Requiem for the Hollow Rose

by sreshtiyer

After witnessing the death of Pyrrha, white fills her vision and the Rose huntress finds herself in a desolate and bleak place. Confused, lost and still grieving the loss of her friend and her own helplessness, little does Ruby realize that was just the beginning of her arduous journey. Innocent to Mature Ruby. Rated M for psychologically disturbing themes (non-sexual).

27. Chapter 27: Reconcilation

Chapter 27:Reconcilation

World of the Living

Kisuke Urahara's Underground Training Chamber

(All abilities neutral)

"Now this takes me back!" chimed Urahara, sipping on the new tea that Tessai brought for everyone and winced. "Aah, this one's a bit bitter Tessai-san. You might want to tone down the heat for the next time" he advised.

"I'll say" agreed Yoruichi to both of his statements. "It's almost like….watching her that one time" she said. "Ichigo and Ruby…..It's almost as if I'm watching Masaki and Ruby all over again, except that they've switched roles"

"Yo boss man, is that lady really ok?" asked Jinta, sitting next to them.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you two haven't met her before" replied Isshin.

"She seems incredibly dangerous…." Said Ururu in a low voice.

"Now now, Ururu-chan, don't need to get your danger alarms running, she's ok" said Urahara immediately, following which the girl eased up a little. He then turned to Yoruichi once more, continuing with what he wanted to as her. "Yoruichi-san…what do you make of her? Compared to when we last saw her….what do you think?"

"Judging from your tone, I assume you've noticed as well" she asked. Urahara nodded his head. Yoruichi sighed. "…well, if you're asking me simply, she seems to have a certain clarity that she didn't have before, but she also looks so….tired. So…drained out. Almost as if she's carrying an incredibly heavy burden and is pushing herself way beyond what she's capable of. Sure, she looks like she's smiling and playing with them now but it's obvious something's constantly eating away at her mind. I don't think meeting them like this did much to help that"

"You think so…?" asked Isshin. "Well, I guess you're right. Seeing those four like this was the last thing she wanted. And Yuzu losing her memory…..oy, I hope you got some explanation for that….do you think Aizen did something or…?"

"I cant really say" he replied honestly. "Not unless I've had a closer look. It IS strange, but also not totally unexpected. She WAS in a place which is lethal to quincies. Think of a human in an environment filled with carbon monoxide or similar other toxic gases. In her case, being half Quincy might have saved her. But I don't expect her to have been totally unharmed either. Maybe her amnesia was a result of taking in too much of Hueco Mundo's toxic reishi. Or maybe its something else. Or perhaps it was Aizen after all but to be honest, I'm not so sure. Because I don't see what he would gain by removing her memories. I'd say that if she only suffered amnesia and is otherwise unharmed, she's incredibly lucky and we should consider ourselves lucky too. But that would also mean that I cant do much about her memories since it came about due to natural causes. However, if her memories were tampered with….then perhaps, I might be able to do something. But I still cant guarantee much. The mind is a very complex thing and though wiping it clean is relatively simple, restoring those things can be an incredibly arduous task and I don't think I can bring it back to the way it was. In such a case, it would be better to leave things the way they are, for there's a greater risk of causing even more damage by trying to restore her memories" He explained. "As for Ruby….maybe something happened when she met her mother. Or maybe it's something else entirely. It HAS been six years since we last met. I can only imagine what she's gone through in that time" said Urahara. "I imagine we'll know once we talk to Ruby-chan after she's done testing the kids" he said, taking another sip. He stared at the half drained cup, the steam still rising from the cup.

---

"Come" challenged Ruby, holding out her right arm. Ichigo hesitated once, twice, and then reluctantly stepped forward, his sword held out, before rushing at her slashing at her vertically. Ruby casually stepped aside, without even looking. Ichigo then followed up with a series of slashes, all of which were then similarly evaded by Ruby effortlessly and in a graceful manner.

"Alright, stop" said Ruby, catching Zangetsu, which surprised Ichigo. "Ichi…..what's the meaning of this? I thought I told you to come at me with everything you guys got. And yet, you're attacking me so half-heartedly while you three aren't doing anything. Your friends are just sitting there as well. You think you can fight me so hesitantly?" she asked.

"What I'm thinking is about the fact that you can fight at all, nee-san! How am I supposed to react when my sister, whom I only remembered as a normal human can now just suddenly take on arrancars?! I think anyone in my position would be the same!" he argued. Ruby sighed.

"Ichi…..why is it so hard to accept? When you became a soul reaper, and could accept that things such as hollows and soul reapers existed, why is it so difficult to accept that your sister can fight?" she asked with a pained expression.

"That's not…and besides, I thought, when the time came, I could show you that I wasn't weak enough for you to leave. That maybe I was strong enough to finally protect you…."

"I'm wounded, Ichi. But it's kinda sweet of my baby brother to be worried me so I'll let it slide for now" said Ruby, pinching his cheeks. Ichigo turned away, embarrassed.

"Nee-san, don't call me…"

"But still, you're way too early to be worrying about me, Ichi. Here, let me show you" she said.

*BZZT!*

*BZZT!*

Ruby appeared a few feet away from Ichigo, Karin and the others surprising the heck out of them.

"How can you protect me if you let yourself get disarmed this easily, Ichi? Kari?" she asked softly, showing them Shingetsu and Zangetsu, holding the two swords in her hand.

"Wh…when did she…!" exclaimed Tatsuki.

"I….I couldn't see her at all….ah, Shingetsu!" said an astonished Karin. Ichigo stood there with a dumbfounded and shocked expression. "I…even I….couldnt see her at all…..Nee-san….is this really what you…?!"

"Now that you understand, come at me without holding back" repeated Ruby, handing them Zangetsu and Shingetsu. "If you need a few minutes to recollect your thoughts, by all means, please do"

"….No, I'm fine" replied the orange haired soul reaper, holding out Zangetsu once more. "This time….I wont hold back, nee-san"

"Good, that's exactly what I want to see" said Ruby with a smile. "Don't worry. I can measure your reaitsu. Even if you went all out, it still wont be enough to even catch me, let alone do any damage. Think of all the things you have in your mind. Anything you have to pent out to me. Even better if you have something you have to say to me for leaving you guys all those years back. Hold nothing back. Because…I want to see it all" she said.

"….Ruby-nee, when you say it that way, I'll feel bad for not indulging you" sighed Karin. "After all, you never asked a single thing back then for all that you did for us. So I guess I'll honor your wish too. And besides, I wanna see Ruby-nee's badass side too!" said Karin, coming to Ichigo's side. "I see Tsuki-nee has the same idea"

"Heh, aneki comes back after 6 years and the first thing you do is disappoint her, insulting her even. Honestly, even I could tell aneki had something special. You're really dumb, you know that?" remarked Tatsuki in a disappointed manner. "Well, if you want to wuss out, be my guest. I'll just get to spend some time with aneki instead. I need to show her that I'm not the same little girl from back then!"

"Tch, shut up" retorted Ichigo, standing firm. "And you aren't the only one" he replied. The stage was properly set this time. Ruby stood there, calm and composed as ever and yet, never taking her eyes off of them. As before, Ichigo charged in first, but this time, there was a ferocity in his strikes that was completely missing before.

BGM: Tower of God OST - Rak by Kevin Penkin

"HRRRAAAUGH! HUAAAGH! HRRRRAAAGHH!" he grunted with each strike, all of which Ruby casually evaded with her graceful movements. Another strike came from her side, which Ruby avoided by back flipping. Tatsuki then engaged her, starting a series of combos, which Ruby dodged once more as effortlessly as ever before.

"Slayer of the moon, eh?" remarked Ruby, catching Zangetsu in her hands, closely admiring it all while avoiding their combined attacks. "I'll admit, Zangetsu's pretty cool! My heart's racing!" she cooed, admiring the weapon. "I imagine you can use the cloth wrap to swing him around" She theorized, doing the same with her actions. "Whoo….this almost reminds me of Crescent Rose! Hii Hii, Ichi has a cool weapon!" she grinned.

"Nee-san, why do you keep grabbing my Zanpakuto!" questioned Ichigo, making a grab for it. Ruby swiftly moved aside, even tripping him in the process.

"Ah ah ah, not so fast Ichi! You had such a cool weapon but I simply couldn't resist showing you the ropes when I saw you using him so badly. I bet he's screaming from the inside" she joked, handing him back.

"Hmph, I'm just getting warmed up" retorted Ichigo. "And besides, I'm don't need you to help me, nee-san, I can fight just fine"

"Fight just fine my ass! She hit the damn nail right in the coffin, partner! Weak as you are, you'll never be able to catch up to her. But not me. I'm screaming at how pathetically you've been swinging me around! If you're so disinterested in fighting her, why don't you let me have a go? Unlike you, I can take her on just fine. Why don't I show you? It's not a bad offer is it? You want to hear what she has to say, and I want to fight. You're weak but I can take her on. It's not often that I'm willing to be this nice, partner. You should consider it"

"Shut up!" hissed Ichigo, taking another swing at Ruby, who once more, casually dodged. Ruby then artfully darted to Karin, making away with Shingetsu as she vaulted over Tatsuki to avoid another flaming punch coming from her.

"New moon, huh…?" wondered Ruby, eyeing the triangular blade closely, caressing it with care. "Full moon and New Moon. Mangetsu and Shingetsu. How wonderful. One is incomplete without the other. I never want to see you both separated ever. This is a blade that indicates your wild side all too well. Fu fu, I can tell this one means business! Sleek, but powerful. I'd be worried about getting sliced by Shingetsu. I can see this one has a cloth wrap as well" she remarked, swinging Shingetsu around in a complex manner but with such control that it shocked the Kurosaki siblings. "You should consider swinging Shingetsu around with your blut enabled like you told me. I'd actually be a bit concerned then" She said, carefully handing back Shingetsu to Karin.

"You know Ruby-nee, if you can flex on us that easily, maybe I really should consider releasing all my pent-up stress!" remarked Karin, her body alight with the illumination of blut arterie. Ruby's mouth curved into a smile.

Just then, a shining arrow whizzed right at her, and Ruby tilted her head nimbly to avoid the projectile.

"…..Of course that wouldn't work, huh" remarked Uryu to himself.

"Finally you attacked. I was beginning to wonder if you three were beginning to participate at all" said Ruby.

"Unlike your brother there, I was taking my time to plan before I did anything. And if I fired off these smaller arrows instead, I don't have to worry about hurting anyone. That way, I can indulge in your request without feeling bad about it" he said with a satisfied smile. He then fired of a volley of blue arrows, while Ruby darted around the training grounds.

"Oy Ishida! Next time, give us a heads up before randomly firing away! And you might want to try adjusting your glasses, your arrows are barely anywhere close to where aneki is!" shouted Tatsuki. But Uryu only continued to calmly fire away.

"Right where I need her" he thought inwardly. As Ruby continued to get closer and closer to the wall while he fired away at her, Chad approached from the other side, his arms reared and charged. Just as she was about to move to her side, a bright orange shield appeared right in front of her. She could feel the reishi of Orihime emanating from the shield.

"With this, it's checkmate" said Uryu. But Ruby merely grinned. As Chad threw his punch, Ruby slid under him, passing through and jumping away. The momentum carried Chad's fist right into Orihime's shield. Although the shield protected her, it couldn't withstand the impact and thus shattered. The arrows that Uryu had already fired continued on towards their mark. Chad stepped in front of Orihime, shielding her from harm. There were a couple of arrows passing through his right arm and a couple of them sticking into his abdomen. Chad grunted slightly, but seemed to be relatively fine.

"Dammit!" cursed Uryu. He could feel a light pat at his back, and Ruby flashed him a smile as she darted over him.

"Missed me!" she said. "But that was a good effort!"

"Ishida! What the hell are you doing?!" screamed Tatsuki. "I'll kill you if you hit Orihime by mistake! Why don't you just stay put and let us handle this!"

"No can't do. I cant just stay put after being humiliated that way, now can I?!" he retorted back. Orihime gave both of them an awkward smile, assuring them that she was alright and that things needn't get so tense. Chad too, did his best to placate them, indicating to them that the injuries he had were really superficial.

And soon, what was supposed to be a reluctantly incited match turned into a full blown game of sorts, with all of them trying a variety of techniques to try and get Ruby. Karin started using Hado and her quincy arrows along with Blut Arterie and her sword techniques in tandem with Tatsuki's fiery combos, fire blasts and martial arts. But Ruby would evade them all the same. Her movements were graceful and tranquil, her form precise and efficient, wasting no movement. It was a sight to behold. After so many, many exchanges, Karin, Tatsuki, Uryu, Chad and Orihime were on the ground, worn out and fatigued.

"Ah….Haaah…..Haa…I'm beat…." Breathed out Karin "Ahh….this reminds me of the times we used to play with Ruby-nee….Ahh…here we were, thinking we became strong so that Ruby-nee wouldn't have to leave because of us. And now, she just managed to flex over all of us. I really have no words to say…ah…ahaha…hahaha….." chuckled Karin lightly.

"Yeah…" agreed Tatsuki. "Haah…it feels like we've gone back to those days…..I don't know about you guys, but this time, aneki's going to be staying with me for a while….."

"I thought your sister might be strong, but this is just ludicrous" said Uryu. "She didn't even use her sword even once! All she did was evade…."

"Oh yeah…! Now that I think about it, she did..!" agreed Orihime.

"Considering it's Ichigo's elder sister, I'm not really surprised" said Chad.

"I'm beat, Ichi-nii….you carry on" said Karin.

"Haah….haah…" panted Ichigo, in utter disbelief that he'd be this useless against Ruby.

"You still have something up your sleeve, don't you?" asked Ruby, leaning over him. "You still haven't shown me your bankai yet" she said.

"…"

He had no choice, he thought. She was much too fast, unbelievably so. He never thought that his sister, the very same sister who used to take care of them with such a gentle and kind expression on her face, would be this formidable in battle. It burned at him, especially since he knew that the reason she left 6 years ago, was to protect them. He thought he wasn't the same person as back then, and that he finally had the skills and abilities to make up for it. But here she was, showing him how much of a gap in their abilities still existed.

"….Fine, I suppose I should, nee-san" he said. He then pointed his sword forward, the cloth wrap wrapping around his arm. His spiritual pressure spiked, and his eyes were narrowed at Ruby. "Bankai!" he cried out.

There was massive outburst of reishi, pouring out of Ichigo. Light enveloped Ichigo and his attire changed, with the top half of his hakama transforming into a sleek, long sleeved tail coat of sorts. Zangetsu too, had morphed into long and sleek obsidian blade with a cross shaped guard and a few links of metal chains in the pommel of the sword.

"Tensa Zangetsu" he said, his form much more confident. Ruby raised her eyes.

"Heavenly Chains, Slayer of the Moon….I thought Zangetsu couldn't become more awesome that it already was and you throw this at me. Seriously, my heart's racing all over again" said Ruby with a smile she couldn't contain as she laid eyes on the beautiful blade. "A speed type Zanpakuto….not something I expected from looking at Zangetsu" she replied.

"Yo…you can tell?" asked Ichigo, surprised. Ruby merely nodded her head.

"Come now, it's practically out there for me to see. A big blade like Zangetsu shrinks down to a long sized katana in bankai while emitting more spirit energy than Zangetsu ever did in shikai. All that power has to go somewhere" said Ruby.

"….Nee-san….dad told us earlier that you left because you wanted to protect us. Because we were too weak back then"

"…that's…..I really want to say that's not what I meant, but it is true to a certain degree, so I wont deny it"

"That's why, let me show you, that I'm not the same boy from back then. I'm not weak enough that you have to desert us ever again!" he declared.

"Ichi…..I would never leave for a reason as simple as that. But, I can see that you're finally willing to indulge in my selfish request. So I'll put off what I have to say later. But before that…" said Ruby, turning to Yuzu, the one who hadn't so much as moved a muscle all this time. "Yuzu.."

"…Onee-chan…"

"Yuzu…..dont think I've forgotten about you. You haven't even tried to fight all this time, have you?" asked Ruby, narrowing her eyes.

"Th..that's….not it Onee-chan. I have been involved. I've been observing" she said. "But….do I have to…?" she asked once more.

"Please…." Asked Ruby. "Trust me, I'll be fine, and so will you. But from the look on your face, I suppose you already figured that out, haven't you?" she asked. Yuzu nodded.

"Alright Onee-chan" said Yuzu, finally drawing her Zanpakuto. "Shroud, Mangetsu" she chanted, transforming her dagger into the familiar bladeless ring zanpakuto. She poured her reishi into it, forming a spinning blue shield. She then stood alongside Ichigo.

"Well, I cant just be lying down when Yuzu's out there now can I?" said Karin, pushing herself up.

"Don't forget about me" said Tatsuki, getting up as well.

"Onii-san, Karin-san, Tatsuki-san…..I have a plan. I've been watching her movements and I think we should be able to land atleast one hit. Are you with me?" she asked.

"Karin-san….feels weird when you call me that. Just call me Karin-chan, wont you?" asked Karin, furrowing her brows.

"Me too, don't call me something like 'Tatsuki-san' again, I don't think I'll be able to sleep peacefully" groaned the raven-haired tomboy.

"Yuzu…" called out Ichigo in a lost manner, stunned when he heard him call 'Onii-san', a degree of unfamiliarity that he didn't expect from her. "You….really don't remember me…? Remember any of us?" he asked.

"No…..I'm sorry. I know Onee-chan told me about you and Karin-san being my siblings but….I'm sorry, I don't mean to hurt you in any way, but it's just too sudden for me to accept…"

"No…it's fine" he said, forcing his thoughts on the fight instead. "What do you have in mind?" he asked. And while Ruby watched, the four spent close to five minutes discussing with each other their strategy, with Ichigo filling in the abilities he had in bankai while Yuzu incorporated that information into her plan. And once they were done, Ichigo, Karin and Tatsuki had surprised looks on their faces, as if he didn't expect her to come up with something like that.

"Whoa, Yuzu…..when in the world did you learn to come up with something like that…?!" asked Karin to her twin.

"Geez…..what the hell happened to you when Aizen took you…" asked Tatsuki.

"When you're out fighting hollows in Hueco Mundo, survival tactics are something you learn" replied Yuzu simply "Though,I really wish we could just talk things out peacefully. But since this is just a spar, I can put my mind to it"

"You guys ready?" called out Ruby. Ichigo nodded.

BGM: Tower of God OST - GodSuite II "Anaak" by Kevin Penkin

*SCHICK!*

With a blur Ichigo disappeared using flash step, reappearing right next to Ruby. The silver eyed warrior merely avoided his blade, this time with speeds matching Ichigo's own flash step. Ichigo didn't falter, instead sticking to what Yuzu suggested and starting a series of attacks at Ruby, flash stepping all the way. Ruby retaliated in kind, moving around him and behind him using her own sonido.

"You certainly did get a bit faster than when you were using shikai" commented Ruby, nimbly avoiding another slash. "So this is the power you used against another captain" she noted. "But as you can see, you're still far too slow, Ichi" she teased.

"Heh, I can go even faster, nee-san!" said Ichigo with a confident smirk, increasing his speed, creating multiple illusory copies of himself.

"Well nee-san..? I bet you can't follow my movements now!" taunted one of Ichigo's illusory forms.

"Nope, still too slow, dear Ichi~~" cooed Ruby, appearing behind one of the copies and tapping him in the shoulder. 'Ichigo' whelped, jumping back. The copies disappeared.

*SHICK! SHICK! WHIZZZ!*

A flurry of shining arrows flew where Ruby had been standing, converging on her from both directions.

"Your coordination is superb, Kari, Yuzu" praised the silver eyed warrior, whilst redirecting Tatsuki's fist away. "And combining it with Ichi's speed is well thought"

"Morigata Shingetsu!" chanted Karin, extending the handle to form a giant spear with Shingetsu's blade forming the spear head. She then attached the other end of the handle to her own reishi, forming a thread from which she could launch her Zanpakuto using her quincy bow. Yuzu did the same with Mangetsu.

"Keep her occupied, Ichi-nii!" said Karin. Yuzu had her palm outstretched, while Karin nocked Shingetsu.

*PHIING!*

"Whoa!" exclaimed Ruby, as Shingetsu flew right in between Ruby and Ichigo's blurry forms as they sped around each other using flash step and sonido.

"Bakudo #1, Sai!" chanted Yuzu, sending a small gust of wind at Ruby's feet, making her stumble slightly.

"A..ack!" cried out Ruby as she haphazardly stumbled. Ah, she used Ichi and Kari to make me move into a place where she could use her bakudo! Clever! I suppose she was observing me all this time to predict my movements too. Yuzu…..you…

But Ruby didn't have time to finish her thoughts as she was immediately confronted by Tatsuki with a wide grin on her face.

"Wowie me, that's a scary expression on your face, Tsuki!" giggled Ruby, watching her fist pound into the ground. A mini wall of flames surrounded them.

"I would say you played yourself, but your plan was to surround me here wasn't it?" asked Ruby, looking around. "But you're still too naïve!" she remarked, jumping up and boosting herself out of the wall of flames.

*WHIZZ! SCHICK! PHING!*

"Saw it coming from a mile away" said Ruby, side stepping and tilting herself to avoid the arrows fired off by Yuzu and Karin.

"How's this!" declared Karin, pulling a red string. Ruby's eyes traced the reishi string to Shingetsu that was now being pulled along, travelling towards her.

*KCHICK!*

Shingetsu stopped a safe distance from Ruby as she caught the blade in her hands.

"I can see you too" she followed up, flipping back to avoid fireballs that Tatsuki launched towards her.

"Hmmph!" cried out Ichigo, appearing behind Ruby and slashing with Tensa Zangetsu. Ruby didn't even look behind as she caught Ichigo's arm, stopping his blade's path.

"Bakudo #9, Geki!" cried Yuzu's voice, and a red outline enveloped Ruby's body.

"Ah…Geki, that's a particularly basic but nasty one!" remarked Ruby, her body temporarily halted. "But it wont work that effectively if your opponent has a reishi reserve much larger than you". The spell that was supposed to paralyze her only stopped her for a mere moment.

"I know" replied Yuzu. "But that's what I was going for" she said. Tatsuki charged at Ruby from one side while Ichigo came in from another.

"Amazingly done! But you brats are still too early if you think that's enough! Tee hee, this really does take me back, when I used to play with the four of them. Aah….it really does feel like I've gone back to those times" thought Ruby inwardly, as the scene in front of her superimposed the one from her memories, of those blissful times in the neighborhood playground with the concrete pipes where the four of them would always play together. Her arms moved automatically as she caught both of their arms, stopping their advance.

"You guys did well. But this is as far as it goes" said Ruby with a small smile. But Yuzu continued to focus, not coming out of her battle stance. Ruby then saw a tiny thread of blue reishi coming from her hand, going beyond her back.

"Wait….don't tell me!" she exclaimed, turning her head to come face to face with a spinning blue shield.

"Ah!" cried out Ruby, fiercely moving aside. The blue shield passed so very closely to her shoulder. But that was when her eyes were met with the blur of something metallic approaching, something glowing with red vein like reishi.

"!"

*CLAANG!*

The loud noise rang out throughout the underground training chamber. Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu and Tatsuki watched as Ruby stood, with a surprised expression on her face and her katana half drawn, locked with Karin's Shingetsu. The four of them had triumphant looks on their faces.

"Damn….now that was some fine play..!" remarked Isshin.

"I'll say….they actually managed to make her draw her Zanpakuto" added Yoryuichi.

"Well, she does look just as surprised as they do" said Urahara, lowering his hat.

"Hii hii! Did you see Ruby-nee? You finally drew your zanpakuto!" grinned Karin.

"Amazing…your plan actually worked!" said Tatsuki, praising Yuzu.

"Well…I thought it would make a hit but she managed to block even that. Onee-chan really is strong….but I'm glad. This way, no one got hurt" said Yuzu satisfied.

"So? Nee-san, do you still think we're the same kids from back then..?" asked Ichigo with a smirk of his own. Ruby's mouth was left hanging as she watched the triumphant smiles on the faces of her little siblings standing in front of her. She then offered a warm smile.

"Yeah…I really am speechless….that was really amazing. And let me tell you, making me draw my Zanpakuto at your level is no joke. Though to be fair, I WAS taken aback a bit so I just drew my sword out of reflex. I could've handled that you know" she joked with an awkward smile. She then drew closer to the four of them, putting her arms around them. "Really….that was amazing….you….when did you all grow up so much….?" She said, her voice wavering a bit.

"Ane…ki..?" called out Tatsuki, uncertainly.

"Really…..you've grown up so much before I could even notice….I feel….dammit…." she said, her voice now audibly cracking.

"Nee-san….?"

They could tell, she was tearing up.

"But…it's still not enough…." She breathed out. "I'm sorry…."

"Ruby-nee…..what do you…"

"Ah…I'm sorry….I just got caught up in the moment" she said, withdrawing herself from them and wiping away the single tear leaking from her eye. "I'm sorry…but strong as you are, it's still not enough…..it's nowhere near enough…" she said with a sad smile.

"What do you….mean by that….?" Asked Ichigo.

"….I think it's time I start talking" said Ruby. "After all, I did promise, didn't I?" she said. "Why don't we all take a breather first? I'm sure you're all tired and need some time to organize your thoughts as well. I need to as well. After that, let's all have a nice long chat" she said.

End BGM

---

Snacks and refreshments, provided by Urahara were laid out in front of them as they all sat in the same circle as they did before Ruby's sparring match began. She helped herself to some vanilla tea and sponge cake while the others took their own personal favourites from the bunch. No doubt each had their own questions, but none was sure who wanted to start first. Having had enough, Uryu felt the need to speak up first.

"Ruby-san…I'm sure it doesn't need to be asked, but just so it's established clearly…..you're an arrancar, aren't you?" he asked. Isshin and Yoruichi looked away uncomfortably while Urahara lowered his hat, as if to say 'Oh dear, jumping straight into it already?'. Orihime had an empathetic look on her face, throwing a concerned glance towards Ichigo. Karin's reaction as similar to her father's, while Yuzu raised her eyes, as if to know why they were stating such an obvious fact.

"Ishida! Why would aneki be?!" snapped Tatsuki, annoyed.

"There's no way nee-san can be the same thing as that bastard that killed mom! Sure, her reiatsu feels a bit strange, but so does mine! Does that make me an arrancar as well?! For all we know, she could have an inner hollow as well! Isn't that right, nee-san?" asked Ichigo, looking at Ruby. Ichigo's expression was soon replaced by confusion and longing. "Nee-san….?"

"I thought that was quite obvious" she replied simply. "But yeah, I'm an arrancar". Ichigo's eyes widened, and his hands were quivering.

"Aneki…..it's a lie right….? There's no way you could be something as vile as that thing that you killed…." Asked Tatsuki. "Tell me you're just a Shinigami or something and that mask is just some spoils from some hollow you killed or something…"

"Nee-san…..please tell me that was a joke….that you're just trying to lighten the mood…" grimaced Ichigo.

"It figures you two wouldn't be able to tell, since you both suck so bad at sensing reiatsu. But I guess you've figured it out, haven't you?" asked Yoruichi. Karin nodded.

"Karin…?!"

"Ichi-nii…..I had a hunch since the moment I saw Ruby-nee. A broken mask, so similar to Grand Fisher and that reiatsu…..I just figured that you also knew and that you were waiting for Ruby-nee to tell us later" said Karin. "But I forgot you were so bad at reading hints and understanding girls was never really your thing since long time…ahahah" chuckled Karin lightly. "Actually, there's been one other thing eating away at me. Your reiatsu feels so much more….evil. More so than Grand Fisher. In fact, it reminds me so much of that time…when I saw the gates…." She said reluctantly, as if it was a memory she'd rather not think about.

"The….gates….?" asked Orihime. Karin nodded.

"Yeah…..the hell gates…." And then it hit Ichigo too. His eyes widened in an instant when he too remembered the familiar twisted feeling in his gut when he defeated Shrieker and the gates of hell appeared. He and Karin remembered feeling the twisted reiatsu coming off from the inside, and how, for the strangest reason, they felt nostalgic. But now it was all coming together. Because it was coming off from her. Their own elder sister. The very same with whom they'd lived with all those years back.

"Hell…..reiatsu…..?!" asked Tatsuki, surprised. "You're not telling me that aneki is….."

"Nee-san…I know, someone made you into this, didn't they? I bet it was Aizen, wasn't he? Tell me you were used for some sick twisted experiment with Hell or something and that you were forced into…" but Ichigo's argument was cut short when Ruby shook her head sadly.

"Ichi….Tsuki….that's enough. This wasn't at all my intention when I said I'd tell you everything. But to make things clear, none of the things you guys think of happened. I've always been an arrancar. No one made me into one. No one forced me to become one. I was always…an arrancar" she said Ichigo's expression only stooped further into denial. "As for Hell…let's just say that things happened but there's no need to discuss that now. I'll tell you up front that it's not something you want to hear nor am I planning to tell you that. But it's not important for now. What matters is that I've always been…an arrancar"

"You cant….it cant…does that mean….that you've been lying to us since the beginning?! That all the time you spent with us was a lie?! Then….did you lie to mom too-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" roared Yoruichi, in a tone that was highly uncharacteristic of her. "Ichigo…..is your trust in family that weak?! Haah?! Do you even understand what you just told her?! After everything she's done for you guys, this is what comes to your mind?!" she snapped again, going up to him and holding him up by the collar. "Are you just a whiny little bit-" Yoruichi stopped as Ruby went up to her, shaking her head softly.

"Yoruichi, it's fine. Please, they don't know, I'll handle this.." she requested. Yoruichi turned away annoyed, throwing a dirty look at Ichigo.

"Ichi….Tsuki…..I would never do something so despicable. Nothing is more precious to me than the times I've spent with you guys and Masaki. Please, I only ask that you listen to what I have to say before you make any decision" she said softly. "You have enough reason to detest me, but even so, this is not one of them" she assured.

"I'm surprised you didn't stop Yoruichi-san, Isshin-san" asked Urahara.

"Well, even I think he went too far this time. I didn't raise him up to be such an ass. Sometimes, a good spanking or two is needed" he replied.

Ichigo and Tatsuki calmed down, sitting back down where they were, anxiously waiting for Ruby to start.

"Alright, where do I start? Well, maybe I should just pick up from there. As I said, I was always an arrancar. One without memories, but one with a home. Hueco Mundo. At first, I was alone but soon enough, I found myself a family. A family who were like me. Ones who made me feel that losing my memories wasn't such a bad deal. We were content. In Hueco Mundo, there's really only one rule; if you're strong you live, and if you're weak you die. Only the fittest survive. And luckily for me, I was just a bit above average so I could get by most times. When I found my friends and family, our unity was something that added to that as well. Together, we could overcome any challenge that was thrown at us, and all of us grew stronger as well" she explained.

"….a family…." Repeated Ichigo. "You're telling me…hollows have friends?! Family…?!"

"Ichi….Kari….Tsuki…." called out Ruby. "This was the reason I asked you guys to start first. Because it would give me a good idea about your current thoughts and exposure to things. You already know that hollows are merely souls of humans that couldn't pass on, correct?" she asked. "And also the fact that hollows are driven by their instincts, regrets and attachments that they had when they were alive? If so, is it truly a surprise when you learn that hollows too, have urges to bond together and band together in comfort of one another?"

Orihime in particular, looked uncomfortable, the memory of her brother attacking her was still fresh on her mind.

"But…..it's not the same!" argued the orange haired soul reaper. "Hollows go around killing..!"

"Without choice, right? It's not like they want to, they simply have to. It's not so different from an animal hunting prey in the forest in search of prey, now is it?" she explained, and Ichigo fell silent again.

"Aneki….does that mean that you've also…"

"I've eaten hollows, yes. Since I was never in the World of the Living before meeting Masaki, I never ate any human soul. But I don't see the difference. Eating hollows is pretty much the same if you ask me. Because otherwise, I would've died. They were strong, and I killed to survive. And I don't feel guilty over it. It's how I lived, and it's what I was taught and what I learnt" she said.

"Ho…how can you say something that casually….?!" Asked Ichigo.

"Ichi…humans kill and eat animals too for survival, right? How is this any different? It's just that, as a hollow, what I needed to survive, was different. But that doesn't make me any more savage than humans already are" she said.

"Ichi-nii….please….no more…." She pleaded.

"Karin…don't tell me you..!"

"Ichi-nii….Tsuki-nee….honestly, I don't care about any of that. To me, to us, she was always Ruby-nee. I don't care about her past or what she did. In fact, if Ruby-nee's past will cause you to hate her, then Ruby-nee, please, I don't want to hear more. I'll be content knowing that you're here with us again" said Karin.

"...no, it's fine. Please tell us the rest, nee-san"

"...alright. Well, as I was saying, everyday would go by just the same, fighting, hunting and surviving. Some days were bad and some were good and most were just like any other. But the important thing is, we were happy. Over time, we grew close and my lost memories became a thing of the past. But, I was slowly gaining them back. My life as a human being. And when I realized...or rather remembered that I'd become a hollow, there were days when I would doubt myself. But my family was always there for me. Just when I thought those days would last, fate decided to toy with me. I was….abducted by an arrancar. A certain scientist if you will. At the time, he was stronger than me. And so, I was his to toy with as he saw fit. The difference between us was great enough that I could do nothing as he had his way with me" she said, looking aside.

"That's….that's terrible…." Said Orihime with a sympathetic expression.

"….."

"Aneki…" said Tatsuki, gritting her teeth.

"….who…..who was it…?!" asked Karin, shaking.

"It's fine, Kari, Tsuki, Yuzu, Ichi…" assured Ruby, putting on a smile. "The thing is, I managed to escape thanks to some unforeseen circumstances. You could say I really got lucky. The arrancar had left a garganta open. I was wounded, both mentally and physically. But I knew that if I had any chances of escape, this was it. And so, I jumped in" she said. "But…..what I didn't know back then, was that I needed to create footholds of reishi to travel in the Garganta. And so, I fell through, tumbling along that abyss for god knows how long. Eventually, I met mom and you, Ichi" she explained.

"I remember….that's right…..I saw you there, all those years ago in that river back with Mom…" said Ichigo. "I remember seeing your mask….so you're telling me….mom knew….?!" He asked bewildered.

"Uh huh. You know the rest after that. She found me, an arrancar, wounded and beaten, yet still alive. And even so, the first thing that came to her mind was to nurse me back to health. Ichi….Kari…Tsuki…I'll tell you right now. Those days we spent together were never lies. My feelings were never lies, just as my feelings of debt and gratitude towards Masa…mom" replied Ruby. "You'll have to believe me"

"Then why…?!" demanded Ichigo.

"Ichi….you know the answer to that. I've told you time and time again, and Isshin-san has as well. I always wanted to see you as normal humans, just as Masaki wanted to. The reason I left, was also because of that. What good will it do having an arrancar like me around when I want you guys to stay normal, grow up normal, go to school like everyone else. And…I just couldn't let you see me like this, who loved me as a human. The thought of it was too much for me to imagine. With me and you constantly drawing in attention from the spirit world, I knew it would only be a matter of time before that happened. That's why I left" she explained.

"Then…..you must really hate seeing us like this, don't you….?" Asked Karin. But Ruby shook her head.

"Nonsense. I could never despise the four of you ever" she said, pulling them close to her "After all, you're all the last living reminder I have of Masaki and the times I've spent with you and her. If anything, I'm only disappointed that I ever left you and that I couldn't be with you to watch you all grow up and be there for you when you needed me" she replied.

The four of them could feel it. It was inexplicable; her thoughts and her emotions felt so much like their own. They could feel it radiating off form her. A homely and protective feeling. A touch of sadness. A touch of regret. But her love for them was the strongest feeling. They could tell, that what she said really matched what they could feel from her.

Yuzu knew Ruby was dearer to her than any other. Despite not having any memories of those days that Ruby spoke of, she could somehow relate to them. She could almost picture herself amongst them.

"Onee-chan…" she whimpered, hugging her tighter.

"Ruby-nee….I..I'm sorry…" apologized Karin, in a similar state as her twin.

"How could you…..we said so many horrible things and still…" said Tatsuki, her brows creased upwards.

"Nee-san…I…." started Ichigo. But Ruby shushed them.

"You have nothing to apologize to me for. You didn't know any of what I just said so I completely understand. And the things you've asked me are totally justified too." She assured and she pulled back. "Well, want to hear the rest? I imagine you want to know what happened after I left"

"Yeah" nodded Ichigo.

"Alright. Something I forgot to mention, is the fact that the reason I became an arrancar was because my mom became a part of my soul" she explained.

"Your mother became part of your soul….? Don't tell me, being a hollow, you actually absorbed-" started Uryu.

"Wa…wait a second….what do you mean by mom..?" asked Karin, horrified. "You don't mean….." But before things could escalate further, Ruby quickly explained.

"No no, I don't mean Masaki. You know that would've been impossible. I was already an arrancar when I met Masaki. No, I mean my birth mother. Summer Rose. And before you ask me, no, I didn't do it on purpose. It just happened. You see, at first, I had no idea that she was even there. After my tussle with the arrancar scientist, I was in a bad shape to say the least. It was just after that that I found my mom in a very similar state. You could say that…..mom became a part of my soul to save my life. But doing so saved her as well. We exist together and I'm all the more grateful for it" said Ruby. "Actually, it's not that different from you, Ichi. Just like how your inner hollow exists as part of you, she exists as part of me"

That was when Ichigo realized. It was something that Ichigo hinted at before but Ruby seemed to act as if she already knew much more about it than he gave credit for.

"Wait a minute, nee-san…I don't think I ever remember talking about….him before" said Ichigo, curious.

"You didn't. You don't need to be so surprised Ichi. You do realize that you've always been leaking spirit energy even as a child, right? Come now, you think I wouldn't figure out the moment I saw you?" asked Ruby.

"….Yeah…I suppose so" said Ichigo. "But there's something you're mistaken about. There's no way you could ever understand how hard it is to live with someone like that bastard-ACK!" cried out the orange haired soul reaper when Ruby glomped him sharply in the head.

"Ichi….what have I told you about using words like that!" said Ruby sternly pouting. "And besides, I understand perfectly. There's something you're mistaken about. You're a soul reaper, who has a hollow. And I'm a hollow who has a soul reaper within my soul. We're more alike than you think and you're wrong to treat him that way. After all, you have hollows like me and you have soul reapers like Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Aizen don't you? That in itself shows that not everything is black and white. When you truly understand him, you'll see that all that he has his own twisted but surefire way of protecting you. Having been an arrancar, I can tell. My own friends and family are the same too. Just give it time, and you'll understand" she advised her brother. "As for mom, actually, I've been thinking this is a good chance. Why don't you all meet her?" asked Ruby.

"Meet her…? Is that even possible?" asked Yoruichi. So far, Yoruichi, Urahara and Isshin had remained mostly silent, considering that they knew everything there was to know about her past. But since the last few minutes, they noticed that she was skirting around the details. But they understood that it was likely she didn't want to tell them, considering how she'd outright refused to tell them anything about her time in Hell. And so, they were waiting for her to get to the point where she briefed them about her experiences in the last 6 years after her departure.

"Uh huh. As I said, I had none of my memories at first. But I did slowly recover them. When I was in the world of the living 6 years ago, I had most of my memories. Memories of my sister, my family, my friends from when I was alive, my time at the academy, and a few other things. But after that day, when I made it back to Hueco Mundo, I met mom. After 1 year, I was finally able to talk to her. I knew that she was part of my soul of course. But I couldn't meet her until I already lost something much too dear to me. At times it even felt as if I'd given up Masaki just so I could talk to mom. But now….I don't think I could ever imagine myself without her. Ah, why don't I stop talking and let mom explain the rest? I figured it would be good for you guys to meet her as well" said Ruby, closing her eyes.

Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu and the rest watched in astonishment as Ruby's reiatsu changed, feeling more like a vizard than like an arrancar as her appearance morphed. Her hair grew longer, reaching to her shoulders. Her face looked slightly older. But her gentle expression remained in place.

"Yahohoo!" greeted 'Ruby' with a wide grin, her voice completely cheerful and devoid of tension or worry. Karin, Yuzu, Ichigo and Tatsuki yelped, completely taken aback by her.

"Nee….san….?" called out Ichigo dumbfounded.

"Noope! It's me, Summer Rose, my darling little daughter's zanpakuto and mom!" she chirped. "Also known as super mom, Natsuko-chan and a million other names I probably earned along the way" she huffed with a lopsided smile.

"Wh…what's going on…?!" asked Uryu confused.

"Her reiatsu feels so much like Ichigo's now…." Said Orihime. "It's like she just did a complete 360!" said the orange haired girl in a ditzy manner.

"Don't you mean, '180', Orihime?" corrected Chad in his usual tone.

"You're….her zanpakuto…?!" asked Karin, shocked.

"That's right! Buuuut…..before we go there…" said Summer, abruptly running up to them and literally squeezing them in a bear hug. "I'm sho, sho happy to finally meet you kids like this! You guys are sho sho cute, you remind me of my darling little daughters from back in the days! Ah, how nice it feels to be like a mother again!" she said, practically rubbing her face against the four of them.

"Ah..ackk!" grunted Ichigo as he received Summer's sudden and almost bizarre greeting.

"O..Oy, let go! You're suffocating…all of us…!" huffed Tatsuki, struggling to break free.

"One second Ruby-nee's all serious and then this….?! Definitely….not….in my agenda for the day…" huffed Karin. "Ruby-nee….is this….really your mom….?!"

"She….smells nice" said Yuzu, being the only one who didn't mind staying that way. The other three sweatdropped. After what felt like several minutes, the crazy soul reaper finally let go. She then turned towards Yoruichi, Isshin and Urahara, going up to them and promptly bowing in front of them.

"Yoruichi-san, Isshin-san and Urahara-san. It may sound like a bad line from a soap opera, but I really cant thank you enough for taking care of my honeybun. And she isn't the only one. Back then, when I was still recovering, you also helped me through helping her. Really, I cant do enough to repay you for everything you've done" she said softly.

"Nonsense. We'd be the one who'd be complete monsters if we didn't do anything to help her" Said Yoruichi. "Although….I did hear briefly about you from Ruby back then, though her memories at the time were still vague. Even so, this is not what I expected" said the flash master with an interested smile.

"Well, it's not so bad having someone like me, is it?" asked Summer mischievously. "I really wanted to step in much sooner, but she really wanted to be the one to tell them herself. I did warn her the mood might sour and that's exactly what happened" sighed Summer. "And that's why….!" She chirped. "I'm going to cast a magic spell to wipe those tears and frowns away!" she said with a wide grin, closing in on Tatsuki, Karin and Ichigo.

"Wh….what the..!" gasped the tomboy, backing away a bit.

"This is a bit…..overwhelming…" said Karin deadpanned.

"This is supposed to be nee-san's mom…..? Are you sure its not the other way around….?" Asked Ichigo sweatdropping.

"Thanks for the compliment, guardian-kun!" flashed Summer a smile, referring to the orange haired soul reaper by the meaning of his name. Somehow, though he wouldn't admit it, Ichigo's opinion of her increased, if only slightly, for calling him a guardian rather than 'strawberry'. However, it still didn't stop him from forming other…..opinions about her eccentricity.

"Man, and I thought Mr. Hat and Clogs was out of his head…" commented Tatsuki.

"Hmm…I like her…" said Yuzu. Summer lovingly caressed her. "Memories or not, it's always uplifting to see you be this way…" said Summer with a gentle smile.

It was a unique and strange feeling when they looked at Summer. One moment she was off her rails, and then in the other she would be motherly, gentle caring and gave off such a calming and soothing aura that all of their tensions and worries would be wiped away. But in either case, what was truly undeniable, was the fact that this woman made them feel completely at ease. This woman who bore such a striking similarity to their sister, and yet, was completely different from her. It was as if all of their troubles, all of their woes would be swallowed whole by her, and her eccentricity and her loving gaze would refill their very souls with peace instead.

"Yeah...I'm with you there.." said Karin.

"Wait, is she's nee-san's mom...then...would that make her..." Said Ichigo.

"That's right~~ your aunty!" Chirped the eccentric soul reaper. There was an awkward silence as she said that.

"Huh?"

"Haah?"

"What?"

"Wait, what do you mean by aunt?! If you're nee-san's mom, how does that make you our aunt?!" Asked Karin.

"Ack wait, you're right! Weeel, to be fair, it would be way too awkward if I was your mom...I always got more of an aunty feeling whenever I would watch over your guys through Ruby" she replied, sweatdropping. "And besides, after everything Masaki did...she really does feel like my sister more than anything. Then, wouldnt that make you three my cute little nephew and nieces?" She asked in a fond manner.

"Everything that...mom did?" Asked Ichigo.

"Uh huh. Continuing from where she left off, after becoming part of her, I wouldn't regain my sanity for a good couple of weeks. But in those weeks, as Masaki cared for my cutie pie, I too, was under her care. It was thanks to her that I was able to recover. To remember what it was like to be me. And even after that, though I couldnt talk to Ruby, I was still able to watch the world through her and through Masaki. In all that time, truly, I really did feel like she was an elder sister caring for her younger sister. And whenever she watched over you guys, I truly felt my own self recovering little by little. And before I knew it, an year had passed. Just when I thought my honeybun would get a little peace after what she'd gone through, she's taken away from all of us. The pain I felt only added to her own pain. Even in her last moments, Masaki…..was only ever concerned about her family" said Summer.

"Mom's…..last moments….?" Asked Ichigo, quivering.

"Yeah…I think it's only right you know. "I never want you to feel responsible for what happened today, nor any regrets. I want you, Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu and Isshin to be happy, without ever blaming themselves. That's why…..I want you to go see them. Your friends and family. Don't abandon them in Hueco Mundo, just because of me. They still have the chance to see you alive and well. Always cherish yourself, because I only ever want to see you as the strong and wonderful girl you are" " repeated Summer. There was a solemn silence from the Kurosaki family plus Tatsuki.

"I…see…" said Isshin in a low tone. "Really, till the very end she….." he remarked. "Summer-san…thank you" he said humbly. "Sorry, I'm going to head out for a bit" he told them, fishing out a cigarette out of his pocket.

"Mom…" sobbed Karin. Even Yuzu had started tearing up. Summer gently rubbed their heads.

"I see….so that's why…" said Tatsuki in a solitary manner.

"It mustve been extremely painful for her…..to have to leave after that happened…I still remember nee-san and mom….they were never without each other…..and still she…." Said Ichigo.

"Yeah…it nearly broke her. It was one of the most painful things she'd ever done in her life. Leaving you behind, when her heart wanted nothing more than to be with you kids. And yet, it was equally painful for her to remain in the place that would constantly remind her of the times she'd forgone. And so, honoring her last wishes, she left to see her family once more" said Summer, pulling Ichigo close to her shoulder.

Her mannerisms, her tone and her presence, they were all so natural. Even though this was their first meeting, the siblings just felt so natural being around her, even when she would comfort them and console them.

"But…you kids are strong. Real strong. Though I did nothing but watch, I'm still proud of you four" she praised them. "And she's proud of you too. You've done a great job of picking yourselves up at your age. But it's all fine now. She's here now. I'm….here now" Said Summer. "And trust me, it wont be long until you're sick and tired of seeing your sister's face, though it'll mostly be because of yours truly!" she giggled.

"Thanks….Summer-san" muttered Ichigo.

"…..why don't we take a small break, yeah? In fact, I have something that's make you all feel right as rain!" she said, excited. And without another word, she left the kids to themselves, going over to Urahara and Yoruichi. And after what seemed like a small discussion, Summer, Urahara and Yoruichi left the underground shelter, leaving the kids to their own thoughts. Thoughts that they no doubt still had, feelings that still raged deep within their minds and questions that still ate away at them. However, there was no doubt that their minds felt a lot less clouded, cleared of some of the many questions, unrequited feelings and regrets that they once had.

---

"This…..smells…SO…GOOOOOD!"said Orihime with an ecstatic expression on her face, practically stuffing her face with a handful of the freshly made cookies.

"Ahh….this is heaven…!" said Karin with a dreamy expression. "….What? You have a problem? Huuh?"

"N..no.." said Ichigo, focusing on enjoying his cookies. I think that's the first time Karin's ever looked at me that way…..Summer-san, what the heck did you out in those?!

"They taste as wonderful as before!" chimed Yuzu.

"Wait…..you've had these before Yuzu-chan?" asked Orihime.

"Uh huh! Back in Hueco Mundo, some of Onee-chan's friends gave me some of theirs!"

"…Now I'm really worried if I should be eating them, if she could make hollows behave that way-GWARGGHH!" sputtered the quincy when Summer practically forced fed a handful of the brown crunchy delights into his mouth, a small vein popping into his mouth.

"Glad to see you all like it, and I can see your mood's improved as well!" she said animated, only causing the others to sweatdrop more.

"Hi hii! Your mom truly is a very interesting person, Ruby!" said Yoruichi.

"I'll say. So Summer-san, why don't we continue where we left off?" suggested Urahara. Summer nodded back.

"Well, after my sweetie pie came back to Hueco Mundo, she was finally able to meet me. After everything she'd been through and an ordeal that she'd just overcome, my voice finally reached her. We spoke at lengths and I helped her recover all of her remaining memories that she'd lost. For both of us, it was a much needed reunion. However, that was when she met her old friends. Friends that had changed so very much over the century she'd been absent from Hueco Mundo" said Summer. "None of them were hollows or menos anymore. They all stood in front of her, looking like her. Like arrancars"

"Hold on…" said Ichigo, munching on his cookie "What do you mean by a century?"

"Oh yeah, I guess she never mentioned it. When she was tumbling around in the garganta, it was only a few moments for her. But on the outside, a century had passed. 93 years to be precise. Because time and space are twisted and unstable in the raging currents of the garganta"

"93 years….." repeated Uryu, shocked. "For so long…."

"So that means…..her family was waiting for…..93 years….for her to come back…" said Orihime with a sad expression.

"..Yeah. When she got back, she saw a lone, white palace in the distance, one that wasn't there before and her friends, all of whom had become arrancars. And many other things. Things like what Aizen had done. Changing her friends into arrancars. Building Las Noches" said Summer, continuing to tell them of everything that Ruby had learnt after meeting her friends.

"Aizen…..so he'd been planning this the moment we were kicked out" said Urahara. "And…..who would've thought he had his own Hogyouku…..dammit, I can almost imagine what he plans to do with the one he stole from me…"

"…..As bad as this sounds, there's a lot more to it….isnt there?" asked Yoruichi.

"Yeah. I knew that the moment my cutie pie entered Hueco Mundo as an arracnar and I heard all this, it would be inevitable that she would need to confront Aizen. And as I thought, that's exactly what happened" she said.

"….you met Aizen….?!" Asked Ichigo, breathless. That monstrous soul reaper, the one who could stop his blade with just a single finger and the one who made the soul society dance in the palm of his hands, it was hard to believe that their sister confronted with such a man. Even Urahara and Yoruichi were anxious, waiting to hear more.

"So…? Don't keep us waiting now..!" urged Karin.

"Someone's impatient" said Summer with a smile. "But I can understand. After all, when I saw him up close, I knew he was not someone we can tread lightly around. His own reiatsu was many levels above any other soul present in the room. But then, I saw that the arrancar who tortured my daughter was also present in the same room. And so, I personally sent him off to hell, to make up for the times I couldn't save her from him, right in front of Aizen too" she said proudly. "Naturally he wasn't amused of course. But then, he also recognized me from back during my days as a soul reaper. And I was with my daughter as an arrancar. I was simply too valuable to him. And so, all I needed to do, was to convince him to have us around. Which was simple enough but still tricky. After all, if he so wished for it, he could've take out both of us quite comfortably" said Summer.

"…The way you put it makes it sound like you're no match for him" said Yoruichi.

"Oh believe me, I'm not kidding when I say that. That guy's really broken. He really was and still is many levels above my own strength right now, and the two of us aren't even the strongest amongst the arrancars in his army"

"Wait…..army?!" exclaimed Uryu.

"Yeah. Over the last century, he's gathered many arrancars under him and many of us at the same level as I am. Some even stronger than we are right now" informed Summer.

"….Nee-san beat that arrancar so easily and yet…..you're telling us that….his power is much stronger than even that….?!" Gasped the orange haired soul reaper. Summer nodded.

"After that, my darling joined his ranks, because all of her family and friends were part of it too. A price they paid because Aizen promised to use his resources to locate my darling who'd become lost in the garganta. It was….the least she could do. To stay with them for the selfless decision they taken" said Summer.

"Wait…you didn't…" pleaded Yoruichi.

"….Haah….I suppose…..this was what she was afraid of. To see the confused and scared reactions from you all if you ever learnt of any of this" sighed the mother of the ex-rose huntress. "Actually, it appears she wants to continued again. So, I think I'll let her take over. Don't worry though, I'll still be listening" she said, closing her eyes, leaving them just as abruptly as she'd first appeared. Ruby's hair grew shorted and her face younger, her reiatsu returning to her normal state from before. When Ruby opened her eyes, they found themselves looking at her sharp, focused eyes.

"I'm sorry" said Ruby. "I know….this was probably the last thing you wanted to hear from me. But after what big-sis and the others had done for me, I simply couldn't just leave them. But don't worry, I have no intention nor loyalty towards Aizen."

"Ruby…"

"Ruby-chan….I don't blame you. In fact, I think at the time, you took the best decision. Otherwise, Aizen would've likely just disposed of you. If anything, I'm only disappointed we didn't know of this sooner" said Urahara.

"Yeah. You're right. Because though I was his 'ally', I never once considered myself one. For me, it was simply a way of staying with my family, making sure I never put them through that ever again. And it worked fine too. For 6 years, time passed by in relative peace, and I only come across the occasional roadblock every now and then. Even though I knew that he had no intention of remaining in the Soul Society for long, and that he planned to wage war against the soul reapers at some point, I didn't care. For me, as long as it meant that I could keep my family and you guys safe and uninvolved, it didn't matter to me. Neither mom nor I had any real attachments to the soul society. But that's when it happened. The day that Aizen and his gang of soul reapers defected from the soul society for good. I had feeling right then, that things were moving again. And sure enough, one week later, I see Yuzu in the ground, all bloodied and beaten in Hueco Mundo. You know the rest after that" finished the arrancar. There was a long, long silence after she finished.

"Well, actually, there's something I left out" said Ruby, breaking the silence. "After I found Yuzu, naturally, I was panicked. The last I remember you guys, was seeing you as kids. So you can imagine my surprise when I found her like that, in soul reaper attire no less. I knew that once again, I'd missed out. And so, I immediately got to work. I used some healing kido on her to help her recover and stormed off straight to Aizen with my blade drawn. Both mom and I theorized that it could've only been him who was responsible for what happened"

"You did what…?!" exclaimed Yoruichi.

"Yeah…I know. Heights of foolishness. Driven by my helplessness and anger, I lased out at him. It might sound bad, but honestly, it was more of an argument than anything. He had me completely in his hands. He didn't attack a single time, and I too, was jut venting out my anger and my feelings. Demanding him to know something, anything. But even so, it was really clear. He was and still is much more powerful than I'll ever be. Though I could see through his Kyoukasuigetsu, I'm sure that if he'd attacked just once, I'd be the one who would've been done for. But he was calm, unlike me. He pacified the situation and that's when he told me. Of how you guys had awoken your abilities a while back. And even allowed me to come back here" said Ruby.

"Oh Ruby….." called out Yoruichi. But Ruby shook her head.

"Yoruichi…..what I did…was just really foolish. I could've died, just like that. And yet, I didn't care. Though I knew that many would become extremely sad , I still went ahead and did something like that" she said.

"Kiddo, there's nothing wrong with that if you ask me. I still think you were more level headed than most others-"

"No! It was foolish and you know it. Please, just scold me, yell at me, do anything. Tell me I'm wrong, tell me I was being too hasty!" demanded Ruby stubbornly. Yoruichi could only sigh, her hand on her forehead.

"Come here" called out Yoruichi softly. And then, she lightly chopped Ruby in the head using her free hand.

"You foolish girl…..why do you always try to shoulder everything by yourself?" she sighed with a sad expression. "You could've come back anytime, didn't I already tell you that when you left? You had no reason to avoid this place. It was and still is your home, and whenever you have your own problems, we're all there to help you. I'm really only disappointed that you didn't come back in all those years even once to join me for another round of tag. You can be quite demanding and such a pain in the ass at times you know? You'll really kill someone with worry like this. And yet, somehow, you still manage to be this adorable and make it absolutely impossible to stay mad at you" she said, rubbing her head.

"Ah…..thanks Yoruichi" replied Ruby with a smile of her own.

"Heh…..this is the first time I've seen someone look so happy when they're being scolded" said the flash goddess. "You really are hopeless at times, you know?"

"Hihi…sorry….I was just reminded of Masaki.." said Ruby.

"Who would've thought you'd go up against Aizen himself…? You truly are as much her daughter as these two are. So..? How did it feel like going up against him?" asked Isshin.

"Even though neither of us were serious, I still know that I'm absolutely no match for him. Still, it felt good venting my anger and frustrations on him, I'll admit" said Ruby mischievously. "And when I broke Kyoukasuigetsu's illusion, the expression on his face was gold. As I said, with my reiatsu senses, I could see past it"

"Attagirl!" complimented Yoruichi, elated "You really are kickass you know that?"

"Color me impressed…." Said Urahara. "Even if only for an instant, to outwit him is a feat that deserves its own category"

"So Ichi? Your nee-san is cool, isn't she?" asked Ruby with a grin.

"Nee-san…" said Ichigo in wonder.

"At this rate, you might as well do everything yourself Ruby-nee, if you keep flexing at us this much" said Karin exasperated, which elicited light laughter from everyone.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea at all" said Ruby, agreeing.

"Huh…?"

"What do you…?" asked Tatsuki, as the laughter dulled gradually.

"Ichi….Kari…..Tsuki…Yuzu…..Aizen is now in Hueco Mundo, with an army of arrancars at his disposal. My friends and family among them. There's no doubt that after getting the Hogyouku, he plans to attack the soul society as he always had in mind. Soon, a huge fight will break out amongst the two factions. Actually, the prelude to that has already begun. This isn't something you kids should be involved in" said Ruby.

"How can you say that nee-san?! When we know that he's planning to attack the soul society?!" asked Ichigo.

"Plus, don't tell me you're actually planning to fight on his side..!" asked Tatsuki. "Aneki..!"

"…Ichi….Tsuki…Kari….let me make this clear right now. I care for you. There's no doubt about that. At all. I'll do anything, anything in my power to make sure nothing ever happens to you guys. But….the soul society is another matter altogether. You guys should've never been involved with them in the first place. But even so, this is where we are. Don't get me wrong, I don't despise them or anything. But, I really only care about the lives of everyone here and the lives of my friends and family back in Hueco Mundo. And I will do everything to protect that. What happens to those in the Soul Society is none of my concern" said Ruby sternly.

"Then what about those we care about in the Soul Society?! Are you telling me that you'd rather have us stay back while doing nothing while my own sister plans to go up against them?! What about Rukia, nee-san?! Didn't you say that you planned to thank her for what she's done? She's also one of those soul reapers that you'll have to go up against!" retorted Ichigo. "Please…let us fight with you"

"No" said Ruby, harsher this time. "Ichigo….Karin….Tatsuki….listen to yourselves! Is this….really what you want? You guys are normal kids, able to live a normal life, like normal people. It's not a privilege everyone has. I wish I could do all of the things you guys can. Because that life wont come back once its gone! Going out and fighting for an organization's enemies that have nothing to do with you…..you guys are literally proposing to be child soldiers for the Soul Society! If that isn't messed up, I don't know what is. Please…I just want you to be normal kids, the way I remembered you, and the way Masaki wanted you to be. Please…..just…." trailed off Ruby. "I'm already…..so conflicted. On one side, my family and friends have no choice but to fight for Aizen, against those they have no reason to be fighting. And then, on the other, I learn that my own siblings are out there, putting their lives in danger because their own power draws danger to them, one way or the other. I'm already racking my brains, thinking about what I can do to help both" said Ruby, letting herself fall into Yoruichi's chest.

"Hey…I…I'm really lost here, Yoruichi….Isshin….Urahara-san….please…tell me what's the right thing for me to do here? Urahara-san…you've always been one to come up with solutions to any problem, right? So, can you tell me what I can do here? I want nothing more than to raise them, enable them to lead a normal life and look after them, to honour my promise. But at the same time, I know that if I do that, I'll be abandoning my family back in Hueco Mundo. Tell me, Yoruichi… Urahara-san…Isshin….what can I….?" she asked. "Please….help me" she pleaded. "I wish I could defeat Aizen. That would've solved everything. But I can't. I really am not strong enough. I wish I had the power. But I know things don't just happen like that"

"Nee-san….why…?! Why wont you even consider taking our help….?!" Asked Ichigo.

"Ruby-nee…..are we really just a burden to you…? Is that it…?" asked Karin dejectedly.

"….I'm sorry…." Muttered Ruby, looking at them. "I wont lie to you. But you're all just not strong enough. At your current level, you wont last a second against me, let alone Aizen. Please understand. I simply don't want you to get hurt or die meaninglessly fighting in a battle that you're completely uninvolved in. And…this isn't just any battle. It's warfare. The horrors of which are something you should stay as far away as you can"

"…your sister makes a good point, Kurosaki" said Uryu. "We invaded the Soul Society because Rukia was taken away and was about to be executed. But their wars are not ours to fight"

"You damned four-eyes, how could-"

"Don't forget, Ichigo, Karin. I'm not a soul reaper or one of their friends. Before anything, I'm a quincy first and foremost. Fighting in a war for the soul reapers is the last thing I plan to throw away my life for" he said.

"You coward…! You call yourself a-!"

"Actually, I'd say you're the reckless and foolish one here. So willing to throw away your life and the lives of those that depend on you. Especially when it's the Soul Society that owes us for what we did for them" said Uryu. "I'm simply being logical here, rather than thinking with my emotions"

"…..Isshin….I'm going to make just one more selfish request" said Ruby. "Please…..I promise I'll look after them once this is all over and there's no threat of war looming over the horizon. But until then, please let me be with my family just a little longer. I promise, after that, I'll look after them, just as she wanted"

"Nee-san….!"

"Aneki…!"

"…You needn't ask for something like that you know. In fact, I'm glad you did. Don't you worry about a thing. We'll look after them just like you wanted. That much was always a given. But….are you sure you don't want to stay a bit longer? You don't have to leave so soon you know?" said Isshin.

"Indeed. We still haven't had the chance to take a dip together after your visit here in ages! We can even discuss Aizen while we're at it!" offered Yoruichi. But she shook her head.

"It's really tempting, I wont lie Yoruichi" smiled Ruby. "But I feel that if I stayed any longer…..I wont ever feel like returning to Hueco Mundo. So…before I change my mind, I think I should make my way back home. But don't worry. It's not like I'm leaving for good. There's no way I could just disappear when I still haven't fulfilled my promise to her and even take you up on your offer" she assured. Ruby then walked over to Yuzu, bringing her closer to Karin.

"You both never belong without the other. I always want to see you together, sticking through thick and thin no matter what happens" she said. "And as I said, I'll be back once this is all over. Until then, just stay out of trouble" she said.

"Onee-chan…..you're really leaving….?!" Asked Yuzu, appearing really concerned. Her head began to ache. In her mind, she could see flashes; vague images of her sister, and a rainy night. She could hear her sister's voice telling them something. And…..she could feel strong emotions. The prospect of her sister leaving back to Hueco Mundo somehow seemed really frightening to her. "No….dont go…." She called out, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Ruby had already opened a void in the open space in front of her. She was already at the mouth of the void, looking back at them one final time.

"Ichi…..Kari….Tsuki…..Yuzu…take care. Sorry for leaving and….listen to them. Go to school, have fun, like regular people do. I promise, I'll see you all real soon. And at the time, let's all sit down and go sightseeing somewhere like a family again" said Ruby. She then looked at Yoruichi, Isshin and Urahara. The eccentric scientist threw something at her, which she caught. It appeared to be a small device of sorts.

"Ruby-chan, that'll allow you to communicate with us anytime you wish. I think it'll come in handy. Though, I believe you should keep that from Aizen" said Urahara.

"Thanks Uarahara-san and….bye…" she waved, and with that, she looked back no more. She leapt into the void, forming a red glowing path of reishi, proceeding onward, towards her home. Back to Hueco Mundo.

She sprinted away, both from her sibling and her own thoughts. She felt sluggish, her body felt agonizingly slow compared to before.

"Calm down sweetie….this is just temporary…..this'll be over in no time. Yoruichi, Isshin and Urahrara-san will take care of everything. You have nothing to worry about. In fact, after so long, you got to visit home again and they've all grown up so wonderfully. We really should be looking at the positives here" came her mother's voice from within. "I'm sure Tia and the others will be absolutely delighted to hear about it!"

"Yeah….you're right.." said Ruby, smiling at herself. "Nothing good would come out of sulking. I had a great time. I cant deny that. And I can go anytime I want"

With a quick swipe, she cracked the space in front of her, opening the void to the familiar white and black landscape of endless sands. She landed with a soft thud, breathing out to reset her thoughts and ease herself. The void closed behind her.

Hueco Mundo

(Hollow and Togabito abilities slightly enhanced, Shinigami and Quincy abilities slightly hampered)

"Now then…..hmm…..where do I go first? Big-sis's place or Nel's place? Taking a nap at Grimmjow's doesn't sound too bad either….hmm?" stopped Ruby abruptly as she noticed a familiar feeling behind her. When she looked, her breath nearly left her.

"Y…Yuzu….?!" Exclaimed Ruby, completely baffled. She immediately sensed her reiatsu, only for her to confirm that it really was her. "What are you…..why are you…how did you….?"

"Owww…I was too nervous and landed on my face…." She said, standing up and dusting herself.

"Don't tell me….you jumped in after I left…"

"Onee-chan…..I'm staying with you" she said determined.

"No! Didn't you hear a word of what I said..?!" scolded Ruby. "Ah dammit, I should've looked carefully. No matter, I'll just have to bring you back"

"No….! I'm not going! I'm never leaving you again, Onee-chan!" protested the wheat haired girl, firmly sitting down on the sands.

"Yuzu, don't be stubborn! And besides, this place isn't good for you, listen to me!"

"It's fine , I'm more or less used to the air here. I'll listen to anything else you have to say, but please, just let me be with you!" she pleaded once more.

"Yuzu…."

"I….I don't want to stay there. Not yet. I feel scared, Onee-chan. I know they're my siblings, but it still feels strange. I cant simply pretend not to be a soul reaper and go to school with them when I don't even remember anything" she said.

"Urahara-san will restore your memories in no time! I'm sorry, but I'm not taking any more chances" said Ruby, grabbing her hand.

"No…no no no!" shouted Yuzu, clutching her head. "Onee-chan….dont leave…..dont leave me again…!" Hearing that, Ruby's grip loosened.

"Again…..? What do you…?"

"….I don't know why, but I feel so scared when I think about you leaving me behind. I can see….a rainy night. And I can see you holding someone, crying. Saying something to me before abandoning me…I….ah…my head…!" winced Yuzu sharply, gritting her teeth.

"Yuzu…..you….dont tell me you…."

"Please….I don't ever want to be separated from you again. I promise I wont get in your way. I'll do as you say. Please…otherwise, I don't think I can be at peace…" she pleaded once more.

"….You know, why don't we do as she says?" suggested Summer.

"Mom..!"

"It's fine isn't it? She doesn't look like she's going to take no for an answer. And besides, wouldn't it be super awkward if you just returned, just like that after making a grand, emotional exit?" she chuckled.

"Mom, you know that's not the issue here"

"I know sweetie. But how about this? She's here anyways. We could take care of her for a few days. The moment something happens, we can take her right back. And you can do that at any time you want regardless. In fact, this could be an opportunity for you to watch over her and take care of her. Something which you wanted to do anyways" suggested Summer. "After all, there's' no telling what she'll do if we try to send her back against her wishes. It might be better for us to keep her within our sights"

"….alright" said Ruby, her expression easing up. She walked right over to Yuzu, clutching her protectively. "You can stay with me. As long as you're with me, I'll watch over you. I wont leave you again" she smiled. Yuzu's expression grew ecstatic as she practically leapt into the air.

"Alright….come along with me. And as before, please don't let go of my hand" she said, holding on to her hand.

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Uff, finally done! So, a slightly longer chapter than before, hope you like it! And thanks a lot for all of your concerns, I'm doing a lot better now! One thing you might wonder is, why have I never used bleach osts in my fic so far for BGM? Well, I think bleach OSTs are great. Amazing and fantastic even. But I also thought there are so many other songs/pieces that are just as good at setting a good atmosphere. ot to mention, many bleach fics already do that. So this is my own way of introducing other amazing songs to my readers.

With regards to the chapter, as you saw, there were a lot of reactions, explanations and relevations. Ruby didnt even tell her whole story for very obvious reasons. But it was quite difficult writing group reactions, I hope it turned out , see you soon and thanks as always!

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Response to reviews:

Lucian Naruto: I'd say Mayuri for sure. At this point, Cinder is nothing compared to what the likes of Mayuri and Szayelaporro have done.

Argorok: Thanks a lot as usual!

Zekken182: Yes, finally! Hope you liked this chapter as well!

Yung Chxst: Thanks a lot!

Korraganitar the NightShadow: Thank you so much! So, this chapter expanded a lot on a lot of things. And yeah, I haven't watched vol 8, but remnant in my story is still a ways to go. We'll see then.

L4 of the WEST: Ah, I understand. Hope this chapter ended on a more closed note!

Skierus: Thanks! Hope you liked this one!

ccl1995: Indeed.

Misaka Phenex: Well, maybe. But the Soul Society knows that Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu are way too strong to be left alone. They risk facing war. And war needs soldiers. Soul Society wont care twice about listening to some arrancar asking them to leave them alone. Something that Ruby explained as well.

Spartastic 4: Crescent Rose meeting them will come soon, but not just yet. But as you saw, Summer did appear. Hoh, I think I've seen that video. And I agree. And thanks! I feel a lot better now!

Kragh: Yeah, maybe he could've. But as you saw, things played out completely differently.

Firewyrm2: Thanks, glad you liked Crescent Rose's appearance! And yeah, I'm doing a lot better now. Which soul reaper do you mean?

Momentei: Yeah….there was just too much of shock value here, and they don't even know the worst parts of Ruby's life. I mean, of course she wouldn't want to traumatize her siblings right? Ah and about Grimmjow. Of course it'll come out at some point, but what's the use if none of them really know about Grimmjow? That's why, it'll appear later.

AkiraShudou: My pleasure! And hope you liked this chapter!

Fregreg: Well, one of your questions was already answered I suppose, hope it was to your liking! As for white and Ruby, time will tell.

Vedahzii: Yeah, I can agree.

Crimsongear: True. And they still don't know the whole story. Hoh boy, if they ever did, it would be a complete riot. Thanks a lot!

Zifryt: Thank you so so much. You're right and its something I too forget when writing my story. Ahahaha guess it shows how attached I've become to this story myself!

And yeah, as you saw, she only told them a few things and skipped a lot of the traumatic bits. She doesn't want t completely traumatize them and there was no need for her to do it.

NEGATARO: Well, I tried to make it as accurate as possible, I hope it was done right! Thanks a lot again!