What are you, Ichigo Kurosaki? You're nothing more than a little dog trying to scare a greater beast with its barking and baring its fangs. What is such a thing compared to the Wolf?"
Ichigo felt himself go weak as he saw that Starrk's blue-grey eyes were now gold. Those golden eyes were filled with a fire and a passion that Ichigo never faced before. Renji and Rukia were already on the floor, backing towards the wall.
"You…you will stay silent," Ichigo muttered, all courage gone from him. "You…you're my prisoner."
"Then put the gun down or you will feel my fangs."
Ichigo's hand loosened and the revolver dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. Starrk nodded and sat down in the chair across from Ichigo.
"If you are willing to listen, then hear what I have to say. Aizen is Shadow-Lurker and he wants to destroy the Gensei Provinces. I know that Kaname Tosen and Gin Ichimaru are involved. It's likely that there's a fourth conspirator, but we don't know who it is. However, we believe that it's someone inside the Pinkerton Agency since they have some authority over all of the Privatized Squads, except for the Visored Squad and the Xcution Squad. You need to pass this information along to Fort Seireitei and directly to General Yamamoto or Captains Unohana, Ukitake, or Kyoraku. If you have to use the telephone go right ahead.
"However, if you refuse, then know that whatever blood is spilt will be partially your fault. You will have to live with the regret and the shame for the rest of your life. I know what it feels like to have a life that you took hang above you because you did nothing. That's a burden that you can never get rid of.
"So, what's it going to be, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Starrk asked and pushed the phone towards him.
"I…" Ichigo said and swallowed. So many thoughts were racing through his head.
He thought of Orihime telling him that she thought that Shadow-Lurker had infiltrated the Gotei and what Starrk said only confirmed it. He thought about how Rukia mentioned that the reason why these Arrancars made sure that he knew that they were coming was because they had something important they needed to tell him. Those thoughts caused him to reach for the phone on his desk that had only been installed that morning.
Then other images flashed into his mind. He saw Orihime's bruised face as she cowered in the corner of a cell. He saw many of the Gotei soldiers who were sent to protect Karakura Town being shot down. He saw Uryu fall from the balcony where he hid to try to shoot Ulquiorra. He saw his father among the wounded, a piece of shrapnel from an explosive caught in his shoulder. He saw the looks of glee and bloodlust on the Espada as they rushed towards Karakura Town.
He picked up the phone and he looked at Starrk and thought about what he said. Orihime's face came into his mind and he knew what to do. He concentrated on the numbers that he had been given when the phone was first installed only last night on how to reach General Yamamoto's main number.
Las Noches
"They're gone," Pesche said as he returned to the spot that was agreed to be the meeting spot.
"Where did they go, don'tcha know?" Dondochakka asked.
Nel didn't say anything. Instead she unsheathed her rapier and looked at its long, thin blade. She looked at the medallion that she had embedded into the hand guard. It had a centaur with an arrow piercing its chest with an inscription running along the edge.
"Toda Lucha tiene un Propósito," she said.
"The motto of the Gamuza Clan," Pesche said.
"Yes," Nel said and looked down.
Her eyes narrowed as she saw something white sticking out from under one of the nearby stones. She rushed towards it and bent to pick up whatever it was. When she lifted the rock, she speared the piece of paper with the rapier before it could be blown away by the wind.
"What is it?" Pesche asked.
Nel took the piece off her rapier's blade and read the slightly blurred message.
NEL
ON MOVE KARAKURA TOWN
ALL MY LUV
GRIMM
"Grimm," she whispered and kissed the piece of paper where it said "ALL MY LUV".
"What do we do now?"
"We follow them," Nel said. "Remember the Gamuza Clan motto?"
"Of course we do, don'tcha know," Dondochakka said.
"Toda Lucha tiene un Propósito," Pesche said and smiled.
"That's right," Nel said and turned to face east. "All suffering has purpose."
Fort Seireitei
Yamamoto was sitting at his desk when the phone rang. He picked it up and looked at Aizen who was sitting across from him.
"You can stay seated, Aizen, this shouldn't take long."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. I've been expecting to hear from Ichigo Kurosaki at some point.
"Hello, this is General Yamamoto of the Gotei speaking."
Aizen leaned forward. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he made sure that his face didn't show any signs of fear. Instead, he took off his glasses and polished them with his handkerchief.
"Ah, I've been expecting to hear from you, Sheriff Kurosaki. So, are they under your supervision?"
Senkaimon Express from Fort Seireitei to Karakura Town
"Captain, I just found out why the train's stopped," Rangiku said.
"Tell me," Hitsugaya said.
"The train that left before us was ambushed. They found no survivors."
"WHAT?" Hitsugaya shouted and leapt to his feet. "What about the Gotei officers who were on board."
"It seems as though there's a chance they might still be alive. They didn't find any signs of either the Captains or their Lieutenants. They're calling it in right now."
"Rangiku, we need to get going. Have the trainmen get our horses off. We'll ride to Karakura Town from here. If they make any fuss, tell them that Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya commands them to do so in the name of the Gotei and the Gensei Provinces."
"Yes sir," Rangiku said and rushed out.
"What the Hell happened?" Hitsugaya asked as he gathered his bag. "Where are the four Captains?"
Karakura Town
"It's about time we made it," Kyoraku said.
"Indeed," Byakuya said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must arrange for some things at the hotel."
"Don't ya want to say 'hi' to your sister, first?" Kyoraku asked.
"I would rather not at this time," Byakuya said. "I do not wish to right now."
"He's not very considerate for her," Ukitake said as they watched Byakuya ride off.
"He doesn't understand what he could possibly put her through," Unohana said. "At any rate, we can tell them about what happened later. Right now, we need to tell them to believe whatever Starrk and the others tell them before it's too late."
"I just hope we aren't too late," Kyoraku said and they rode their horses as quickly as they could to the Sheriff's Office.
Unohana looked at the sun as they rode.
"Almost High Noon," she muttered. "Even with us, High Noon is the time of No Turning Back."
Outside Karakura Town
Ulquiorra Schiffer watched from the top of the cliff as the sun was reaching its zenith. He knew that he would wait until sunset before he went down there himself to talk with Orihime. He hoped that Starrk and the others were safe with Ichigo and that Ichigo would believe them. He knew that if Ichigo didn't believe them…
"I must not think that," he told himself. "They cannot afford to fail."
He looked at the sun.
"The time of No Turning Back is upon us."
The Border between the Hueco Mundo Wastes and the Borderlands
Sui-Feng felt Ggio look at her. She turned and saw him quickly turn aside. She didn't want to admit that she found herself drawn to him.
"HALT!" Baraggan roared from ahead.
She turned to look at his back and if looks could kill, Baraggan would have been dead five hundred times over with that single glare. He rode at the head of the Arrancar army that stretched for roughly 200 feet behind him, not including the wagons that were being led by the one with a Bala-class shooter that Wonderweiss was driving.
She watched as the other Espada rode up to join Baraggan. She wondered what they were discussing.
"They want to stop until the sun reaches High Noon," Ggio whispered to her.
"What for?" Sui-Feng asked.
"You obviously don't know much about Arrancars. Whenever we reach a point where there's no turning back, we always wait for either High Noon or the Moon's Zenith to show our decision."
Sui-Feng gasped in surprise. For the Gotei, those two times were also called the Time of No Turning Back. She heard hooves approached and turned. She saw that the fraccion for the other Espada were now lined up.
She saw Baraggan raise a hand and then brought it down.
"THE TIME OF NO TURNING BACK IS NOW!" Baraggan roared.
The Arrancar Army that Aizen assembled and put Baraggan in charge of crossed that invisible line that marked the border of the Hueco Mundo Wastes. Sui-Feng was surprised that none of them were cheering. Instead they marched in silence as though it was a solemn occasion.
"Why are they so silent?" she asked.
"Because," Ggio said. "This is the Time of No Turning Back. Only Mercenaries shout for joy on such occasions, but we don't. Such times…such times are meant to be solemn and not taken lightly."
"Because they are hard decisions?" Sui-Feng asked.
Ggio only nodded and Sui-Feng now understood that she was now as much a part of this as they were. There was no turning back for any of them.
For the first time in four months, an invading force crossed into the Borderlands.
Sheriff's Office
"Yes sir, they are under my custody," Ichigo said.
Make the right decision, Starrk thought. Tell him what we told you.
"Did they say anything of importance?" Ichigo asked and looked at Starrk.
This was it, the moment of decision.
"There's no turning back," Starrk whispered as he glanced outside and saw that the sun's light was exactly High Noon.
Ichigo looked at Starrk and smiled.
"No sir, they didn't say anything important at all."
"There's no turning back," Starrk whispered again as he closed his eyes.
We'll stand alone, he thought. There's no turning back.
End of Chapter 7
A.N.: I'm sorry that it took me this long to write this chapter. It was originally supposed to be completely different, but then I decided to save for what I had originally for later. Instead, I decided it best to change the original order that I had events mapped out a bit. I'm not gonna tell you what it was originally supposed to be since that would ruin a future chapter. The next chapter will be a flashback chapter. Oh, and Carolyn is based off the Nameless Arrancar in the Karakureizer filler episodes.
Anyways, thank you for reading and please review.