Sorry I didn't update last week. I did in fact have the chapter ready, barring a quick proofread, but I was preparing for my Med interview. Although, since I had that today and am now done with it, I'll be updating again. I also put up the other Bleach story I mentioned to do with a Quincy Ichigo, called: All Hail The New King, so feel free to check that out as well. Also, as a side note, I have a bunch of updates ready for my Fairy Tail stories, so they will be coming soon. I also started a new DxD story which will be up in a month or two and have most of an update ready for A Man's Heart.
Also, for those of you getting ready for your VCE English exams, or rather any form of Year 12 English assessment in the coming months, feel free to read a few of my essays on Journalister. All are good quality (A or A+) and might just help you get a slightly better mark.
On another note, I have a few days break now as well (back to Uni on Monday), so I will also try and get some writing done. I'm up to chapter 9 and getting very close to the execution, but my motivation for Bleach is starting to wane… but hopefully with this update and my new story, some good feedback will kick me into gear so I can really capitalise on this brief respite.
Once again, thanks for the fanfic suggestions and if you have any more, please let me know.
Well, that's all for now.
Enjoy the chapter.
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan.
Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the Bleach anime/manga. All I own are my original characters and plot twists.
'Talking'
"Thinking"
'Hollow, Inner Hollow or Zanpakutou talking'
"Hollow, Inner Hollow or Zanpakutou thinking"
*expression*
Flashback
Chapter 5 – For Want of a Heart
Kisuke was not particularly thrilled with his situation right now. All things considered, it really wasn't his fault. The Quincy had been the one to use the Hollow bait that caused this mess. Even before that, the Shinigami had been the one to begin the issue that led to this. Not to mention, if Ichigo had been trained in suppressing his spiritual pressure, both events would not have occurred… possibly. However, despite all this, in a sense, it was his fault and now he needed to face the music.
Kisuke knocked on a door three times and waited patiently. The door was opened by the ever cheerful Kurosaki, Yuzu.
'Hello Mister, are you here for a consultation?' Asked Yuzu cheerfully.
'Ah, no, not today. Luckily, I am in good health these days.' Joked Urahara, before adopting a somewhat serious expression.
'Actually, I'm a friend of your father and just dropped by to catch up, the name is Kisuke Urahara.' Said Kisuke kindly.
'Really? In that case, I'll go get him now, please come in.' Offered Yuzu kindly, closing the door behind Kisuke, as he entered the Kurosaki residence.
'Dad, a friend of yours is here to see you!' Shouted Yuzu.
'A friend you say.' Said Isshin cheerfully, as he came downstairs quickly, only to adopt a somewhat serious expression, upon seeing his guest.
'Kisuke.' Said Isshin flatly.
'Isshin, good to see you again.' Said Kisuke, tilting his hat in acknowledgement.
'Yuzu, I'm going to go out and catch up with Kisuke here for a while. It has been some time since we've talked, so it might take a while.' Said Isshin kindly to his daughter.
'Okay, have fun.' Said Yuzu kindly, before both men stepped outside.
'Well Kisuke, what happened? Don't think I didn't feel that Menos show up.' Said Isshin seriously.
'Yes, I expected as much, especially with your powers having come back.' Commented Kisuke, getting a nod from Isshin.
After a short pause, Kisuke took his hat off which startled Isshin. Kisuke almost never took his hat off.
'I fear that I may have miscalculated things slightly and felt that I need to tell you what happened.' Said Kisuke sombrely.
'What is it?' Asked Isshin nervously.
'Ichigo, during his fight with the Menos, pushed it back… and unfortunately, went along with it, back to Hueco Mundo.' Said Kisuke honestly.
Isshin froze upon hearing this, but what Kisuke said next chilled his blood.
'Also, it seems he lost his temporary Shinigami powers at the hands of the Menos Grande's last attack.' Finished Kisuke.
'…How are we going to get him back?' Asked Isshin, after a pause.
'Honestly, I don't think we can, not with things as they are now. I really can't get us to Hueco Mundo right now. In a few weeks, I may be able to create something that can make Garganta… but nothing immediate.' Said Kisuke sombrely.
Before Isshin could respond though, Kisuke continued quickly.
'However, I have been keeping a close eye on things and Ichigo may just be able to come back on his own.' Said Kisuke calmly.
'How so?' Questioned Isshin.
'I said he lost his temporary Shinigami powers, not all of his powers. If I'm right, the Hollow from that night has integrated with Ichigo's soul and Zanpakutou, so he may be able to gain his original powers and the powers of a Hollow as well. I'm sure you see where I am going with this.' Explained Kisuke.
'What are his chances? Be honest with me here.' Demanded Isshin.
Kisuke sighed, before placing his hat back on his head.
'In all honesty, his chances are very good. From what I've seen, he has been in communication with it for a while. I would say he has almost a seventy-four percent chance of being able to do it.' Answered Kisuke.
'Why do you sound anxious about that, his chances sound reasonably high?' Questioned Isshin.
'True, a Hollow in Hueco Mundo would fit in right at home. There is even a good chance Ichigo will come back much stronger, enough that he would even overpower us in raw power alone…' Intoned Kisuke thoughtfully.
'But?' Queried the older Kurosaki.
'I think our old acquaintance has been roaming there …and there is no telling what he may have gotten up to.' Finished Kisuke, with a stern gaze.
-line break-
'Gin, I must commend you for your choice. Zommari seems to have outright enraged Ichigo. It is most amusing.' Said Aizen, as he watched Ichigo and Zommari continuously disappear in bursts of static and score small cuts on each other.
'I aim to please. The new Grand Fisher is also heading there now, he should meet young Kurosaki in a few hours. Quite the handicap for Ichigo, having to do battle with Grand Fisher, after facing an Espada.' Commented Gin.
Zommari moved a tad too slow, and the Hollowfied form of Ichigo successfully land a deep gash on his left arm.
'Although, I have to say, I didn't expect young Kurosaki's strength to lie in his speed.' Said Gin appraisingly, glancing to Aizen.
'It is rather interesting. Rather appropriate as well in the grand scheme of things. An offensive father, defensive mother and now, a swift son.' Commented Sosuke, before the two turned their focus back to the screen.
-line break-
'Hahaha! What happened to all your talk? You can't even land a hit on me anymore and I've got the upper hand now.' Mocked Zangetsu.
Zommari snorted, before lowering his sword and turning away.
'I did not come here to kill you anyway, I was testing you.' Said Zommari, before he disappeared.
Zangetsu blinked at this in surprise, before narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
"Oi Ichigo! You awake again or what?" Asked Zangetsu mentally.
'Yeah, I'm up… but I think we may be in trouble. If that guy was sent to test us… then who could have sent him?' Questioned Ichigo cautiously.
"Beats me… what happened to those four weirdos anyway?" Questioned Zangetsu.
'I think they ran when I was arguing with that guy.' Said Ichigo.
"Heh, I'll catch them, then let you take the reins once again. Don't take the mask off again though, we need that thing on so you can draw in power from the environment and recover. Either that, or go back in the forest and go on a feeding spree." Said Zangetsu sternly.
'Alright I got it.' Said Ichigo, before his body disappeared in a burst of static, chasing after the four odd Hollows, neither noticing that they were being followed.
-line break-
Nel and her group had hightailed it out of there when Zommari had showed up. An Espada was no joke and none of them wanted to be there if things got violent, which they probably did.
'Do you guys think that other Hollow is okay?' Asked Nel curiously.
'Eh, maybe, maybe not, not like we will ever know.' Replied Pesche.
'I'm right here, you know.' Said Ichigo, still in the form of his most recent Hollow transformation.
'Oh, you look like a Hollow again, but your mask changed… wow that looks scary.' Said Nel cheerfully, before recoiling at the sight of Ichigo's new visage.
"What is the deal with the mask anyway?" Asked Ichigo curiously.
'To make things simple, you levelled up, congrats.' Laughed Zangetsu.
'So what are you exactly mister, you look like a Hollow now, but before you looked like a Shinigami?' Asked Nel curiously.
'I guess you could say, I'm both.' Said Ichigo in, his dual layered tone.
'Does that mean you are going to attack us if you are a Shinigami?' Questioned Nel fearfully.
'No. Why would I do that?' Asked Ichigo.
'Because the Shinigami are the bad guys and kill us.' Retorted Nel.
'But if the use their Zanpakutou on you, it allows you to be purified and move on.' Explained Ichigo.
'But I wouldn't want to be purified. I have brothers with me here, I don't want to lose them.' Said Nel, with a pout.
Ichigo thought on this. Nel was a Hollow, however, she was also in control of herself and didn't seem to be suffering in any way. Was the central principle of a Shinigami, that of purifying Hollows, a lie? Or, was there a point that a Hollow could evolve to and as a result, no longer feel a dying hunger for souls.
After a long silence Nel walked up to Ichigo.
'If you want, you can be our friend as well. We won't hurt you like other Hollows, even if you are a Shinigami, you're also a Hollow like us.' Said Nel kindly.
'Ichigo.' Said Ichigo, after a moment.
'Huh, I'm Nel?' Responded a confused Nel.
'My name, is Ichigo.' Repeated Ichigo.
'Ok, Itsygo, let's play tag now.' Said Nel childishly, before running off.
"Zangetsu…" Said Ichigo hesitantly.
'I know, but you need to figure things out for yourself.' Responded Zangetsu firmly, to Ichigo's unspoken query.
-line break-
Ichigo had now been missing for two days and both Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue were worried.
'What should we do now?' Questioned Orihime sadly, as the two stood on the footpath of the street Ichigo had disappeared at.
'I'm not sure Orihime. There is no way of knowing where he disappeared to, or how to get there. Do you think we should accept Urahara's offer? Maybe, if he trains us, we will be able to rescue Ichigo.' Questioned Chad.
The two turned, hearing the sound of approaching footsteps. They had expected Urahara to have magically appeared and thus, were surprised, when the form of Uryuu Ishida approached them. Despite his gentle nature, Sado's left arm clenched slightly.
'I did not come here to aggravate you two.' Said Uryuu calmly.
'I came to apologise for my actions and ask for forgiveness.' Said Uryuu, as he gave a small bow.
Surprisingly, it was not Chad who spoke up next, but rather, it was Orihime.
'You're the reason Ichigo disappeared. Why are you apologising to us? Why not his sisters? Or even his father?' Questioned Orihime.
Uryuu gave a deep sigh as he raised his head and pushed his glasses up.
'I do not believe that would be a wise course of action. I apologised to you two because you are both spiritually aware and friends of Kurosaki. Not to mention, I know you two were watching when he disappeared.' Said Uryuu.
'What do you hope to gain from your competition anyway?' Asked Chad gruffly.
'Truthfully, I was being immature. For that reason, I take full responsibility for what happened to Kurosaki. In addition to coming to apologise, I also came to offer my services to help find Kurosaki.' Said Uryuu.
'Well, that is interesting.' Said a cheery voice.
The trio turned to the sound of the voice and saw Kisuke Urahara walking towards them.
'A Quincy offering to help find a Shinigami, I never thought such a thing was possible.' Said Kisuke, as he stopped just a few steps away from them.
'Can you help us find Ichigo, Mister Urahara?' Asked Orihime thoughtfully.
'I can, however, I need a bit of time until I can send you after him.' Said Kisuke seriously.
'Why did you come here now then?' Asked Chad.
'Simple, if you do want to go after Kurosaki, you need training, after all, the world of the Hollows, is no place for weaklings.' Said Kisuke, with a stern look.
'If you truly want a chance of surviving, let alone saving Ichigo, you both need to become much stronger.' Continued Kisuke.
'I told you that your powers were the key to a door, which you could choose to open, or lock. If you want to find young Kurosaki however, you must open that door.' Finished Kisuke.
Orihime and Chad both looked at each other and gave a nod, before turning back to Kisuke.
'Wonderful, come by to my shop tomorrow then.' Said Kisuke, before turning on his heel and leaving.
'When the time comes, I will go with you, at the very least, to expunge my debt.' Said Uryuu, before leaving as well.
-line break-
Ichigo had spent the past few hours playing a strange form of tag, with even stranger Hollows. Throughout it all, Ichigo was trying to work through his thoughts on just what Hollows were exactly. The ones that invaded Karakura on a regular basis, seemed mindless and remorseless, with the exception of Sora Inoue. Having come here though, Ichigo was confused. These Hollows acted practically human, baring the holes in their figures and bone fragments decorating their bodies. As the five of them all sat down, taking a small break from "Endless Tag" at Ichigo's insistence, he was thoroughly troubled over how innocent they seemed.
Zangetsu had strangely enough, chosen to remain silent for now, leaving Ichigo to his thoughts, for which Ichigo was somewhat grateful. However, Ichigo also wanted advice. He didn't know what to think. Even now, Ichigo didn't really understand why he asked the little girl the serious questions, perhaps because something inside him, told him she was the leader… in some bizarre way.
'Nel, how come you guys are all so human?' Asked Ichigo gruffly.
'Well, Itsygo, when a Hollow becomes an Arrancar, all of their base instincts balance out. We have control again, just like before becoming a Hollow.' Chirped Nel.
'Can every Hollow become an Arrancar?' Questioned Ichigo curiously.
'Well, I like to think so.' Said Nel optimistically.
Ichigo frowned at this. It made him reflect upon the fact that each and every Hollow he killed, just may have, in time, become stable. This troubled Ichigo greatly. It was easier to imagine they were uncontrollable souls in pain and that purifying them ended their suffering. But… was Nel suffering? Were Pesche, Dondochakka or Bawabawa suffering? Was that Espada suffering? No, it didn't seem like they were at all, in fact, they seemed content.
Ichigo was broken out of his musings however, when an ominous presence approached him.
His entire mask was unbroken and the upper half sat on his forehead. He also had fur all over his body and it was very large, easily the size of a large building. His Hollow hole was also up on his body and rather large. Lastly, he carried a large Zanpakutou on his back. Ichigo knew exactly who this was, not by appearances, but rather, by Reiatsu.
Ichigo stood up slowly, trembling in anger. Nel and her brothers flinched at the ominous feeling energy coming from Ichigo and backed away.
The Hollow continued to approach Ichigo undeterred, fully confident in his victory.
'Well worm, funny seeing you here. Although, since you are here, I believe I owe you for what you did to me in the human world.' Taunted the large Hollow.
Wisps of black and red energy started to pour from Ichigo's bone-covered form. The eyes of his mask glowed red, looking like the eyes of the devil himself.
'Well, worm, are you ready to die?' Questioned the Hollow, as he hefted his exceedingly large blade, off his back.
'I'll kill you.' Whispered Ichigo.
'Hmm? What was that worm?' Asked the Hollow.
'I've seen Hollows in control, you were in control… and now that I think about it, that makes things even worse, since you are an Arrancar now.' Said Ichigo lowly.
'Ho? So you noticed worm, in that case, I'm sure you know that I am going to kill you here today.' Mocked the Hollow.
'Tell me one thing? The souls you've consumed, they are still inside you, aren't they? Suffering.' Asked Ichigo.
'Obviously. Their cries of pain warm my… well not heart, but you get the idea. I love hearing their anguished moaning.' Answered the Hollow sadistically.
'Excellent.' Said Ichigo, before disappearing in a buzz of static and reappearing behind the Hollow.
'They die in agony, Grand Fisher!' Shouted Ichigo maliciously, as he ignored his sword, and tore into Grand Fisher with his claws.
Ichigo's claws sliced through Grand Fisher, like a hot knife through butter. First, Ichigo swung both his claws down on Grand Fishers shoulders, tearing both his arms off and causing him to drop his sword to the ground with a heavy thud. Then, before he could react, Ichigo stabbed his tail into his left kneecap, dropping him to the ground like a sack of potatoes. In the blink of an eye, Ichigo had appeared on top of Grand Fisher's legs and pressed both of his bony feet into the back of his soft kneecaps and ripped his legs off at the knee.
Nel and her group watched horrified, as Ichigo then pounced on Grand Fishers back and savagely clawed at him, sending blood flying, as he tore through skin, muscle and bone, until there was a metre wide hole in Grand Fisher's torso. They then watched, as Ichigo flipped what was left of the body of Grand Fisher over, standing on his chest and looking him dead in the face.
'I enjoyed this entirely too much for a human, but, I suppose I'm not really human after all, am I?' Questioned Ichigo rhetorically.
Grand Fisher looked at Ichigo in genuine fear. Even for a Hollow, Ichigo was frightening. No, he wasn't a Hollow. Hollows would not be anywhere near this vicious. The thing that was just about to end his life, was a demon.
With a bloodcurdling roar, one which even surprised the silent observer at its intensity and the malice in it, the Hollowfied form of Ichigo shot forward at Grand Fisher's head… and ate it whole. There was a pregnant pause, as everything suddenly went silent, before Ichigo's form exploded with power.
-line break-
Gin opened his eyes in shock. He practically felt the energy that exploded from Ichigo Kurosaki through the monitor. It was unfathomable. So much raw power.
Aizen watched on with an excited gleam in his eyes, had he finally found someone, someone who he could honestly call his equal… no, not yet. However, Ichigo Kurosaki… was close. Sosuke realised exactly what it meant, with Ichigo consuming Grand Fisher. How could he not, when he had, step-by-step, cultivated the events that led to Ichigo becoming the man he was right now? He was excited, immeasurably so and couldn't wait any longer for the wheel to spin.
'Gin, notify the Twelfth Division about the whereabouts of Rukia Kuchiki, who is under suspicion of giving her powers to a human. Also, see to it that Captain Kuchiki and Lieutenant Abarai be the ones to retrieve her. Additionally, have Kaname come here at once, I believe I will need to head to Hueco Mundo soon.' Said Sosuke calmly, despite how just below the surface, his emotions were churning madly in excitement and anticipation.
'Of course.' Said Gin, as he turned and left.
"Perhaps he will be the one to do it." Thought Gin, before leaving Aizen alone.
-line break-
Kisuke Urahara was a man who always had plans and contingencies to those plans. His plans were so layered, that he even amazed himself sometimes. One ingenious plan he had orchestrated, was a monitoring device in Hueco Mundo, which he went to great pains to discreetly place… and it had just blown up.
Kisuke frowned as he looked at the smoking contraption. It once, held the appearance of a small computer, now; it looked like a black pile of rubble.
Kisuke sighed at this, before getting back to work.
-line break-
The clouds of dust and sand had started to clear, revealing a menacing figure to the five Arrancar who had been observing it.
Ichigo had long, straight hair now, reaching down to his waist, and a Hollow hole, smaller than his previous one, decorated with markings, stretching from the hole across his chest and shoulders. His skin was now a pure bone white as well. Additionally, he now had retractable claws on his fingertips and toes, as well as, small, furry red tufts, two starting from his collarbone, stretching around his neck and one each, on his wrists and ankles. Two of the marks from his upgraded mask from before, now stretched past his eyes and teeth, going past his chin and joining with the new marks on his chest.
Ichigo looked absolutely terrifying now and when he suddenly disappeared, Nel and her group looked on in confusion, which turned to surprise, when a form was blasted down from the sky, not too far from their location.
Ulquiorra had watched Ichigo transform in mild interest, but suddenly having that terrifying visage in front of him, had slowed his reaction just enough for Ichigo to attack him, viciously if his missing left arm was any indication.
'Who are you?' Asked Ichigo, in a deeply demonic, warbled tone.
'I am Ulquiorra, Cuatro Espada.' Said Ulquiorra simply, as he stood up, apathetic towards Ichigo once again, as his arm quickly regenerated.
'Why are you here?' Questioned Ichigo.
'I was ordered to observe you and then, when I felt it would be appropriate, give you a way to return to the human world.' Said Ulquiorra.
'There is no need, I can do so myself now.' Said Ichigo, causing Ulquiorra to almost imperceptibly raise an eyebrow.
'I see, I will be leaving then.' Said Ulquiorra, before noticing something out of the corner out of his eye.
'I see that you have been roaming Hueco Mundo, Nelliel.' Said Ulquiorra.
'Master Ulquiorra, what do you mean? Nel is Nel, not Nelliel. Why would you care about someone like me?' Asked Nel in confusion.
'Did you perhaps forget? You were of a higher rank than I, so I didn't question your motives. Could it be you did not leave voluntarily?' Queried Ulquiorra.
Nel seemed to tremble in fear, before a buzz of static was heard and a shadow was covering her.
'You are upsetting Nel.' Said Ichigo threateningly.
Ulquiorra tilted his head to the left slightly.
'Why does that bother you? You didn't even know of her less than a few hours ago. For what reason do you care for someone you barely know?' Questioned Ulquiorra apathetically, with only a hint of curiosity in his tone.
'Nel is my friend. For however long I've known her, that is enough. She has shown me things I never thought possible. I won't let you cause her distress.' Said Ichigo warningly.
'Why? You are a Hollow, why do you care for another Hollow? We are designed to consume others. Our existence is lonely and selfish. Why care for another?' Questioned Ulquiorra.
'Because, it is in my nature to protect others. My name is Ichigo, which means to protect one thing. That one thing I protect, is those close to me.' Explained Ichigo.
'To what end? Why protect others? What do you gain from such a selfless action?' Queried Ulquiorra.
'I gain power because I want to protect others. If I am weak to most, but strong enough to protect those close to me, that is enough. I don't want to be almighty. To sit upon the throne of heaven, means to be lonely forever. I only want those I care about to be safe.' Said Ichigo.
Ulquiorra stared at Ichigo in confusion.
'What if you need more power to save those close to you? If you had to decide to be lonely to protect those close to you, would you do it?' Asked Ulquiorra curiously.
'In an instant. Without my friends and family, I will have no heart.' Answered Ichigo simply.
'A heart, what is that? You have a hole exactly where a heart would be located, but you talk as if you still have one.' Said Ulquiorra dispassionately.
'A heart is not physical; a heart is the embodiment of one's emotions. Even an evil person has a heart, even if it is tainted.' Replied Ichigo.
'What of one who has nothing? Born in the darkness, without any friends or family. No pride or ambition. No anger or hate. Does such an individual possess a heart?' Questioned Ulquiorra.
'They do, they have just not found it yet.' Said Ichigo, with a nod.
'Hmm, I find this conversation to be interesting. Perhaps you are not the trash I had initially thought you to be.' Said Ulquiorra impassively.
'How do you know of Nel?' Asked Ichigo curiously, causing Nel to look up as well and temporarily stop her whimpering.
'Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, was an Espada, with the rank above me.' Said Ulquiorra, getting Nel to gasp in shock.
'T-that's impossible, Nel isn't an Espada, Nel isn't strong at all.' Muttered Nel.
'It is the truth. However, you have become a child for some reason now. Also, your mask is damaged and seems to be leaking your Reiryoku.' Explained Ulquiorra.
Ichigo looked at the long crack on Nel's mask and without really understanding why, pressed his hand against it and flooded it with his own Reiryoku. Nel's form glowed with a blinding light, before she transformed.
Pesche and Dondochakka were shocked. While they had anticipated seeing Nel as she was before Nnoitra had damaged her mask, neither expected her new form. Nel now had green tufts around her neck, wrists and ankles like Ichigo, but now also possessed a bone white, green tipped tail, not too dissimilar to the one Ichigo had initially and a small plate of bone, in the shape of a shield, over where her heart would be. The greatest change however, was her childish mask, which now had two vicious bent, forward facing horns, just like Ichigo. Lastly, Nel had a sword in her hands, one which appeared to be a completely green Japanese long sword, with a white, circular guard.
'You look different Nelliel. That is not the form you had previously.' Commented Ulquiorra.
'I remember again.' Said Nel tensely.
'Interesting. It seems that Kurosaki managed to repair and alter your mask, allowing you to regain your memories.' Said Ulquiorra.
Suddenly, without warning, Ichigo pitched forward and collapsed to his knees.
'Sorry Ichigo, your body isn't able to handle this form yet. For now, have a nap, besides, there is someone you have to meet now anyway.' Said Zangetsu, before taking control.
'Ichigo, are you alright?' Asked Nel worriedly, as she helped him stand.
'Sorry, but Ichigo isn't here right now, please leave a message.' Chuckled Zangetsu.
'Who are you?' Questioned Nel cautiously, backing up a step.
'Hey, hey, is that anyway to thank the person who fixed you? Without me, Ichigo wouldn't have been able to fix your mask, you should be thankful.' Teased Zangetsu.
'What are you exactly?' Questioned Ulquiorra as well.
'Me? I'm the embodiment of Ichigo's powers, his Shinigami and Hollow ones at least. Name's Zangetsu.' Said Zangetsu.
'What happened to Ichigo?' Asked Nel.
'He's catching up with someone and meeting someone new, sorry, but he will be out of commission for a while. Besides, why so eager to have Ichigo back, miss him already hot stuff?' Teased Zangetsu.
'You don't sound like Kurosaki.' Commented Ulquiorra.
'Well, personality wise, I'm a lot of things he suppresses, his love of fighting, his wrath, his sadistic impulses and...' Said Zangetsu, before turning his gaze on Nel.
'…his lust as well.' Leered Zangetsu.
'I think I prefer Ichigo.' Said Nel dryly.
'I'll bet you do, too bad he is too much of a prude. I'll need to work on that.' Smirked Zangetsu.
'Nelliel, are you to return to Las Noches now?' Queried Ulquiorra.
'Whoa, hold on a minute there! Nel doesn't have to go back there at all.' Said Pesche defensively.
'Yeah.' Added Dondochakka in agreement.
The two were cut off when Nel turned to face them and gave them both a soft smile.
'Thank you, Pesche, Dondochakka. I realise now, that the two of you have been protecting me, not only for my physical safety, but also for my peace of mind. The two of you know I dislike fighting and gave me a chance to escape from it all. For that, thank you.' Said Nel kindly.
'We're sorry Lady Nel, because we weren't strong enough, you got hurt pretty badly.' Said Pesche sombrely.
'Yeah, it was our job to protect you as your Fracción, but we failed.' Added Dondochakka, with Bawabawa giving a small whine as well.
'It's okay, we can go back now and this time, I'll protect you.' Said Nel kindly, her tone and expression hardening towards the end.
'I take it you are returning then?' Questioned Ulquiorra rhetorically, to which Nel nodded.
Ulquiorra then turned to Ichigo.
'Well Kurosaki, what will you do now?' Asked Ulquiorra.
'The name is Zangetsu and quite frankly, I'm just going to wait here until Ichigo is ready to go.' Said Zangetsu, before sitting down and crossing his legs.
'Don't you want to come see Las Noches?' Asked Nel curiously.
'Unless you're showing me your private quarters, nope.' Said Zangetsu dryly.
After a somewhat awkward silence, the Espada and Fracción left Zangetsu there.
'Ah and here I was hoping she just might have changed her mind. No love for swords I guess.' Muttered Zangetsu.