Hey everyone. I know it's been a long while since you all have heard from me, sorry about that. Life's been keeping me busy, as usual, plus I had another surgery done to remove some of the pins and such from my hand, which is doing much better now. Still hurts sometimes, but, eh. Anyway, I got the next chapter done, so I'll step back and let you all get to it. Hope you all enjoy.
(I DO NOT OWN BLEACH; ITS CHARACTERS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, OR STORY! THAT HONOR BELONGS SOLELY TO TITE KUBO AND HIS TEAM! ONLY THE OC, AND RANDOM NAMES NOT MENTIONED IN THE BOOKS OR ANIME ARE MY OWN!)
Chapter 55
(Lost and Found: Part 1)
Las Noches Throne Room
A low, quiet sigh of peacefulness slowly escaped Aizen's lungs as he relaxed on his stone throne. Earlier, not far away, in the palace of his Quatro Espada, Ulquiorra, he could feel the elevated spiritual pressures of multiple individuals engaged in combat in multiple locations. All of which he instantly recognized. Lieutenant Renji Abarai, and the Quincy, Uryū Ishida, were on the palace roof, fighting his head of security, Rudbornn Chelute. Rukia Kuchiki and the human, Yasutora Sado, were engaged with Harribel's three fracción in separate locations. And that failed experiment of his, Timothy Durn, was fighting the Sexta Espada, Grimmjow.
That brought a slight frown to his lips. Once again, that insubordinate fool went off to do whatever he pleased, even to go against his wishes. Aizen figured it was about time to finally put the blue-haired fool in his place once and for all. That is… if he survived against the young Lieutenant. There was something new about him, as if he had discovered a new power of sorts. That brought the smile back to his lips again. Ichigo was his primary experiment, his main focus, and the majority of his attention was on the young substitute; but Timothy Durn was a close second. His initial experiment with the man was a failure, but perhaps he could be used for other means.
Speaking of Ichigo Kurosaki…
Aizen let out a low chuckle as he focused his senses on the substitute, detecting the spiritual pressure of the former Quinto Espada alongside him. But, those were not the only ones he was detecting. There was a third, and that third pressure was, to this point, his greatest achievement. That being would truly test Kurosaki's mettle. Power and spirit energy alone wouldn't be enough for him this time. This time, he would have to fight this battle on two fronts; physically, and emotionally.
He then felt as the other spiritual pressures began to die down as the battles concluded, and he let out a sigh as he felt the one belonging to Rudbornn Chelute vanish from existence. He wasn't exactly pleased that he had lost a good asset to his plans, Rudbornn's everlasting army certainly had its uses; but, then again, his loss didn't alter said plans in the least, so it was what he could consider an 'acceptable' loss. It did surprise him a little that Timothy Durn was able to defeat Grimmjow, but that just meant that he could continue to watch the man for a while longer.
He continued to sit there in contemplative silence for a while longer, until the echoing sounds of footsteps touched his ears. He smiled a bit when he recognized the spiritual pressure of the owner of said footsteps. "Ulquiorra. I trust you have news for me?" he asked in a calm voice.
The Quatro Espada came to a stop at the top of the dais and gave the man a bow. "I do, Lord Aizen." he confirmed.
"Very well. You may proceed."
Ulquiorra raised himself and stared at the man with his cold, emotionless gaze. "I bring news of the conflicts within my palace, as well as that of the Quinto Espada's. The fracción of the Tres Espada have fallen in battle, and Rudbornn Chelute has been slain. It would seem that Grimmjow has also lost his battle with Timothy Durn." he reported in his cold voice.
Aizen hummed with a widening smile. "Yes, so it would seem. Is there anything else?"
The Espada waited for only a moment before replying. "Yes. It appears that Grimmjow has turned against you, and is now assisting the intruders."
The man on the throne opened his eyes a bit to stare into Ulquiorra's. That news… actually did surprise him. Yes, Grimmjow tended to do as he pleased, even go against the instructions of others at times, but the former Captain honestly hadn't expected the man to outright turn against him, just like that. "And you are sure of this?" he questioned in a darker tone.
The Espada nodded once. "I am. I was there and witnessed it personally. And since it was Timothy Durn that was present, I assumed you may not wish for me to interfere. Would you like me to return and dispose of that trash?"
Aizen stared at Ulquiorra for a moment longer before closing his eyes with a barely audible sigh. The room was dead quiet for a few moments longer before Aizen reopened his eyes. "No. I think it might be interesting to see where this will go. Continue to observe them, but do not interfere with them in any way. Also, be sure that you are not detected by Grimmjow or Timothy Durn. That is all. You may leave." he concluded, closing his eyes once more.
"If I may, Lord Aizen?" the Espada spoke quickly. "There is one more thing I believe may interest you."
"Oh?" the man breathed in curiosity. "By all means, please tell me."
"It would seem that Timothy Durn has gained a new ability with his zanpakutō, one that I find… odd."
Aizen raised a brow at him. "Odd? How so?"
Ulquiorra furrowed his brows and lowered his gaze in thought. "It is… difficult to explain. Unfortunately, I had arrived near the end of the fight, so some details may be lost to me, but from what I was able to witness, while they were fighting, Grimmjow's movements seemed… slow."
Aizen narrowed his eyes. "Explain."
The Espada raised his gaze to the man. "While Timothy Durn seemed to be moving with a speed one would normally expect, Grimmjow was moving a considerably great deal slower; as if in slow motion. Even when he spoke, it too seemed to be sluggish."
"Did you detect anything different with either of their spiritual pressures?"
"No." Ulquiorra replied with a shake of his head. "For the exception of Grimmjow's movements, nothing seemed out of place."
"Did you happen to get a look at Timothy Durn's zanpakutō per chance?" Aizen questioned further.
"No. Sadly, Grimmjow's odd behavior had the focus of my attention. Please forgive me, Lord Aizen." the Espada said with a bow.
Aizen closed his eyes and hummed. "It is alright. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. All the more reason for you to keep a close eye on them. I may have to send one of your comrades to meet them and force him to show this power again. But, then again…" Ulquiorra waited for the man to continue, but he only smiled and shook his head. "Never mind. You may go, Ulquiorra."
Ulquiorra bowed to him wordlessly and left. Aizen listened as the man's footsteps fainted away into nothing before sighing lightly. Like with Grimmjow's sudden change of heart, this new development with Timothy Durn's zanpakutō surprised him; not the fact the Lieutenant had a new ability, that he did expect, but that it seemed to have no connection with his zanpakutō's core ability. Every zanpakutō had what many called a 'core ability', an element or nature that the zanpakutō's abilities both in Shikai and Bankai followed. Captain Hitsugaya's Shikai and Bankai both followed the elemental aspect of ice; Captain Suí-Fēng's abilities followed the aspect of killing power; even his own zanpakutō's release forms followed the same core ability, being that of affecting the senses. But Timothy Durn's…
Going by what he had seen of the man's Shikai and Bankai, the former Captain had estimated that the Lieutenant's zanpakutō was based on a mix of fire and air currents, using the two to transport from one flame to another. And while the man could use those flames on his opponents to move them from one place to another, they shouldn't be able to affect someone in the manner that they 'supposedly' affected Grimmjow. If his abilities were based on something like gravity, 'that' he could understand, but that would only affect movement, not speech, as Ulquiorra had reported. No, this new 'ability' was something else, something not based on his zanpakutō's core ability. But that was not possible. Unless…
With a new revelation, Aizen smiled with a quiet chuckle. "My my, it would seem that there is much more to you than even I had thought, Timothy Durn. Be careful now, or you may just replace Ichigo Kurosaki as my primary test subject. I suppose I should keep an even closer eye on you from now on."
Inside a Garganta Void
Nanao tried to keep her breathing steady as she walked very closely behind Shunsui, almost attached to his hip. Her body was trembling in fear with each step along the narrow pathway composed of nothing but spirit energy. All around her, in every direction, she found herself surrounded by an endless, black abyss. Outside of her, Shunsui, Kisuke, and Yoruichi, nothing existed here. The vast confines of the garganta was simply nothing but an empty void of reality, and the only thing that was keeping her and the others from falling into that endless void was the narrow path of spirit energy.
Her list of things that she feared was small, and it was hard to really shake the woman up like she was. But the second she stepped inside the void of a garganta and the portal closed behind her, gargantas instantly became not only a subject on that list, but also the top ranked. She couldn't understand why the garganta was bothering her so, but for some reason, the lifeless void around her just made her feel like it was going to swallow her up. The only thing she could do to help her cope with it at that moment was to try and keep as close to her Captain as possible… without actually touching him, of course.
In front of them, leading the party and creating the pathway through the abyss, was Kisuke Urahara, while Yoruichi Shihōin took up the rear. Nanao scarcely remembered them as the former Captains of Squads 12 and 2, respectively, until a major incident involving nine other Captains and Lieutenants a century ago. Among those involved was her old mentor and the former Lieutenant of her squad, Lisa Yadōmaru. She wasn't aware of all the details, as the incident had been immediately classified to the highest level of secrecy by the Central 46 at the time, but from little she was able to gather, she could determine that something called 'hollowfication' was involved. At the time, it was believed that Kisuke Urahara was the one behind the incident, and that Yoruichi Shihōin was also guilty through association.
However, after Aizen, Tōsen, and Ichimaru betrayed the Soul Society, and the members of Central 46 murdered, Head Captain Yamamoto took it upon himself to search the forbidden archives for the reports on the 'hollowfication' incident. After a closer examination, the man determined that it was actually Aizen that was responsible for the incident, while Urahara was merely used as a scapegoat. After discovering this, the Head Captain immediately gave both Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin, as well as the former Kidō Corps Commander, Tessai Tsukabishi, who was labeled as a co-conspirator, full pardons of their false crimes.
As for the other Captains and Lieutenants involved, including Lisa, no one was sure what happened to them. When Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Tessai left the Soul Society, they took the other eight with them, and nothing was seen or heard of them again. She honestly wasn't even sure any of them were still alive.
"So…" Shunsui's voice broke her from her thoughts. "Not that I'm complaining about you two saving our butts back there, but how did you know that me and Nanao here were in trouble?" he inquired, and Nanao perked her ears in matching curiosity.
Behind them, Yoruichi gave them a wide smirk. "Oh, I just happened to be in the neighborhood and saw you and Byakuya-boo having a talk. I also noticed that there were seven Stealth Force members close by watching you two, so I got a little curious and decided to do some snooping. Imagine my surprise when Byakuya started to interrogate you like he did. I knew something was up, so I got ahold of Kisuke, and here we are." she said with a shrug.
Shunsui narrowed his eyes a fraction at her. "I see. And just how much did you hear, if I might ask?"
The woman shrugged again with a tilt of the head. "Enough to know that they didn't like your evening stroll in the World of the Living. I have to admit that I'm a bit curious about that as well, buuut, if you're willing to run and look like a traitor in their eyes to keep the secret, I doubt I'll have any better luck in asking either. But I'm sure that whatever your reason for the visit was, you had good intentions behind it."
The man smiled and nodded. "I appreciate that. So what have you and ol Kisuke been up to these past hundred years? You don't strike me as the kind of woman that would simply retire." he asked with a teasing smirk.
Again, she shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, you know, sneaking around, listening in on some good dirt, giving Kisuke a hard time. It's a busy job, you know."
Kisuke lightly groaned ahead of them, drawing a chuckle from the Captain. "I bet. What about you, Kisuke? Still working on experiments and the like?" he asked, turning back to the shop owner.
The man nodded with a smile. "You know it. But most of my time has been running the shop with Tessai. Been getting a lot of business lately."
"How is ol Tessai, by the way?"
"He is well. Like I said, he helps me out with the shop."
Nanao peeked around Shunsui's shoulder at him. "Can I assume that is where we are heading now?" she asked.
Kisuke glanced over his shoulder and nodded. "Indeed. My shop has multiple barriers protecting it, and they'll help to keep your presence there hidden as well. Once we do get there, myself and Tessai will get to work on making you two some gigais, that way you won't be stuck having to stay there all the time in spirit form. The gigais will also conceal your spiritual pressures, so you won't have to worry about being detected while out and about either."
The woman nodded and lowered her head. "Um… thank you… for helping us. I know it is a big risk for you to do so."
She flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Yoruichi smiling at her. "Don't worry about it. In these times, we all have to look out for each other. Besides, I know someone who would be quite upset if something were to happen to you two." she said with a wink. Nanao raised a brow in confusion, wondering who the former Captain could be talking about.
"Here we are." Kisuke spoke up, drawing her attention back to the front to see the exit portal of the garganta right ahead of them.
Boy, would she be glad to get out of the cold, horrible place. She felt she would much rather be in Hueco Mundo than inside a garganta. When the group finally stepped through and into the warm atmosphere of Kisuke's shop, Nanao let out a deep breath of relief. She hoped she never had to go through that again in her life. When the portal closed behind them, Kisuke turned to them and gestured to a nearby table.
"Go on and have a seat. I'll have Tessai make up some tea for everyone while I get to work on your gigais." he offered.
Nanao raised a curious brow at him. "Do you not need us for the measurements?"
The man chuckled and waved her off gently. "Nah. I'll just hack into the Department of Research and Development's servers and get you and Shunsui's measurements from there. Besides, it's always fun breaking through Mayuri's firewalls and protections now and then. Gotta keep him on his toes, afterall. You two sit down and relax. I'll be back in a bit."
With that, the shop owner turned and left the room. The remaining trio all took their seats at the table as Tessai walked in with a tray of tea. "Welcome back, Miss Yoruichi. And hello to you, Shunsui. It has been some time."
The Captain smiled widely. "Tessai Tsukabishi. Great to see you again, old friend. I take it you've been living the life here?"
Tessai set the tray down and passed out filled cups to everyone before sitting down as well. "Indeed. Working with Mister Urahara and Miss Yoruichi has been fulfilling enough." he responded, turning towards Nanao. "Hello to you, Lieutenant Ise. It has been some time since I last saw you. You were quite young back then."
"Mister Tessai." She returned with a polite bow of her head. "Thank you for having us."
"Of course." he returned with a nod. "Did you get the items I requested, Miss Yoruichi?" he asked, turning to the woman, now drinking her tea.
"Yeeaahh… about that… As you can tell, something important came up, so I couldn't get what you wanted this time. I'll make it up to you next time." she said a smirk.
The man held up a hand. "Please, do not worry about it, Miss Yoruichi. It is not overly important. The only problem I can foresee is… you know who… coming here to cause the boss more problems."
That made Yoruichi laugh aloud and slap her knee. "Yeah, she's a temperamental one, isn't she? But, meh, she'll get over it… eventually. I don't see the others having much of a problem though." she said with a careless shrug. "Have Captain Hitsugaya and the others come by recently?" she asked, finishing her tea and refilling it.
"He and Lieutenant Matsumoto came by only a short while ago. They were looking for the boss, so I told them he was unavailable at the moment. He said they would return tomorrow afternoon."
Something then dawned on Nanao and she turned towards the large man. "That reminds me, won't it be a problem if Captain Hitsugaya and the others find out we are here?"
Yoruichi waved her question off flippantly. "Nah. Even if they knew you were accused of being traitors, it's not like they can do anything about it. Trust me,there's a lot going on right that's way more important than you two supposedly being traitors. Besides, knowing my Little Bee, she's probably already talked with the Head Captain and told him of your 'secret mission' from Kisuke. I think the worst thing you'll have to worry about is a stern talking to later down the road from the old man."
Shunsui chuckled as he removed his hat, setting it down at his side. "Old man Yama sure does love to scold, especially at me and Jūshirō. I hope he doesn't lay into Jūshirō too hard over this."
"Even if the Head Captain did, you know Ukitake, he'd just shrug it off and keep going." Yoruichi said with a chuckle, getting one from Shunsui as well.
Just then, the group heard the ringing sound of a hell butterfly, and heads raised up to see the tiny, black creature flying down from the ceiling towards Shunsui. "Uh oh." the man mumbled and he held out a finger for the butterfly to land on.
The second it did, the Captain nearly flinched when the Head Captain's stern and gruff voice sounded out in his head. "Shunsui… I don't know what you are up to, but you had better have a very good excuse for your actions tonight. And don't take me for a fool to believe what Captain Suí-Fēng has told me just now. I am well aware that Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin were only there to keep you from being questioned by Captain Kuchiki. I will let this matter go for now, but once this business is over, you will tell me everything, and leave nothing out. For now, you are to assist Captain Hitsugaya and his team with the protection of Karakura Town. That is all."
With that, the black butterfly took off and swiftly flew out of the building while Shunsui slouched his shoulders in defeat. "Oh boy… Looks like your ruse didn't take, Yoruichi. Old man Yama didn't buy it, and he's not happy."
The woman shrugged. "I kinda expected that might happen, but it was worth a shot. So, since the cavalry hasn't arrived yet, I take it he's letting the matter go for now?"
"Looks like it." he confirmed. "I don't think I'll ever hear the end of this from Jūshirō. He's gonna be holding this one over my head for a long time."
"So…" Nanao spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "What do we do now? I mean, once Mister Urahara finishes with our gigais?" she asked.
Yourichi shrugged. "Help Captain Hitsugaya and the others with protecting Karakura Town, enjoy the sights. Whatever you want to, I guess. Think of this like a vacation of sorts. Once Ichigo and the others get back from Hueco Mundo, that's when things will start to pick up. Just a little warning though, there is someone working with them that will raise a lot of questions. I can't go into details right now, just know that you should expect a big surprise."
Shunsui narrowed his eyes at the woman. "Does this 'surprise' have anything to do with that Timothy kid?"
Yoruichi raised a curious brow. "Yeah, it does. But like I said, I can't go into details right now. I'll let them explain everything when they get back."
"I see. Very well." The Captain finished his tea and stood up from the table. "I'm going to go for a little stroll. Mind staying here, Nanao?" he asked.
"Are you sure that's a good idea right now, Shunsui?" she fretted.
The man smirked and shrugged. "Now that we know the Soul Society isn't actively looking for us, I think I'll be alright. Keep the fort going, Nanaooo." he teased, making her growl at him before he vanished with shunpo.
"That man…" she seethed, making Yoruichi laugh aloud.
"He's the same man as always, isn't he?" she teased.
Nanao sighed and rubbed her temples. "I would say that you have no idea, but sadly, I'm afraid you do. I swear, sometimes it is a bigger job trying to keep him in line."
She flinched when Yoruichi reached and patted the woman's back heartedly. "You think he's difficult to handle now? Girl, you should've seen him a hundred years ago, before Kisuke and I left the Soul Society. Thankfully, we had Lisa to knock him over the head to keep him in line back then."
The Lieutenant sighed heavily at the mention of her former tutor. "I… I just wish I knew exactly what happened that night. To her and the others. There's no official records at all explaining what happened that night, only that they were a part of some illegal experiment conducted by Mister Urahara. Though, I'm guessing even those records are incorrect, aren't they?"
Yoruichi nodded firmly. "I've read em myself, and I can definitely say that they're completely wrong. I can't go into details, but I will say that Kisuke and I are not the criminals that Central 46 took us to be."
"I'm guessing Aizen was behind it?" the younger woman asked.
"Yyuup. Behind all of it. Though, not that it matters much anymore, seeing as how the Head Captain himself gave the two of us pardons for the 'crimes'. Even offered for us to come back to active duty in the Soul Society, buuut, we chose to stay here. We're all kinda tired of that life, and life here in the world of the living is much more entertaining. So… got any dirt I should know about?" the purple-haired woman asked with a cheshire grin.
Nanao rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I think I may have to agree with you."
Southern Karakura Town
Captain Hitsugaya watched the few cars pass by in the night below him from his perch atop a ten-story apartment building. Outside from two weaker hollows earlier that morning, everything had been relatively quiet that day. With only him, his Lieutenant, Yumichika, and Ikkaku defending Karakura Town after Ichigo's group left for Hueco Mundo, they were forced to run in eighteen-hour shifts, with six hours of off-duty rest. This way, it ensured that at least three of them were on-duty at any given time. Even then, they were stretched thin. With everything that was going on, Karakura Town was becoming a sort of magnet for hollows, and there was barely an hour break between sightings.
At the stroke of the hour, Tōshirō gave out a quick pulse of his spiritual pressure, relieved when he detected two others pulsing in return. Now that they had no forms of electronic communication, the team was instructed to 'check in' every hour with a pulse of their spiritual pressures. The two that had just responded was that of his Lieutenant, Rangiku, who was patrolling the northwest side of the city, and the other was Yumichika's, patrolling the northeast side.
He was suddenly startled when he felt a third pulse, but it wasn't Ikkaku's. Not only that, the pulse was close, very close, almost on top of him. Before he could think on who the spiritual pressure belonged to, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice speak up right behind him. "How's the patrol coming along?"
Snapping around, Tōshirō's hand immediately went up and grasped the hilt of his zanpakutō, ready to draw it. He froze in place when he saw who it was standing behind him. "Ca… Captain Kyōraku?" he asked in surprise, visibly relaxing again. "What are you doing here?"
The taller man stepped forward and walked past Tōshirō to come to a stop at the edge of the roof. "It's a nice night, so I thought I'd come and enjoy it. Is that a crime?" he asked in a teasing manner.
Blinking, Tōshirō joined him at his side and folded his arms into his sleeves. "No… but I doubt you are here just to see the sights, Captain Kyōraku. Why are you really here?" he pressed.
Shunsui took a deep breath, letting it out in a huff. "Well, it seems some people didn't like my previous visit here. When they asked about it, they got all upset when I wouldn't tell em the reason, so here I am. And by the way, you can relax and just call me Shunsui. You know I'm not much for formalities." he answered nonchalantly.
Tōshirō snapped his eyes closed with a flinch. "Damn. I am so sorry about this, Shunsui. If I had any idea this could have happened, I would have never…"
"Hey, don't go beating yourself up about this, kid. You needed some help, so I gave it. There's never anything wrong with that. Besides, it's not really all that bad. Yeah, old man Yama's not in a good mood about it, but it won't be the first time he's scolded me, and it won't be the last either. So you don't need to worry about me." he consoled.
The small Captain sighed heavily and nodded. "Fine. So I take it you will be here for a while then?"
"Looks like it." Shunsui confirmed. "It's not just me either. Nanao got herself mixed up in all this too. She's back at ol Kisuke's place right now."
"Lieutenant Ise is here as well? But what about your squad? Will they be alright without the two of you?" Tōshirō asked in surprise and worry.
"Oh, they'll be fine. My little Nanao's done a great job in making sure the officers know their jobs. Granted, things might be a little rough for a while, but the squad's not gonna just fall apart because of this. Now then…" Turning towards his shorter peer, Shunsui gave him a serious look. "I think it's time you gave me the full story behind this strange woman that Durn kid has taken a liking to." he said in a somewhat demanding tone.
Tōshirō sighed heavily and shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Shunsui. I had already told you more than I should have when we last met."
Shunsui narrowed his eyes slightly. "Considering the trouble I've gone through so far to keep your secret, this is somewhat of a serious matter, Tōshirō. What makes this woman so special that the Soul Society might have issues with her? You know I'll find out eventually, so it's best you just go ahead and give me the answer." he pressed.
The smaller Captain sighed again and nodded, knowing his peer had a valid point. "Fine." Turning to the taller man, he returned the serious expression. "The truth is… the woman is… an Arrancar."
That surprised the normally stoic Captain of Squad 8. "An Arrancar? You mean those modified hollows we heard about?"
Tōshirō nodded firmly. "Yes. Not only that, but… she is also a former Espada. The fifth Espada to be exact."
Shunsui's eyes widened a bit. "Espada?! Are you serious?"
"I am."
Shunsui gripped the brim of his hat with a low whistle. "Well now… I gotta say I honestly wasn't expecting that one. Now I get what you mean about the Soul Society seeing her as a threat. And frankly, I have to agree. If the Soul Society gets wind of this, both her and the Lieutenant will be in big trouble."
Tōshirō nodded again. "I agree, hence why I have been monitoring her closely to determine if she is a threat or not. To be honest, I don't think she is a threat."
"And where is this woman now?" Shunsui questioned.
With a heavy sigh, Tōshirō lowered his head. "She went with Ichigo and the others to Hueco Mundo."
"... Come again?"
Sighing once more, he raised his gaze back to the taller man. "She left with the group for Hueco Mundo to rescue Orihime Inoue. With her knowledge of the layout of Las Noches, they felt it would be best if she went along with them."
Shunsui pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes and breathed deeply. "Kinda risky if you ask me. I'll admit that her knowledge of Las Noches would be beneficial and all, but this all could be a trap you know."
Tōshirō nodded in agreement. "I had considered that possibility as well, but both Ichigo and Tim vouched for her, and I trust them."
"Well…" Shunsui raised his hat brim and smiled at the smaller Captain. "If Ichigo can vouch for her, then I guess she's alright in my book. The problem you're going to have is convincing the other Captains of her supposed good nature. I assume the rest of your team knows about her?" he asked, getting a nod. "Who else knows?"
"Captain Komamura knows about her, although that was by sheer accident. He showed up unexpectedly the night before Ichigo and the others left for Hueco Mundo, and he just so happened to run into Nel. That was… not pleasant. He tried to attack her, but Tim stepped in and managed to talk him down. He has agreed not to say anything, at least for now." he said with a grimace.
"Interesting. So, Nel, huh? So that's the young lady's name?" Shunsui asked with a smirk.
"Yes. Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck." Tōshirō confirmed.
"I see. So how exactly did she come to join the kid's company?"
"I'll spare you the long version and just tell you that she helped Tim deal with that spirit energy absorbing hollow pair he was sent after. She was wounded as a result, and Tim took her to Urahara's for help. After that, she stayed around and the two of them have become… close."
Shunsui raised a questioning brow. "Close… as in…"
Toshino sighed and nodded. "Yes, in a… 'personal' manner. It seems they have romantic feelings for one another. I discovered this after our last meeting, and it makes their situation even more troubling."
"Sheesh, you got that right. The kid has no idea the kind of hellfire he's gotten himself into. If old man Yama hears about this, that poor kid's as good as done for."
"Believe me, I am fully aware. And now you know the problem I've been facing." Tōshirō grumbled lowly.
Shunsui watched his shorter peer for a moment before asking quietly. "Do you have any personal problems about the two of them and their… relationship?" he inquired.
It took a moment for Tōshirō to really think about the question and its answer. "I… cannot say. We have been told our entire soul reaper lives that hollows are evil, and that they should be purified at first glance. We've been told that they are heartless, that they bear no emotions, only instinct. That the only thing that they are capable of is feeding on souls. But…"
"But?" Shunsui pressed after a moment of silence.
"But… from what I have seen, that is not Nel. If you were to look past her hollow heritage, I can honestly say that she looks and acts just like one of us. She is capable of higher thinking; she has emotions, trust me on that one; she has no need to consume souls to survive. Physically, she is a hollow, but emotionally, she seems to be just a simple woman. Honestly, it's a bit confusing." he said with a heavy sigh.
Shunsui chuckled and nodded. "I bet. Well, I'd obviously have to meet this Nel and see for myself if her intentions are true, buuut, from what I've heard so far, I guess you've got my vote for her. So…" He turned to Tōshirō and lowered his hand. "Need any help with the patrol?"
Tōshirō sighed and nodded. "You have no idea. This place has almost become a nesting ground for hollows, and with Kuchiki, Abarai, and Durn in Hueco Mundo, the four of us have been stretched beyond thin. Would you mind going and relieving Yumichika for a while?"
"Of course. I'll swing back by Kisuke's and see if Nanao wouldn't mind giving your Lieutenant a break as well."
"That would be most helpful. Thank you, Shunsui." Tōshirō answered with a grateful smile.
"Don't mention it." Shunsui responded, then vanished in shunpo.
Once the man was gone, Tōshirō let out a deep breath before groaning into his hand. "This situation just keeps getting worse and worse." he grumbled, then vanished himself to continue his patrol elsewhere.
Quatro Espada's Palace, First Level
They couldn't believe it. 'He' couldn't believe it. For nearly a week since first arriving in Hueco Mundo, Ichigo Kurosaki was on constant guard, always expecting one of the Espada or their fracción to show up, effectively ending the mission to save Orihime. With someone as intelligent as Aizen in charge of the Espada, he would have been foolish not to be on guard.
True, the sand dunes outside of Los Noches were very expansive, so the likelihood of running into one was quite slim; and while the tunnels beneath the massive fortress were supposed to unknown to even their enemy, even then they still ran the slim risk of one of the Espada, or even a lowly Arrancar, discovering them. But it was a very welcome reprieve when the only trouble the group had faced in those dark tunnels was just a pair of insane, murdering twin soul reapers.
But now those easy times were gone. Now, here they were, inside the walls of Los Noches. The second they left the relative 'safety' of concealment the tunnels offered them, the group's awareness skyrocketed. With every room they checked, every corner they turned, Ichigo expected to run into one of the Espada, or a random Arrancar.
For the first couple of hours since leaving the tunnels, they had all managed to remain undetected, but one-by-one, each of the teams was discovered by the numerous patrols throughout the palace. That was when they knew that it was only a very short matter of time before the Espada found them as well. Ichigo, Nelliel, and Timothy couldn't say anything about the other two teams, but it amazed them that they had managed to avoid running into an Espada for as long as they did. And when Grimmjow finally made an appearance, the young teen knew that one of the others was sure to be close behind.
That was why he couldn't believe what his eyes were telling him now. For after all the ruckus they had caused so far, and after being found by Grimmjow, it both baffled and shocked the substitute when, instead of finding Ulquiorra, as they had expected to, they found someone they had not expected to find.
At least, not someone so easily.
For there, standing in an open doorway only fifty feet away, was the reason for their presence in Hueco Mundo. Though her appearance was slightly different, due to her clothes, there was no mistaking it. They had finally found her.
They had found Orihime.
Ichigo's breath caught in his throat as his eyes widened to epic proportions. Opening his jaw in an effort to speak, he instead took a single step towards her when his voice failed to come forth. Closing his jaw back, he swallowed deeply and took an even deeper breath, blinking his eyes a few times just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, or suffering some kind of trick of the mind. But even after a half-dozen refreshes of his view, she was still there.
Swallowing once more, the teen made another attempt at using his voice, relieved when he heard it. "Or… Orihime?" he called to her.
His voice had a positive reaction, erasing his fears of this being an illusion, when the young woman raised a hand to her chest, clutching the white fabric of the dress-like clothing she wore. The woman gritted her teeth in a tight, but wide and happy smile as tears came to her eyes.
"Ichigo… is that… really you?" she called back to him, obviously fearful that she was seeing an illusion as well.
Relief poured into Ichigo's heart and soul upon hearing her voice in response to his; in confirming that she was really there, that they had actually found her. He had to fight to hold back his own tears of relief as he took a ragged breath of relaxation before giving her a firm nod.
"Yeah… it's me." he confirmed.
Orihime's hand that was grasping her chest gripped tighter as more tears came to her eyes, drops starting to fall down her cheeks. She took a single, hesitant step forward, still fearful that she was somehow being tricked. Aizen was a master of illusions, so she would consider herself foolish to not consider that this was just some sort of game of his; an effort to break her down even further than he has already.
Slowly, she took another step, then a third, letting the hand that was braced against the doorway fall back to her side. A quiet sob escaped her throat as she took her fourth step, her fears of this being an illusion slowly fading with each one she took.
"You… You came here… for me?" she asked in a whisper.
Her fears diminished greatly when she heard her childhood friend's signature scoff as he planted his hands on his hips, a smug look on his face. "Of course we did. God, Orihime, did you really think we'd let that bastard Aizen keep you? Yeah, fat chance of that." he snarked proudly, even though he was losing his battle against his tears.
Orihime, after hearing his words, closed her eyes in a wide smile, forcing more tears down the sides of her face. "I… I told myself… that you wouldn't come… that you shouldn't come… That you should leave me… and keep yourselves safe. But…" She sniffed once deeply to clear her nose and shook her head. "But I knew… deep down… I just knew… that you wouldn't do that… That no matter what… you would come here… no matter what the danger was… and come save me. I just knew it."
Ichigo scoffed once more and shook his head at her. "I'll always come save you, Orihime. I'll never leave my friends, no matter what." he asserted firmly.
She sobbed quietly and nodded back. "I know."
The teen gave her his trademark grin and nodded once more. "We can catch up later." he started, then began walking towards her, raising a hand out to her. "But right now, we need to find the others and get…"
He was interrupted when a hand landed on his right shoulder, slightly gripping it and holding him back. Looking behind him, he followed the arm and he was a little surprised to find that it belonged to Nelliel. The woman was standing a few feet behind him, and had her left hand extended out to him, resting it on his shoulder. Looking at her face, he had to blink at the firm, concentrated stare she was giving. Following her gaze, he was even more surprised to see that it landed on the only other person in the room.
Orihime.
Epically confused, he turned back to the former Espada with a raised brow. "Nel? What's wrong?" he asked. But the woman didn't answer him, nor did she really even hear him, too focused on her current target.
Like Ichigo, upon hearing Orihime's voice, she was completely shocked; and when her eyes fell upon the young woman's form, she nearly cried in relief. But that relief was short-lived. She couldn't explain why, but, for some reason, something deep inside her told her that something wasn't right.
At first, she simply chalked it up as her nerves playing tricks on her; that her constant state of awareness in anticipation of trouble ever since arriving in Hueco Mundo six days ago was making her overcautious. She wanted to throw that caution away, knowing that Orihime was never a threat to anyone, but after what happened with her two adoptive 'brothers', her instincts were simply something she couldn't afford to ignore anymore.
And so, she watched, and waited, just to be completely sure.
She watched as Ichigo and Orihime spoke briefly, confirming each others' worries that neither was an illusion, that they were really there. All the while, Nelliel observed Orihime's actions and words carefully, looking for something, be it body movement, or wording or tone of voice when she spoke, anything that possibly hinted that the woman before them was an imposter, or one of Aizen's tricks.
But even though the two's exchange was brief, Nelliel couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. Well… anything that was not 'normal', considering the current situation. Everything sounded just how it should, looked how it should, and even when she used her pesquisa, Orihime's spiritual pressure was how it should be. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find anything about the woman that was wrong. This was, without a doubt, Orihime.
But, again, something just wasn't right about the situation. She was missing something. She thought about it a little harder, and then it hit her. Something was missing. Pulling her pesquisa off of Orihime, she extended it out around them further, trying to detect anything that was amiss, and quickly found it. Or rather, a lack thereof.
Using her eyes, she looked at the room around them, visually inspecting every inch of the room. 'No one is here. Besides Ichigo, Orihime, and myself, this entire area is empty. I can't detect a single spiritual pressure anywhere around us. Not even a lowly Arrancar. This isn't right.' she thought to herself, returning her gaze back to the still-talking pair. 'Somehow, Grimmjow managed to find us in my old room within minutes of arriving. Even if what he said was true, that he didn't tell anyone we were here, it wouldn't matter. If he was able to detect our presence, then at least one of the others above him should have as well. They should have come upon us within minutes of arriving here… but they didn't. What's more…'
Her gaze shifted to focus solely on Orihime, who was walking timidly towards them. 'Where are her guards? Even if Ulquiorra himself was not watching her, he would have left someone behind to watch her instead. Not only that, if she was indeed being kept here in Ulquiorra's palace, they would have kept her on the higher floors, not down here. So… just how did she get down here? Even more odd, how did she escape her guards? Avoid the patrols? Why haven't the Espada shown up yet? Is she being used as bait to capture or kill us?'
She narrowed her eyes a bit at the figure that was Orihime. 'No… if this was a trap, they wouldn't need to use her. Grimmjow found us, so that means the others can as well. All they had to do was move her to another palace and wait until they did find us and either kill or capture us. And there is no way she could have escaped and gotten here on her own. Something is definitely not right here.' she concluded. But, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't figure out just what that something was.
Then, something clicked in her head. 'Wait a minute…'
Pulling back on her pesquisa, she refocused it back on Orihime again, looking into her spiritual pressure deeply. So focused was she that she barely registered when Ichigo started to walk past her towards Orihime, and she was starting to panic inside.
Ichigo was just about to step outside her reach, when she suddenly picked up what it was that was off. Reacting quickly, she raised her hand and dropped it on the teen's shoulder, squeezing gently to force him to stop and get his attention. Thankfully, it worked; the substitute stopped and turned to her, his lips moving as if talking to her, confusion on his face.
But she didn't hear his words. Now that she had an idea of what was wrong, she focused even harder on the problem, and it confirmed her suspicions. Ignoring Ichigo's confused look, Nelliel took two steps forward till she was standing side-by-side with the teen. Focusing on Orihime's face, who was just as confused about the former Espada's actions, then narrowed her eyes a bit and stared into the other woman's.
"Who are you?" she asked in a firm, serious tone.
Both Ichigo and Orihime blinked twice at her, completely baffled by her words. "... What?" they both breathed out.
Nelliel narrowed her eyes even further. "Do not play innocent with me." she returned in a slightly cold tone. "Tell me, 'Orihime', how did you get down here? How did you get away from Ulquiorra, or the guards he placed in his stead?" she questioned.
Surprised, and a bit frightened, by the woman's sudden change in demeanor, Orihime took a single step back and brought her other hand up to her chest as well, clutching her two hands together. "Wha… What do you mean? What are you talking about, Nel?" she asked in worry.
"Yeah, what are you talking about, Nel? What's your problem? It's just Orihime." Ichigo defended.
Nelliel nodded firmly. "Exactly." she confirmed, confusing the poor teen further. "I'll ask you again: How did you get away from your guards and make it all the way down here without being detected?"
Ichigo blinked once, then turned back to Orihime. "Actually… how did you get away, Orihime?" he asked, curious himself.
Orihime shook her head slowly. "I don't know. Ul… Ulquiorra just… just left for some reason. I don't know what for. I mean, yeah, he did leave a few Arrancars behind to keep an eye on me, but… all of the sudden they started arguing with each other, and… I used that as my chance to get away. As for how I got down here, I just took the stairs. I don't know why, but… I didn't see any other Arrancars guarding the halls or anything." she explained.
Ichigo turned back to Nelliel with a raised brow. "Could it be that the others got their attention?" he wondered.
Nelliel nodded once. "Perhaps. But now tell me this: Even if you managed to escape this palace, what were you going to do then? Outside of using a garganta, there is no way for anyone to leave Hueco Mundo; and even if you tried to hide here, you would have had no chance to remain hidden. They would have found you quickly. Even you know this. So why try?" she questioned further.
The red-haired woman took a step forward. "Because I felt Ichigo's spiritual pressure!" she yelled, dropping a hand to her side and lowering her head. "I… I didn't even know… that you all were here at first." she spoke softly. "It was when I overheard the guards talking about an intruder that I knew something was going on. And I knew… deep down… that intruder could only be one person." She then raised her head back to them, looking right at Ichigo. "I knew… that it just had to be you, Ichigo."
She shook her head sadly. "But I didn't know where you were. All I knew was that someone had broken into Las Noches. I tried to feel for you, or for anyone… but I couldn't. I could barely feel the guards outside my room. I was starting to lose hope again. I was starting to think… to think that… that you would never find me. I was about to give up..." Then she smiled. "And then I finally felt it. Granted, it was just barely there… but it was there! I felt it… your spiritual pressure, Ichigo. Somehow, I knew you had to be in the palace somewhere. So that was why I left. As soon as I felt it, I knew I had to get away."
She managed to chuckle once through her tears in humor. "The guards Ulquiorra used were always the same when he wasn't around, and they were always arguing with each other. So…" She chuckled again and shook her head. "I… I said some things to one of them, and it caused them to start arguing again. Once they stopped focusing on me, I left the room and made my way down here. That's when I felt your pressure again, Ichigo. I knew you were close by, so I followed it, and found you here."
Orihime took a step forward as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I followed you, Ichigo… just like I always will."
"Stop!" Nelliel barked, making both teens flinch from her tone.
Growling, Ichigo snapped his gaze to her in agitation. "What the hell is your problem, Nel?! Look!" he said, trusting a hand out towards Orihime. "It's just Orihime. What does it matter how she got away? She just did, and now she's here. And now that we've found her, let's take her, get the others, and get outta here!" he raged.
"Nel… why are you doing this? What's going on? You're… You're starting to scare me." Orihime whimpered.
"Tell me… were you kept on the same floor as Ulquiorra's room?" Nel questioned further.
The teen nodded timidly. "Yes… I was kept in the room across from him, I think." she confirmed.
"And you only just then felt Ichigo's spiritual pressure?" she asked, getting another nod. "Twenty minutes." Nel responded instantly, confusing the two even further and adding to Ichigo's growing anger. "I may not know the exact layout of this palace, but I do know that Ulquiorra's room is on the topmost floor, the same as mine was. I also know that it takes more than twenty minutes to run from the top floor to the bottom without the use of a garganta, or using spirit energy to enhance your speed. I know, because I used to race Lilynette from the top floor to the bottom on occasion when we were bored. And no matter how fast we ran, it always took us at least twenty minutes to get to the bottom.
"You said you felt Ichigo's spiritual pressure, then left within minutes of feeling it, right?" she asked, getting a nod from the teen. "That means, given the time you took to distract the guards and make it down here, it would have taken you at least thirty minutes to get here." She narrowed her eyes dangerously at the teen. "The problem with that is, Ichigo and I have only been back in the palace for ten. Before that, we were gone for at least an hour, so you couldn't have felt his spiritual pressure then. And then, before that, why didn't you feel his spiritual pressure when we were on the middle floors of the palace, much closer than we are now?"
Ichigo's eyes suddenly widened as he caught on to the woman's reasoning and snapped back to Orihime. "Not only that…" Nelliel continued. "If you had run the entire way down here, then why are you not exhausted?"
Orihime took a fearful step back and swallowed. "... What?"
"Your breathing is relaxed, not one sign that you had just run down all those steps to make it here as fast as you could. Your skin is dry; not a single drop of sweat. And your clothes; almost perfect. No sign that you had been running in them."
Ichigo didn't want to believe it, but his teammate did state some very good points. Nothing about his friend's appearance suggested that she had just finished running down several flights of stairs. He didn't want to doubt his childhood friend, but he also couldn't ignore the possibility that this was all just a trap of some sort.
Orihime shook her head at Nelliel, stomping her foot in tearful anger. "You… You're wrong, Nel! I'm not lying! Why are you doing this?! Please… I just want to go home, with you guys."
Nelliel only shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Even if you say you are telling the truth, I know the real truth. You are not Orihime Inoue." she asserted firmly.
The teen once again shook her head with a sob. "Nel… please… I really don't know what you're talking about. Please… let's just go home." she begged.
Ichigo turned back to Nelliel, a pleading look on his face. "Nel… come on, you've gotta be wrong. It is Orihime… right?" he asked hesitantly.
A firm shake of her head was his answer. "I will admit, at first I missed it, your spiritual pressure. Orihime's is calm, bright, caring, and compassionate. And powerful. Just like yours is. Except for one thing, the one thing I almost missed."
The woman's eyes narrowed into slits as she glared dangerously into the other's. "Yours is too powerful." she hissed, hearing a soft gasp from Ichigo at the revelation. "If I had to guess, your spiritual pressure is at least four times as powerful as the real Orihime's. While yours is a very close copy of hers, the result is still the same: You. Are. Not. Her." she seethed.
Orihime dropped her head in a tight flinch under the woman's intense gaze and tone, hiding her face from the pair. Still a bit lost and confused, Ichigo turned his full attention to Nelliel, his face showing his conflicting emotions.
"Nel… are you… absolutely…" the substitute began in a pleading tone.
"Tsk…" a familiar voice scoffed, drawing the pair's attention back to the only other occupant in the room. "I guess the few rumors and stories I've heard about you are true." It continued.
Ichigo took an involuntary step back in surprise while Nel narrowed her eyes further. Slowly, Orihime raised her head back to them, where Ichigo took in a gasp of air in shock as Nelliel rested a hand on the hilt of her zanpakutō when they saw the sudden change in the younger woman's eyes. Instead of relief, compassion, and innocence that they held only a moment ago, they now had something far more sinister.
Malace.
Her head raised fully, Orihime's loving smile was replaced with a deep sneer. "I've heard that your pesquisa was among the best out of the Espada, second only to Ulquiorra's, but I have to admit, I didn't think it was that good. Somehow, you were able to see through my spiritual pressure, which, according to Lord Aizen, was a perfect copy of the real Orihime's. Even Lord Aizen said that he had to make an attempt to notice the difference. All that work in learning to mimic 'being' Orihime, and you manage to figure it out in only a couple of minutes? I'm actually impressed, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, former Quinto Espada." she sneered, ending with a grin.
Nelliel growled deep in her throat at the imposter before sparing a glance at her partner, seeing that he was still in a shocked state. "Ichigo." she called.
But the teen didn't hear her. He was lost in a whirlpool of emotions at that moment. Shock, horror, fear, anger, disbelief, all swirling endlessly inside him. He simply couldn't believe that the woman before then wasn't Orihime. She looked just like her, acted the same, even spoke the way Orihime would have, given the current situation. How could this person not be her?
But those eyes… Those were not the eyes of an innocent highschool girl, the eyes he had known for almost a year, but felt like an eternity. No, the eyes that bore into his were those of something else, those of a killer.
He was drawn back a bit from his thoughts when he registered the squeezing sensation on his right shoulder, but it was the firm voice that spoke next that fully broke him from his daze. "Ichigo!" the voice hissed lowly.
Snapping back to reality with a small gasp, the teen shook his head to clear it and reflexively reached back to grip the long hilt of his zanpakutō across his back, snarling deeply at the woman in front of him.
"What the hell?! What the hell is going on here?! Who the hell are you?!" he yelled, though a bit weakly as he was still not fully convinced that the woman wasn't their Orihime.
But the woman only let out a dark chuckle, one that, along with the murderous look, sent shivers down the pair's spines. "Sorry, little soul reaper, but I don't give my name out to anyone I am not going to kill." she stated before turning to Nelliel. "While Lord Aizen did say that the bitch standing next to you was fair game…" she said with a predatory grin, then turned back to him. "... You, however, are sadly not on the list. At least for now, that is. Sorry, but Lord Aizen has other plans for you."
Ichigo flinched with clenched teeth at hearing those words with Orihime's voice, even if it had a dark tone to it. "You… You bastard. Who the hell are you?! What the fuck did you do with Orihime?!" he raged loudly.
Nelliel spared a glance at the teen, a bit surprised at hearing him curse like he did. She didn't need her pesquisa to tell that the orange-haired teen was beyond furious at the moment, and frankly, she didn't blame him in the least. If anything, she was just as furious as he was at that moment.
Returning to the woman, she gripped her zanpakutō tighter and took a single step forward. "I do not know what sort of sick game that Aizen is trying to play, but we do not want any part of it. Nor do we have any interest in fighting against you, if we can help it. Just tell us where Orihime is, and we'll leave." she attempted to negotiate.
The woman chuckled again and raised a crooked finger to the bottom of her chin, raising it slightly with a low hum. "Hmmm… Weeelllll… the truth is, I did not 'do' anything with her." she answered then brought back her grin, shocking the pair when they saw that she now had fangs. "As far as where she 'is'... I think I will let you figure that out on your own." she teased darkly, rolling her eyes to him.
Ichigo was now getting even more furious with the strange woman that was seemingly screwing with him. "Why you…!" he snarled.
"Judging by your demeanor, you seem to think that you can fight us." Nelliel stepped in. "But like you just said, I am indeed the former Quinto Espada; and while I no longer hold that title, that does not mean that I have lost the power I had while I held it. In fact, I am more powerful than I was back then. And you shouldn't take light of Ichigo either. If I am being honest, I would dare to say that he is more powerful than I am." she threatened, hoping it would be enough to convince the woman against a fight.
But the woman only lowered her hand with a dark, throaty laugh. "Training with none other than Kisuke Urahara, correct?" she offered, her smile growing wider when she saw the slight surprise appear on the pair's faces. "Oh yes, I know all about Kisuke Urahara, as well as Yoruichi Shihōin; both former Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Lord Aizen told me all about them."
Nelliel narrowed her eyes. "Then you should know that, seeing as how we have both been trained by them, that you stand little chance of defeating us both." she offered as a last chance of bluffing their way out of fighting the unknown woman.
Her comment only made the woman laugh loudly and gleefully. "Sorry, but those are some big words for someone who knows nothing about her opponent." she retorted.
Both Ichigo and Nelliel tensed when the woman reached inside her overcoat and behind her, tensing further when she slid a hidden zanpakutō around her belt from behind to her side, now resting on her left hip. The pair drew their weapons swiftly and dropped into their respective stances as she rested her right hand on the hilt of her own weapon and drew it slowly.
"Even if you are trained by Urahara and Shihōin, you will find it nearly impossible to kill me." she stated, fully drawing her zanpakutō and pointing it towards them. "I will grant you that I do not possess the same amount of fighting experience as you do, but you will soon discover that, with my abilities…"
She pulled her zanpakutō back towards her chest and slowly ran her fingertips across the bottom of the blade along its length, stopping once they reached the tip and giving the pair a sinister smile.
"I will have no need for that experience." she concluded, pulling her lips back into a fanged grin.
Well, no action in this chapter, just plot development. So, Shunsui is on the run with Nanao, somewhat, Captain Kurotsuchi discovered the truth behind Hiyosu's actions, and Ichigo and Nel ran into an Orihime impostor. So, some action, just not the fighting kind… yet.
I know you all hate cliff-hangers, we all do, but remember, I'm evil. Hehe. Once again, I wanna thank all of you guys for sticking with me and enjoying my story. Can make any guesses on when the next chapter will be, but as always, I'll try to get them to you all as soon as I can. Thanks all, and happy early July 4th.