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).

36. Chapter 36: A breeze of roses

Chapter 36: A breeze of roses

At first, it had just been Kenpachi and Grimmjow serving as the main attackers, Nelliel handling and taking hits from Ichigo while Ulquiorra managed both offense and defense. Unohana thought they were doing quite well, but that was accentuated by the fact that Nelliel, Grimmojw and Ulquiorra knew each other quite well and had been in situations where they needed to fight together. They knew each other's abilities well enough that they knew when to stay out of the way and when an opportunity was open for them to move in and attack. Though Kenpachi was the unknown variable, his attacks were primitive and relied on base instinct. He also used his sword and nothing else, whose short range meant that chances were low someone would get in his way.

But then came Byakuya. And then Renji. Rukia. Karin. Yuzu. Combatants who were neither overly familiar with each other nor used similar fighting styles. Not to mention that they needed to go all out with their attacks or not at all. Attacks that still didn't work on Ichigo as they'd expected, but would still be deadly in case of a misfire.

And that was not even mentioning the fact that Las Noches was basically falling apart at this point. Many sections in the 'ceiling' of the palace had holes left behind by Ichigo's powerful cero blasts. In the far horizon, one could make out the blue skies of Las Noches blending in with the black night sky of Hueco Mundo.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

Another violent crimson cero separated the group as it passed dangerously close to Ulquiorra. At this point, the hollow had given up trying to get back to Unohana, realizing that it would have to deal with the opponents in front of it first before it could get to her.

"Hmph"

Byakuya raised his palms, directing his Senbonzakura Kageyoshi around Ichigo and blocking his vision. The hollow merely swung its sword sideways, generating a shockwave powerful enough to disperse Byakuya's bankai. But by now, they knew an attack of such a caliber did nothing more than to stall the hollow for a couple of seconds. However, it was still the only way they could get an opening to perform any sort of attack.

"Bakudo 62, Hyappornakan!" chanted Rukia.

"Bakudo 73, Tozansho!" chanted Yuzu.

First, glowing blue-white rods of reishi rained down on Ichigo, pinning him to the ground. And then, the second kido spell generated a wireframe of an inverted square pyramid around the pinned Ichigo, with each plane slowly solidifying to form a barrier around him. Ulquiorra fired off a cero oscuras at Nel, who then swallowed it and returned it at twice the power when she added her own Gran Rey Cero to the attack.

"Here's one more for good measure! Getsuga Tenshou!" cried Karin, red veins glowing on her skin.

"Bakudo 81, Danku" chanted Byakuya.

The two attacks slipped in just as the barrier closed in, clashing right where they saw Ichigo's image before the voluminous explosion drowned out all noise and vision around them.

To outside onlookers, the whole thing looked over the top and some might have even considered it overkill. Ulquiorra's Cero Oscuras by itself was powerful enough to destroy all of Las Noches. But they had already made the mistake of underestimating just how powerful Ichigo was in his current state. Which was why none of them held anything back in their attacks because they knew Ichigo would likely escape unscathed. His instant regeneration meant that Ichigo was more likely to retaliate before they had a chance to do anything. None of them lowered their guard even after unleashing such a powerful attack. The barriers they erected contained most of the damage inside while the rest escaped upwards and away from them. The danku spell enacted by Byakuya also protected them from the shockwaves. There was no doubt that nobody could survive such an attack unscathed, be it Yamamoto or Unohana or Aizen or Ichigo.

Provided it connected that is.

"Ah-! Watch out!" shrieked Rukia at Nel.

As if it had never been trapped in the barrier, Ichigo's form appeared right in front of Nel, Tensa Zangetsu raised above his head.

"Ah…!"

*THUUUUUUNGG!*

Nelliel watched flabbergasted as the obsidian sword made a blunt sound against skin. There was a bluish light shrouding her skin. The reishi around her skin was like viscous honey, and it deformed around Tensa Zangetsu like putty.

"Don' be spacin' out!" growled Grimmjow, roughly pushing Nelliel out of the way while Ulquiorra blasted Ichigo away in the other direction using another cero oscuras.

"Yuzu…..you…!" exclaimed Karin.

Yuzu had her hand outstretched, a desperate expression on her face.

"Thank goodness…I made it in time…" she remarked.

"What's that….form…?" asked Rukia, surprised. The wheat haired girl's attire looked different as well as her zanpakuto. Over her standard Shinigami attire there was a long, bluish white glowing scarf wrapped around her neck. The scarf was translucent, and seemed to be cut out from the sky itself. The zanpakuto on her right hand now looked different too. The ring part of her zanpakuto now formed the tip of what appeared to be a shrine maiden's staff. The staff had paper charms dangling from the ringed tip as well as a glowing spear head.

"Bankai. Aijoubukai Mangetsu. Move. Enemy incoming!" said Nel in short bursts, answering for Yuzu as she moved around Ichigo who was already going after Nel, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra.

"Heh, bankai eh? Now you're making me feel jealous!" smirked Karin, readying herself. "If not for this damned bracelet, I could show off my Völlständig too!"

"You better explain everything later!" shouted Rukia, focusing once more on the battle.

"Right…! Please stay within 100 meters of me, I can buff your defences and prevent fatal damage from Ichigo onii-chan's attacks! It should also dampen any shockwaves from attacks!" yelled Yuzu, spinning her staff like zanpakuto.

"Bankai…..! So she really was serious when she said that..!" remarked Tatsuki, who was watching the battle from the ground.

"Aijoubukai Mangetsu…..'Affectionate Fullmoon'…it's such a pretty name, isn't it?" commented Orihime.

"To achieve Bankai at a tender age of twelve…..they truly are captain Isshin's kids…." Said Unohana. "And such a remarkable ability too…."

"In a way, it's quite fitting her personality" said Uryu. "But I'm more impressed by that protective reishi covering them"

"Is it similar to the arrancar's Hierro?" asked Chad.

"No. It's even more impressive than just having reishi covering your skin or the arrancar's Hierro or even the Blut covering their skins. But that ability…it's different. The reishi is behaving like a substance that is normally viscous and fluid but hardens and solidifies when something like a sword passes through quickly, thereby trapping it and completely dulling the power of the strike. But when you try to touch it slowly or pass something through it slowly, the reishi flows around the object. In a way, it's very similar to a non-Newtonian fluid. But of course, there's a certain limit to how much force it can dissipate. Knowing the stress-strain relationship we can…..and so…but then….." explained Uryu, adjusting his nerd glasses and going into his profession mode. Chad, Tatsuki and Orihime (whose brain had already shut down after listening to Uryu) watched deadpanned as Yachiru began comically chewing on Uryu's head, calling him 'Pencil Nerd', 'Bookless four-eyes' and other choice nicknames.

Naturally her Bankai helped even things out a little bit, even if just slightly. With Nelliel's suggestion, they decided to band together into groups with different roles. With her defensive Kido and protective Bankai augmenting their already powerful Hierro, the arrancars were their main attacking force. Kenpachi joined in mainly because he couldn't be persuaded otherwise. Their powerful attacks kept Ichigo at bay and they were strong enough to counter and retaliate when they were attacked, reducing the chance that the teams behind them were hit. Byakuya, Renji and Karin hung in the middle, supplementing the attackers with support kido as well as mid range attacks from their bankai and shikai. Rukia and Yuzu stayed in the rear, choosing to go with immobilization, defense kido and long range offensive techniques using Yuzu's arrows and Rukia's hado spells when needed.

The spectators would have watched in surprise at how well coordinated they were and even Unohana would have been left speechless after imagining herself being at the receiving end of such a coordinated attack.

If the tactic had actually worked, that is. Because so far, it only worked in theory.

"Whoa watch it, watch it!"

"I know I know, it's not like I can avoid it!"

"Stop getting in my space!"

"Why are you on this side anyways?! I thought you were by Nelliel's side?"

*RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRR!*

"Hooooooooooo ohhhhhhhh ohhhhhhh! Damn that was way too close!"

"Tch, even after all that there isnt even a scratch?! What the hell are you made up of, Kurosaki?!"

"Heh heh, this is fun! I just keep cuttin' and he just keeps comin' back!"

"Um…..guys…..it's getting a little…..ah, sorry sorry!"

"I would very much appreciate it if you moved out of my sight, soul reaper"

"Yeah, I would if the freaking thing didn't attack almost immediately when you turn your back to it!"

"Hey! That's my brother you're talking about!"

"Oh yeah?! Well, excuse me for dissing your brother who's out for both of our heads!"

"Um…we really should stop fighting amongst ourselves"

"If you all have time to make idle chatter, then I suggest you use that time more efficiently"

"Yes captain"

"Brother watch out!"

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!*

"Urgh….dammit…..so much….hurting….."

"ha…ah….oh stop whining…..my arm feel like it's about to come off…"

"…*pant*…*pant*….are you alive, Grimmjow….?...haah…ah….."

"…..Tch….why the fuck…is he this strong…..?!...fuckin' monster….."

"…heh….!...look at you wimpin' out…if yer that much of a chicken, why don't you sit this one out…"

"…says the guy bleeding from head to toe…."

"To think Retsu Unohana was fighting Ichigo Kurosaki in his current state all by herself…..Lord Aizen was right to consider her the biggest threat amongst the soul reapers…."

"…..Yuzu….Yuzu….! Talk to me….! How are you holding up…?!"

"…..Mhmnn…Karin…chan…? I'll live...you don't worry about me…..I did set up a barrier in the last second, it should've dampened the impact but…..Ichigo onii-chan is just too strong…."

Unohana couldn't help but feel concerned when she watched three arrancars, two captains, two soul reapers and two hybrids all trying to attack Ichigo at the same time. All of their attacks packed power, and even those that were relatively milder made up for it with their immense size and range. Which of course meant that every time they attacked the others had to back away to allow for the attacker to attack Ichigo. But with so many attacking, it was hard to predict who wanted to do what next. Even now, she found it hard to believe just how powerful the boy really was. She had expected it of course. Given that he was Isshin Kurosaki's son with hollow powers. But witnessing it and experiencing it herself was another matter altogether.

Tactics they had indeed, but Nelliel and the others also failed to account for their own fatigue from battling for so long and all the injuries they were surely but slowly stacking up. Ulquiorra was the only one who could heal non-fatal injuries and no one else knew any healing kido. Yuzu wanted to learn at some point from her sister, but she found it easier to focus on bakudo and so she spent all her time perfecting bakudo techniques first. Something she regretted doing currently.

Things looked grim, and with no indication of how long they needed to keep this up, their morale was already dropping.

"…."

Unohana got up, her right arm reaching for her sword.

"Unohana-san…..?"

"I will go and assist them. Please stay here, children" she said, lowering the barrier. She then gently placed Ruby on the ground, and Yachiru crawled up to her side.

"But I thought you didn't want to risk losing control again?" asked Tatsuki.

"True. But the situation is different now. They are tired and may even die if this continues on. It will be fine. I can take over for them, if only for a short enough time for them to-?"

The 4th squad captain stopped mid-sentence when the slightest breeze caressed her cheek. Why was it something that even caught her attention, she asked herself. The winds generated by those fighting above were literal shockwaves and gale storms, so then why did this gentle breeze catch her attention? Was it perhaps because it was coming from so close to herself, from behind her? Or was it the scent of roses and plum blossoms? Or perhaps it was the rose petals fluttering in the gentle breeze. The breeze kicked up sand around them along with the rose petals flying around, obscuring their sight. But that scent…..her scent still hung in the air.

"…..Rosy…..?" asked Yachiru, blinking her eyes.

In the area where Ruby had been just moments ago, was now a swirling gust of sand and rose petals. Their initial looks of confusion turned into disbelief and shock which then quickly turned into joy the moment a figure rose up from within the swirling breeze.

"…!..."

"…you're…..!"

"….Aneki…!"

Unohana's hand was still on her sword, frozen and her eyes on the person in front of her. But that wasn't right. Her outline looked much different as compared to the person who had been lying down just moments ago.

And then, the wind dispersed, leaving only the fluttering rose petals and the enchanting scent of roses and plum blossoms.

The gaping looks on the faces of the children and the surprised look on Unohana's face was priceless, atleast to Summer and Crescent.

Dark red fur covered her entire body, with black spots all over like that of a cheetah. She also possessed a long tail with fur the same color as her body. Her hands and feet were a hybrid between a human's and a cheetah's, possessing the basic anatomy of a human limb but with the claws of a cheetah. She had a tuff of black fur covering her neck like a scarf. She had shoulder pads like Nel's made from hollow bones, as well as a spiny segment of bones running along the length of her back. Her human ears were replaced with that of a cheetah's and her hair was longer, reaching up to her shoulder blades. On her head was a wreath made out of the fragments of her hollow mask, shaped like a crown of rose branches. But what really stood out to them was her face, free from the scars that tormented her and the expression on her face.

"A...A...Ane...Aneki...! Y...you...! Your face...!" stammered Tatsuki.

Ruby merely gave a slight smile before kneeling down to Yachiru, and rubbed her head.

"So, you're Crescent's new friend, is it? Ku ku ku, I never imagined you would have the same name as Yachiru-san" she said. "Thanks for keeping my daughter company. She says she can't wait to play with you again. But I need her help to deal with that first. So just hold on, 'k?"

"Daughter...? You're...Rosy's mom...?" asked Yachiru.

"Mhm hmm" nodded Ruby.

"Mom...? Hold on...you're telling me that Crescent is...your daughter...? You had a daughter?!" exclaimed Tatsuki.

"To be fair, she IS old enough to be married and have children, so I'm not surprised that-"

"I didn't ask for a detailed explanation, damned four eyes!" said Tatsuki, smacking Uryu right in the head.

"Can arrancars even have children…? Aren't they spirits?" asked Chad to himself.

"Ta…tatsuki-chan it's not like that! Ruby-san isnt married but….well….how do I put it…Crescent-chan is her zanpakuto but Ruby-san considers her to be her daughter…." Explained Orihime.

"huh…? Really?...Oh then….I guess it's fine…" sighed Tatsuki in relief.

"Tatsuki….you…why would that even matter….actually, never mind" said Chad, looking at what happened to Uryu earlier.

Ruby turned to Unohana. "Yachiru-san...thank you for taking care of my brother and...sorry. But mom told me to tell you not to worry. She's quite happy that you still 'kept her silly promise even though we haven't seen each other in forever'…actually, why am I even telling you that? I'm sure she can tell you that herself. I shouldn't take that moment away from her. But right now, there's something I need to do first. After that, I'm sure mom would be quite happy to talk to you. Please just take care of them. I'll be here real soon"

"Natsuko…she's….really there?" asked Unohana. Ruby nodded. A nonchalant smile appeared on her face. "I see…..in that case, I leave your brother in your hands"

Finally, Ruby faced Tatsuki, Orihime, Uryu and Chad. Tatsuki was still in a delirious state of shock and disbelief. Orihime more so in awe and surprise than shock.

Her aneki. The one she'd always looked up to. The one she always confided in for support. For one year she'd grown up with her, Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu. In all those times, she'd been a symbol of strength to them, to her. But even back then, she knew. She'd seen it more than a few times after all. Those nights when she snuck up to their house and Ruby would be crying by herself, curled up in a corner and unable to sleep. Or those times when she would doze off while watching over them and start shivering and shaking, only to immediately put on a smile on her face when Tatsuki inquired her about it. For everything she had done for them, Tatsuki had always felt helpless for not being able to relieve the burden she always seemed to carry. And it was back then that she decided that one day, she would definitely become someone who would make her aneki smile from the bottom of her heart and be that person to Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu. Ruby had always assured her that the scars on her face were not something she needed to worry about but to Tatsuki, those were a constant reminder of the burden and pain Ruby always hid from her.

And now, the person she respected the most in the world was facing her, looking more peaceful and content than she'd ever remembered her to be, with a face brimming with clarity and strength. A face that was clear of those horrible scars. With a gentle breeze swirling around her and her scent of roses and plum blossoms wafting around them, she truly looked at peace and undeniably strong in spirit and body.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Her body ran upto her by itself and before she knew it, she'd nearly tackled the 5th Espada to the ground. Ruby said nothing but slowly put her arm around Tatsuki.

"….Aneki…..you're back…."

"…Mhm…"

"And your face…its finally healed up…"

"…"

"Aneki…I…we…"

"Tatsuki" called out Ruby. "I'm happy you came to see me….I'm happy you're so worried for me. But…..I'm also angry" she said, giving Tatsuki a stern look, as well as the other kids. "You know why, right?"

The kids turned away their heads in guilt.

"I have a lot of things I want to say. But right now….let's go take care of that silly brat. I don't think I can stop him myself, but together….we can save him. You'll come along right?" she asked. Tatsuki gave her a unanimous nod. Ruby smiled. "Stay with me, ok? I promise that soon, he'll be right as rain. Just follow my lead. Tee hee, they still haven't noticed. It'll be fun to see their faces" she chuckled to herself. "Ah, I know! I have just the thing! I know it's supposed to be serious, but I can't help but be excited. But before that" she said, extending her hand.

"?uoy t'now ,ammam pleh dna emoc...gnilrad...esoR tnecserC"

---

*VOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

The sudden spike of reishi coming from their immediate right affected them mentally more so than physically. Not only was it such a menacing and evil reiatsu, but it also stood out over Ichigo's own massive reiatsu. But that wasn't why Nel, Grimmjow, Yuzu and Karin immediately turned their heads in the direction of the reishi.

"Ruby…!" gasped Nel, her hazel eyes scanning for her friend's familiar form. But all that she found was Unohana, Yachiru and the kids wearing similarly surprised expressions on their faces. Karin and Yuzu then felt a pair of hands grab them from behind.

"Guess who" came a soft voice.

"Aaaah-!" gasped the twins, jolting rather violently. They couldn't decide what shocked them the most; her familiar scent, her voice, the fact that her reiatsu which they sensed on the ground was now right beside them, or the tone of her voice. Ruby saw that her siblings had a complex mix of emotions on their face. Grimmjow on the other hand was so baffled and confused by the whole thing that Ruby didn't even bother trying to read him. Nel on the other hand was confused, happy, surprised and shocked at the same time.

Ruby didn't have the time to observe the rest of them however, for the horned beast was already preparing its next attack, aiming right where Ruby was.

"Welp, time to move! Hold on Tsuki, Kari, Yuzu, I'll be right back" mouthed Ruby before disappearing and appearing right next to Ulquiorra, Kenpachi, Nel and Grimmjow. And as she did, rose petals materialized in the spot she disappeared, slowly falling down to the ground. Ruby had already prepped her scythe to intercept Ichigo's strike, but so had Ulquiorra.

*KLAAAAANG!*

Her hell scythe connected first and would've most certainly given in under the force of Ichigo's strike, if not for Ulquiorra supporting her with his own attack.

"Thanks!" she said, deflecting Ichigo's strike with some effort. Nel and Grimmjow appeared next to her, both of them charging ceros while Kenpachi cut off Ichigo's horn to disperse the cero he was charging as a follow up strike.

"This should seal the deal" said Ruby, pointing Crescent Rose's muzzle at Ichigo's hollow hole.

*BAANNG! BOOOOOOOM!*

A metallic chain shot through Ichigo's chest cavity, going all the way to the ground and anchoring itself while the combined ceros of Grimmjow and Nel blasted Ichigo several meters away from themselves. Ruby could feel the force of the blasts through the chain and Crescent Rose, but the chain itself was left standing without so much as a scratch. Ichigo however was already recovering, even trying to claw out the chain. The chain itself wouldn't break, but it was unhinging itself from the ground.

"Oh no you don't" remarked Ruby, quickly using a multitude of fast sonidos to close the distance, spinning Crescent rose over and around Ichigo dashing back few paces, going around some debris, vaulting over him, sliding under and then finally slicing into the ground with Crescent Rose, leaving the curved blade of the scythe embedded in the ground.

"Phew...that should keep you there for a bit while I get those three. Still...I could tell you could follow my movements and even react to me at that speed. Your big sister is surprised for sure" said Ruby. "But stay right there. I'll get you out soon and we're going to have a long chat, you and I" she said before disappearing with a quick sonido and appearing in front of Nel, Grimmjow, Kenpachi and Ulquiorra.

"Ruby...is that really you...?" asked Nel, bewildered. "And...your face..." she continued, her voice slightly quivering. She involuntarily reached out for Ruby's face, stroking it softly.

"Do I look like someone else? Ah...actually, I guess I do...ahahaha!" she chuckled. "Sorry for all the trouble, Nel. And thanks for holding him off till now. As far as looks go, for once you actually look much worse than I do" she said, smiling softly. "But well, I suppose it could've been much worse"

"Ah...well...I..."

Ruby then looked at Ulquiorra and Kenpachi. "So that's what you look like when you're going all out. Finally I got to see it. And...you too. Thanks for helping my friends and my brother out"

"Heh, you can save all the boring talk for later. I'm only in it to get a good fight" replied Kenpachi. Then, she looked at Grimmjow, who still had that look on his face demanding an explanation. Ruby walked up to him, sighing.

"You look wasted" she sighed, patting his shoulder. "I'm only gone for a couple of hours and you're already in this state. So? Satisfied? I told you he'd be too much for you to handle, right? I warned you that he was strong"

"That's not what I would 'strong'! How the hell does something this strong exist?!" retorted the blue jaguar.

"Oh shush. Don't be such a baby. I don't want you complaining about being too bored or things being too peaceful for your taste anytime soon. But anyway, leave that. So? How do I look? You know, this is more or less what I looked like as a vasto lorde, save for some minor changes of course" she said, flashing him a teasing smile.

"Tch, you look fuckin' happy for some fuckin' reason" he scoffed, averting his eyes. Ruby merely sighed again. "There you go hiding all your feelings instead of just telling me up front. You know I can tell that you're feeling happy to see me, right?" she said, shaking her head.

"Oh shut up and go bring that brat of a brother of yours under control" growled Grimmjow irritably, but Ruby simply continued to make baby jabs at him.

"Ruby..!" called out Nel.

"Ah, sorry. I got too carried away" she replied apologetically. "In any case, you're right. Let's fix up this mess first" Her attention was then diverted by the clinking sounds of chains rubbing against each other aggressively. Down below, they could see that Ichigo was already beginning to untangle himself.

"I hope you have a plan, Ruby Rose" said Ulquiorra. Ruby nodded.

"Yeah. I do. But I'll need you to cover for me while I get in close with Kari, Yuzu and Tsuki. If I can give him a jolt of something familiar, something close to him, a familiar feeling...it might be enough to bring back his senses. But for that I'll need you to keep him engaged while I get in close with those three. With my hell reishi, I should be able to link us together. Hopefully it should be enough" she said. And while Ruby continued to explain her idea, Karin, Yuzu, Renji, Rukia and Byakuya were watching from afar, unsure of what to do.

"Hey...that's your sister...right?" asked Rukia.

"Her reiatsu certainly matches the one your sister possessed which would mean this is likely her resurreccion..." theorized the 6th division captain.

"Tail…a tail…Ruby-nee with a tail….and animal ears….and…and….fur….and hollow eyes….." Karin was about to start spewing steam from her head any second now. Yuzu was far more composed than her twin, but she was surprised nonetheless.

"She looks kinda like Zabimaru..." said Renji, deadpanned.

"Trust me, I'm just as confused as you guys are...but...I think we'll soon be able to sort out this mess...yeah...with aneki here..." said Tatsuki. Just then, Ruby looked at them, disappearing and appearing mere inches from Karin and Yuzu's faces, making them both flinch sharply.

"Onee-chan you really should stop doing that" said Yuzu sweatdropping.

"Ah sorry sorry. I don't know why but I'm feeling quite pepped up and for some weird reason, I have this urge to run around" she said. "Dunno if it's because of my resurreccion. Anyway you guys, I have a plan" she said and then turned to Rukia, Byakuya and Renji. "I hope I can count on you all as well"

"...yes of course" said Rukia.

"Thanks. You must be Rukia...right?" asked Ruby. "Thank you for everything you've done. I really appreciate it. I wish we could talk more, but that goes for pretty much everyone here. I've already let them know the plan and well, the idea is that you guys continue to do what you were doing before while I find an opening to pin Ichigo and connect the five of us with my reishi. Tsuki, you be with Rukia. On my signal, come to my side. Does that work?" she asked. They still had their questions, but nodded regardless.

*RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRR!*

"All right, this is it! Brace yourselves!" she shouted and they all took their respective positions.

Ruby took the lead first, engaging Ichigo from a distance using a flurry of bala blasts which the beast mostly avoided using its speed and the few that did connect only left minor wounds. Ruby then changed her strategy, circle strafing around Ichigo whist simultaneously firing off balas and at times Crescent Rose's chain. At times she would take cover behind a structure near her, pop out to attack and then move back in quickly. The hollow could follow her, but couldn't do much in terms of attack seeing as how she never remained in the same direction. Ruby then started a series of sonidos, still maintaining her circle strafe but this time she changed her speed ever so slightly every time she moved and also the direction. Either she would close in on Ichigo a little, or back away a bit, or ascend a little or perform similar maneuvers. And each time she got close, she would slash away with Crescent using deadly fast and precise strikes before retreating away to a safe distance.

Her thoughts were leaving her and her body was almost moving by itself at this point, as if guided by muscle memory, instinct and the recollection of things she'd lived with back in Hell. Never did she ever think that she would ever encounter another enemy that moved, attacked and approached her like one of the guardians of Hell and never did she think that it would be the transformed form of her own brother who would give her that experience. Fittingly enough, her own form was one that was reminiscent of the very same that helped her escape the bowels of Hell. Ichigo's own form looked demonic enough to mistake him as a denizen of Hell. Looking at him, she could almost immediately picture him as the 2nd layer's guardian or the 1st layer's guardian. Both of whom had been much stronger than she had been but both of whom fell to her regardless. And it was her unique abilities and experiences that possessed any hope of taking Ichigo in a fight as he was. It was as if everything she'd suffered through, everything she'd experienced and learnt was all for this one moment. He was now a being too strong for any to stop and she and only she, was his Achilles heel.

Even so, their encounter was different from her battles against the Hell guardians. For one, she was no longer immortal. She could no longer regenerate at high speeds or use her sacrificial ways of fighting for that matter. Not to mention, this time, she wasn't just fighting a mindless judge of Hell, she was fighting her brother. She'd torn and ripped apart demons wearing the skin of her comrades and family of course, but this time, it was real. However, to make up for that, she was a lot stronger than she had been back in Hell. And Ichigo's current form was still weaker than the Guardians of the lower layers of Hell. And this time, she had to save her opponent, not defeat him.

"Incredible...all of us were fighting together and she's doing it all by herself..." remarked Rukia, awed. "And...we can't even find a single opening to assist her..."

"What is that fighting style...? It's not like anything I've ever seen before..." said Renji.

"Moving in circles around your opponent is a flimsy strategy because your opponent can see and predict where to land the next blow. It is completely useless in a real combat. However, against a mindless beast that only fights with its instincts, it works wonders. Her opponent cannot think like a seasoned fighter and she made full use of that information. To fight in a way that goes against all reasoning and logic but still use it in your strategy...it must simply mean that Ruby Rose has ample experience fighting opponents of that nature" explained Byakuya. "However...that sonido..."

"Yeah...I can't believe it but...I can't...track Ruby-nee...but..." said Karin. "Her movement is also so smooth...even at that speed"

Yuzu and Tatsuki said nothing, but the expressions on their faces spoke for themselves. Yuzu had a wide smile on her face that practically screamed 'As expected', while Tatsuki had looks of adoration, pride and admiration.

"Grimmjow...have you ever seen her fight like that...?" asked Nel, surprised.

"If you don't know, why would I...? That sly fox, she's been keeping things from-"

"As that captain explained, this form of fighting would be useless against one of us. It would simply mean she never got the chance to fight in that manner" explained Ulquiorra, cutting off Grimmjow, much to his annoyance. "Still, I would prepare myself if I were you. I think it's about time she called for us" he said.

"Grimmjow! Nel! Ulquiorra! GRC, now!" called out Ruby's voice. Ichigo had been chained down once more, with the chains now going around and over the structures and debris nearby, with Ichigo's arms bound and Tensa Zangetsu lying a few feet away from him. The hollow was now charging a cero much larger than the one that it usually fired. The aforementioned arrancars wasted no time in using sonido to quickly come over to Ruby's side, extending their palms to match Ruby's. Drawing from a small amount of blood from their wounds, Nel's cero was a pink colored sphere of reishi, Grimmjow and Ruby's were red and Ulquiorra's was green.

The resulting explosion that followed after their combined gran rey ceros made contact with Ichigo's cero gigante was so massive and energetic that even Byakuya's danku barrier, Yuzu's Bankai's protection and other protective kido spells from the other soul reapers didn't keep them from being thrown several feet away from the resulting explosion. Unohana had to strengthen her own barrier 2-3 times to make sure the splash damage didn't affect the children.

"Damn...even with the 4 of us using such powerful attacks at the same time...you're tellin' me his cero was even stronger..?!"

"Don't falter! Nel! Grimmjow! Ulquiorra! Grab those chains and start pulling and hold him in place! And you soul reapers! Provide cover for Kari, Tsuki and Yuzu, it's now or never!" shouted Ruby. She quickly spared a glance towards Ichigo and sure enough, she could sense his animosity rising again along with his reishi. Nel, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra went to three different corners where the chains were tied around structures and held on to them, tightening the hold on the chained beast. Kenpachi and Byakuya lunged forward, with 6th division captain providing cover using Senbonzakura while kenpachi drove his blade through one of the links in Crescent Rose's chain, adding an additional layer of restraint. Rukia froze certain sections of Crescent Rose using her Sode no Shirayuki, while Renji used Hihio Zabimaru to cover Rukia, Karin Yuzu and Tatsuki who were closing in on Ruby's location.

"Just hold on, Ichigo. I know...you're probably feeling like shit, having to fight against your wishes against all your friends and your own sisters. I know how that feels. It wont be long now...it's almost over. Almost...just hang tight...for me..."

First, she cast a few bakudo spells on Ichigo, further restraining his moves. The hollow tried to fire another cero, but Ruby quickly used a few balas to break off his horn, cancelling out the blast. The beast was violently squirming and shaking, and it was taking every ounce of strength from everyone holding him down to just barely keep him immobile. The kido spells gave way and broke apart as quickly as Ruby had cast them, as did Rukia's ice and the other bakudo spells used by Byakuya and Rukia. Grimmjow opened his mouth wide, firing another cero at Nel who then took it in and fired back at Ichigo using her Cero Doble. At this point, the chain around Ichigo's torso went slack a little bit, enough that Ichigo gained enough space around his arm to summon Tensa Zangetsu to his hand and blow away the cero blast coming towards him.

"Oh no you don't!" thought Ruby frantically, finally closing in just a few inches of Ichigo.

*SCHICK!*

The obsidian blade passed clean through Ruby's side riff, just a few inches to the left and above of her hollow hole. Ruby was certain her left lung had been punctured.

"RUBY!"

"ONEE-CHAN!"

"ICHI-NII don't'!"

Karin, Tatsuki and Yuzu grabbed Ichigo from behind, using all of their power to stop Ichigo from driving Tensa Zangetsu further into Ruby's body.

A smile grew on Ruby's face and she threw her arms around the four of them.

"That's it...this is how it should be" she murmured.

At that moment, a sharp sensation could be felt by everyone present around her vicinity, including the kids and Unohana who observing the battle from afar the moment they were ensnared by her unholy reishi. Whatever thoughts Karin and Tatsuki possessed vanished, and their minds were instantly taken back to those saffron colored days during which the five of them would spend their blissful lives together, not worrying about things to come.

Perhaps it was the fact that Ruby was in a stronger state than before. Or perhaps it was the obsidian blade passing through her gut that connected Ruby to her siblings. Or perhaps it was the fact that to those kids and to Ichigo, Ruby was as irreplaceable to them as their own mother. Whatever the case was, she couldn't tell. But all that Summer Rose knew, was that she finally had the chance do what Masaki had done for her own daughter and repay the favor to Masaki's own children.

"Masaki…..for everything you did for my daughter back then…..I'll act in your place and fulfil your role as a mother to these children" said Summer softly, taking over for Ruby temporarily. She then hugged the four of them closer to herself. "Darling….can you hear me? Can you hear my voice? It's alright…..everything's just fine….see? Rest easy now sweetie and just leave everything to mamma"

Her calm, soothing voice. Her words assuring protection and safety. All of which were accentuated by her happiness, worry, concern and determination conveyed to them via the hell reishi that blanketed them. Things that invoked powerful, greyscale images in the mind of Yuzu Kurosaki.

"What…..is…..this…?" stammered Yuzu, wide eyed, staring off into space. Enveloped in Summer Rose's presence, Yuzu began to see images that felt nostalgic and sad but also happy and precious. She had seen these images, these visions before. Images of her sister, Karin, Tatsuki and Ichigo. Images of Isshin, Urahara, Yoruichi and others. Before, she had only seen a brief glimpse of these people. She knew they likely had something to do with her forgotten past, but never could find out more. But the memories that stood out the most were those of herself, a younger Karin, Tatsuki, Ichigo and Ruby, along with another woman whom she could only see as a warm, glowing silhouette. She could not make out any features on the figure of this woman, but whenever she did see her image, she would feel protected. Confident. Like all her worries would be taken care of. Like there was nothing but peace in her presence. The same kind of imagery she would always get when she was with her big sister. And now, it was the same feeling she was getting from the 5th Espada, being engulfed in her presence.

"Ah...Ahh...! Mama...? Kari...chan...? Onii...chan...! Onee...!"

Like a flood gate that could no longer hold back the overflowing river, Summer Rose's words, emotions and presence set off a chain reaction in the wheat haired girl's fragmented psyche, leading to a whirlpool of visions, memories and images that was slowly but surely breaking open all of her mental locks on her memories, with each restored memory triggering and breaking open the barriers on a couple other memories.

Yuzu's feeling of realization of the days of old and those times of bliss and happiness that was seeping into Karin, Tatsuki, Ruby and Summer, whose combined sentiments were now felt in full by the horned beast, who'd gone completely limp at that point. It was as if the beast was made to acknowledge something it forgot it possessed, an aspect of itself that it forgot it had. The beast looked like it was struggling to comprehend the extreme stimulus it was receiving, one that was going against its instincts. From within this being, the consciousness of a certain orange haired boy was stirring, as if he was being lovingly being awoken by his mother. His soul responded to the familiar presence of those dearest to him, calling out to him and asking him to return. And the woman who meant the world to him, who left such a deep scar on his soul with her passing was here once more, calling out to him, calling out to his innate desire to see her, feel her and be in her embrace once more.

"Mom..."

The horned beast quivered, it's body completely limp and the bloodlust in its eyes diminishing.

"Nee-san…mom…."

The beast's hand let go of the obsidian blade, falling limply to its side. The beast then craned its neck upwards, looking at the inky sky in a nonchalant manner. The beast let out a sorrowful wail, its hands reaching out to the woman in front of it. Tears began to fall from within hollowed sockets of its eyes, and the dim yellow glow in its eyes disappeared, replaced by his soft, warm brown eyes once more.

"Mom..."

"I'm right here, sweetie. Right here. See? Everything's fine...just fine..." said Summer, lovingly stroking Ichigo's head. His tears and wailing continued to grow in volume, until...

*CRAAAACK! CRAAAAACK! KRUUUCK! KREAAAAK!*

The horned mask broke apart, revealing the clear, lucid eyes of Ichigo Kurosaki, his face teary and guilt ridden. Her hand reached out, patting his shoulder.

"Mornin' kiddo! Welcome back! You're really one big piece of work, you know that? Ruby can't wait to give you a piece of her mind but as you can see, I'm a bit more chill about these things ahahahah! Urgh, you struck just a little bit too close for comfort, I think you punctured my lung, kwargh!" coughed Summer, blood trickling down from her mouth. "But don't give me that look, I've been through a lot worse, it'll take more than a little scratch like this to stop me. So please don't be going demonic on me, I don't wanna ask Yachi to stop you again ahahaha! Having said that, be a gentleman and catch me will ya? I think my body is a bit heavy, I might fall over-" her mind went almost completely blank and she could feel the pull of gravity pulling her body down to the ground, but she let the encroaching darkness approaching her consciousness take her in with a smile, knowing that it was over for the time being.

---

Once again, she found herself in her rosy world, amongst a lush garden near a mansion of splendor under the shade of a plum tree. The tree was laden with flowers, the garden blooming with white and red roses, the buzz of insects and teeming with greenery. The sky was cloudy with sunlight partially illuminating the clouds and the garden. The alluring scent of roses and plum blossoms hung in the air. Under said tree was Ruby Rose, resting in a sitting position against the trunk of the tree with her legs stretched out. There was a peaceful expression on her face.

"Shouldn't you be out there?" asked Masaki's voice, standing in front of her.

"Just resting" replied Ruby sleepily. "I'll go meet them soon. You know how I am with all these sudden meetings and stuff"

"Fu fu fu, I suppose so! Even when you returned to Hueco Mundo after my death, you were thinking so much to go meet them!" she chuckled.

"Aah, don't remind me, it's embarrassing" replied the ex-rose huntress. "But…yeah. This time, it's different. I'd say its mom who's being like that. I still don't know why she's afraid that Yachiru-san will chew her out or something. She seemed pretty fine to me"

"Yeah…I guess"

Masaki came over to Ruby's side, and the two continued to enjoy each other's company in silence while observing the garden in front of them.

"Masaki….."

"Mhm..?"

"Back then…..when you helped me reach the answer I was looking for…..I saw Weiss, Blake, Jaune, Pyrrha and even Master…..but….how come I didn't see Yang or dad? I thought….they would be the first people I would see when I was in that state" asked Ruby.

"Why do you think?" asked Masaki.

"…I…don't know exactly. But if I had to guess….those two are so nice to me all the time, they care for me a lot and would have tried their best to tell me that things were alright and that I had nothing to worry about. They would've also stayed right by my side until I got tired of them. But…."

"But that wasn't what you wanted" answered Masaki. "You wanted to be scolded for the mistakes you made, you wanted to know why you were wrong, you wanted a way to confront your regrets and doubts and face them head on. You didn't want to be consoled and attended to. You didn't want to be told that it wasn't your fault. It wouldn't have healed you. Knowing that girl, in the end, she would've accompanied you to the end of the earth and back, but you wouldn't have found your answer. And…..you trust her and your dad so much, you know those two are really pure of heart on the inside. There was no way you could've seen them as someone that represented the negativity inside you. Isn't that right?"

"Aah…..I guess" said Ruby, flustered.

"And now, that boy is going to be in the same spot you were in. Right in front of his eyes, he was made to see his own sister being stabbed by his own zanpakuto using his own hands" said Masaki concerned.

"Yeah, I know" replied Ruby. "Hmm….I think I've rested enough. I just cant stop worrying about him, about them, even when I'm angry at them. Even when I know that Nel and the others are taking of them. But that's fine to me" she told herself with a smile on her face. Ruby then picked herself from the ground, dusted herself and set off towards the mansion. "Thanks for everything, Masaki" she breathed to herself without looking back a second time. Ruby didn't know if she would ever see 'Masaki' inside her inner world ever again. But she didn't need to. To her, just once had been more than enough. So even if she would never see the image of Masaki ever again, she was fine. Because her children, Ruby's siblings were still there, in her place.

"Take care, sweetie. And take care of them too. When this is all over, be sure to go and see the real 'me'. Take them along too. I'm sure the 'me' out there will be overjoyed to know you've been watching over them" said Masaki with a wide smile, her parting words inaudible to Ruby.

---

"Hrmm…"

Ruby blinked her eyes once, twice, until pale moonlight filled her vision once more. Immediately, she could see green on her top left, black to her top right, brown to her right, black to her left, orange to her bottom left, black to her bottom right and a pair of black and blue at the bottom.

"RUBY!" screamed Nel, hugging her tightly before she even had the chance to get up.

"Gwack, Nel….you're….I'm gonna go right back to sleep at this rate…." She could hear things in her body creaking. A pair of black and brown came running to Nel's side, pulling her away, much to her dismay.

"Thanks Yuzu, Karin" gasped Ruby, finally getting the chance to get up and have a better look at her surroundings. She was surrounded by people. Nel, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, Orihime and her friends, Tatsuki, Yuzu, Karin, Unohana, Yachiru, Rukia, Renji, and the two other captains. But Ichigo was nowhere to be seen.

"How long was I out?" asked Ruby.

"Not long, just about 20 minutes, give or take" answered Nel.

"Are you feeling alright? I mean, I did heal all your injuries but…" started Orihime.

"Yeah I'm good. In fact, I feel much better than ever" said Ruby smiling. "But…where's Ichigo? Is he fine?"

"Yeah he's…he's fine but….." said Orihime.

"Physically there's nothing wrong with him but…..he's been that way ever since he regained his senses" said Tatsuki. "We tried talking to him but…."

"…it's fine. I'll take it from here. As I said, there's a lot of things I want to talk about with you guys, now that we're in the clear" said Ruby. She then walked in the direction Yuzu was pointing towards, and there she saw her brother, crouched over the ground with a terrified and guilty expression on his face. He was still in his bankai state, but Tensa Zangetsu lay on the ground 20 feet away from him, as if it had been tossed aside. A vein popped up in Ruby's head. She then picked up his weapon, and stabbed it into the ground next to him after dusting off the sand and making sure there was no grime or dirt on the blade.

"Ichigo! This is no way to treat your zanpakuto-"

"STAY AWAY!" he roared, backing away from Tensa Zangetsu and Ruby. "Stay back…..I don't…..I can't hurt you again…if I hold that thing…I'll just end up killing you…so please…"

"That's what they meant, Onee-chan…" said Karin. "We had to make sure Tensa Zangetsu was out of his sight, otherwise he'd start trashing around and insist that we throw it away"

"….."

Ruby retrieved the obsidian blade, handing it over to Yuzu. Then, she turned to Ichigo.

"Ichigo. Come with me" she asked, her anger evident in her tone. Ichigo blinked at her, scared and confused. "Didn't you hear me? I said come with me!" she shouted, literally dragging the boy, taking him over to where everyone was present. "Now. Karin. Uryu. Chad. Tsuki. I want you all to come over here" she said, pointing right beside Ichigo. They had confused looks on their faces, but obliged nonetheless. "Turn around" she said.

"Why…?" asked Ichigo.

"Just do it!"

"…."

Grudgingly he did and so did the others.

"Bakudo #1, Sai!"

Instantly, their hands were forced back and they found themselves immobilized.

"Wh….!"

"Aneki…what are you..?!"

Taking Tensa Zangetsu, Ruby went over behind them and made them bend over.

"Before anything else, I think some punishment is in order for the trouble the five of you have caused, wouldn't you say?" she asked them, reversing the hold on Tensa Zangetsu.

"Wait, you can't be-"

*WHAAACK!*

"Do you have any idea what you've done!"

*SMAAACK!*

"Ignoring the wishes of your parents, your elders!"

*THUUUUMP!*

"You could've died! No, you fools nearly did die!"

*WHAAACK!* *SMAAAACK!* *THUUUMP!*

"Endangering your lives, endangering the lives of your friends!"

*WHAAAACK!*

"You're all just children! Who the hell asked you to go around playing hero? And you even got the Soul Society involved! Know your place! Do we adults mean so little to you? Huh?!"

On and on and on she went on, whacking Ichigo, Karin, Tatsuki, Chad and Uryu in their buts with Zangetsu's blunt side. The five could do nothing but shamelessly squirm and whine in pain with each hit. Their behinds were red and swollen.

"Ahahahahahah! Sounds fun! I wanna spank their butts too!" chirped the pink haired soul reaper, joining in Ruby in spanking them using her own zanpakuto.

"Is...is this alright...?" asked Yuzu uncertainly.

"Should we try to stop her...?" asked Orihime.

"Normally I would think it might be a bit too much but...she has a point" agreed Rukia. "And what she's telling them goes for you too, Yuzu, Orihime"

Every time she berated them, her words stung more than the beating they were receiving. They knew that Ruby meant well. That day, they truly realized the gravity of the situation they brought upon themselves, and what it could've led to had Ruby not intervened. Had her friends not intervened. All they could do was to avert their eyes, their minds feeling more and more guilty by the minute. They truly did want to make up for it. Because they felt they'd betrayed the trust she'd placed on them.

Ruby stopped whacking them, took a slow, deep breath and calmed herself. She could tell that they were feeling utterly horrible and guilty for their deeds. She lowered Tensa Zangetsu to her side.

"We're...sorry..." whimpered Tatsuki.

"We won't do it again..." said Karin.

"You're right...we were thinking straight" said Uryu.

"If there's anything we can do to make up for it, we will" said Chad.

"...sorry..." said Ichigo in a low voice, looking away.

Ruby sighed, her expression turning softer and her tone lighter.

"I know it might sound harsh, but all I've ever wanted, as I've mentioned time and time again, was to keep you all safe. But…I agree that I might've overdone it. I realize that I was burdening myself with something that I needn't have borne alone. And…..well, I'm guilty of the same things as well. Heck, I even did the same things you guys are doing when I was your age, Karin, Yuzu" she said with a weak smile, looking at them. "Come" she said, asking them to follow along. She released the bakudo spell, and the kids immediately got to rubbing their rear to alleviate the pain and stinging sensation from having their butts whacked. They even had difficulty walking. Ichigo still refused to take back his sword, so Ruby continued to hold on to it. She then went and seated herself on the ground near Nel, Grimmjow and the rest. "Don't worry, I'm not going to bite" she assured with her usual tone, chuckling.

"Unohana-san. Sorry to keep you waiting. I know you've been waiting for mom. But instead of just asking her to come out of the blue, I thought it would be better for me to explain a few things first so that you aren't left confused. And...I also wanted to tell you some of things that I haven't been able to tell you before. Things about my past and...things about your past as well" said Ruby, looking at Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu.

"Ruby...are you sure?" asked Nel. Ruby nodded.

"As I said, I might have been too overprotective. I know they've made their mistakes, but you could also say that it was my fault to a degree. If I'd simply told them a few things, made them understand, this whole situation could've been avoided. That's why, this time, I want to try entrusting you with the truth" she said. "Nel, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra maybe you can be in touch with Urahara-san and update yourself on the current situation while I explain things to them?" suggested Ruby. The three nodded leaving her with the rest.

If it was their attention she was looking for, she had it. Unohana, Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu, Tatsuki, Orihime, Uryu and Chad were seated around her, their eyes on her. Ruby took a deep breath.

BGM: Utawarerumono Mask of Truth OST - Evening Star

"Alright, where do I even begin? I'll try not to make this too long, since you already know some things and also because we're still not out of the loop just yet. Let me start by saying that….I'm...not of this world" she said. "Now by that, I don't mean that I don't belong in Hueco Mundo. What I mean is...I'm not from Earth. And neither is mom"

"...huh...?"

"What do you mean by that...?" asked Uryu

"You're not joking right...?" asked Tatsuki.

"You're just trying to lighten up the mood for whacking us in the ass, aren't you Ruby-nee?" asked Karin.

"No, I'm not and what have I told you about using crass language, Karin?" asked Ruby. "No. I'm 100% serious. Technically, I guess you could call me an alien, but I am...I was just as much of a human as you all are. The only difference being that my world was called 'Remnant'" And so Ruby spent the next half an hour explaining and talking about Remmant, giving them a basic idea of the geography of Remmant, the kingdoms, the humans and faunus, aura, semblances, the Grimm, her academy, huntsmen, and her days back at the academy all the way until the part where she landed in Hueco Mundo as a human being.

"Whoaaaaaa! A real life alien! I knew they existed somewhere!" squealed Orihime in excitement. She's always pictured herself being an alien, a cyborg, and many other things whenever she was asked to let lose her artistic side during class. Something that her friends would always shake their heads at. So her excitement in meeting someone who could potentially be one of those aliens was understandable.

"But that's just...too absurd!" retorted Uryu.

"That's...so much to take in..." said Karin. "So...you're telling us that you had a sister...a family...and one of your friends was even...what...a cat lady...? Like the kind they show in anime...?"

"Then that would make them our family as well...wouldnt it...? And...your friend...I didn't know you lost someone at such a young age…..onee-chan" said Yuzu sadly.

"How incredible...if what you're saying is true then...it's remarkable how similar our worlds are" said Rukia. "Or the fact that there exists another world apart from ours…"

"These Grimm things sound just like hollows and...huntsmen are just like us Shinigami..." said Renji. "I just…if it was just one or two things, I can imagine you making them up. But to go into such detail would mean that it has to be true, right? I mean, you can't just make up something that elaborate on the spot"

"Natsuko also spoke of such things when she first arrived in the soul society. Of course, back then, nobody believed her. I myself wasn't convinced and honestly, I still find it extremely hard to believe" said Unohana. "But…..I'm sure all this will make sense once we hear the whole story"

"Even if what you said is true...you said you ended up here in Hueco Mundo after using your silver eyes. What do you mean by your 'silver eyes'? Then...were you...?" asked Ichigo.

"Nope" said Ruby. "But the reason I'm here in the first place is completely different. I'll get to it. For now, as I was saying, I landed here as a human, completely tired, broken and looking for my family and friends. Naturally with no food, water or anything remotely resembling sustenance, it didn't take long for my human body to die. And then..."

Ruby continued to explain how her initial days were spent moving from one place to another, carrying her own body, to finally transforming into a Gillian, an adjuchas before finally meeting her big sis.

"...after that you know what happened. I met big-sis, Nel and the rest and we lived in peace for a while" she explained. "Oh, and eventually we did get around to burying my body by the way. Big-sis even made me a grave for it. It should be right there" she said, pointing somewhere. There was pindrop silence after she finished.

"That's just….wrong " said Rukia, grimacing.

"It's messed up, that's what it is" said Renji.

"As a soul reaper, it's shameful for us that a Plus had to go through something so undeserving. That is the reason why we do not hesitate to purify hollows; so that they don't have to linger here. However, it is true that these things do happen even with us doing our duties" said Byakuya.

"Your body…..its here…..?" asked Tatsuki. Ruby nodded. "I'll show you if you really want to see, but I don't see the point. After all, I'm not sure what you should be feeling when visiting the grave of the person along with said person ahahaha! Well anyway, I suppose this is the part you want to really hear about. My hell reishi. Right. So anyways, after a year or so in Hueco Mundo, I was captured by an arrancar scientist. Szayelaporro. The details are unimportant but….let's just say that some really messed up things happened. Torture, experimentation, forcibly making me evolve to a vasto lorde by force feeding and making full use of my regenerative abilities….well, you get the picture. I never thought I would escape. But I did. Somehow. There was a garganta opened by Szayelaporro. I knew that was my only chance. So I jumped in and…..ended up in Hell" said Ruby.

"…wait, what?!" exclaimed Rukia.

"Hell?! As in….THAT place?!"

"That is impossible" said Byakuya. "Even with a garganta, Hell is not a place one can simply enter"

Unohana merely had a shocked expression on her face.

"Wait so….when you said that you escaped the scientist and were found by mom…..was that a lie, onee-chan?" asked Yuzu.

"No. That wasn't a lie. Remember? I even said that I wasn't planning on telling you guys why I had Hell reishi. Ah wait, you wouldn't know, would you Yuzu? After all, you don't have your memory of those days-"

"I have them, onee-chan" said Yuzu with a nonchalant smile. "I've…..finally remembered. After you freed onii-chan, I recovered all of my memories. Our times together, mom, Karin-chan, Onii-chan, Rukia-san, Ikkaku-san, Yumichika-san, Kaku onee-chan….." she said slowly. Ruby's mouth flew open in surprise, following which it was replaced by a huge smile.

"I see…that's wonderful…..I'm so happy…." She said.

"Yeah so that's why I asked. I know you said you wouldn't tell us about your hell reishi but….."

"….please, tell us what happened" urged Unohana.

Ruby nodded and continued. No matter how many times she'd told others of this part of her life, it never got easier. Not because of her own experiences regarding the matter, but because it always made her listeners cringe in discomfort and pity. And it was the same this time as well. Naturally this time she didn't go into the grizzly details, considering that her siblings were listening as well. She spoke of her master, and their time together training. A fact that shocked Unohana, considering she was the only one who even knew of him.

"Wait….Reiji…?! You mean…..him?! The first captain of the 5th division?! He's your master…?! And he's in Hell….?!" Asked Unohana.

"The 5th squad…..that's Aizen's squad….." remarked Rukia. "And….if he was that first captain that would mean he's someone from the same generation as captain Unohana…from those days. Someone that powerful was your master…."

"He's Aizen's master as well, Unohana-san" replied Ruby, shocking her audience.

"…..how did nobody know this?! Sosuke Aizen…..for him to continue hiding this fact for nearly a thousand years…." wondered Unohana.

"Master said that Aizen had the potential to be far stronger than even himself, and well, he was right. He even mentioned that Aizen was a meek boy, who always kept out of the spotlight. Well, we all know now that's just how Aizen is"

"But hold on Aneki" asked Tatsuki. "If….your master is a soul reaper then….what's he doing in Hell?"

"….I thought you might ask that. And yeah. That brings me to the first reason why I wanted to mention Hell now, when I was so reluctant before. This is something that goes for you all as well, Rukia. Renji. Byakuya. Unohana-san. Zaraki-san" said Ruby with a serious tone. "In this world, you get what you are owed. You will always, always, without exception, face consequences for your actions. Be it good or bad. Even if you are a hollow, soul reaper, human or otherwise. And about Hell itself…..well, it certainly is the kind of place I would've expected of one meant to punish the wicked"

Ruby then continued on, speaking of her experiences of encountering just about every kind of slimeball, every kind of scumbag the worst of humanity had to offer. It was an eye opener; to her, who knew nothing of the worst of both worlds. Her listeners could only listen in silence, in pity,with empathy and with sadness; and it only got worse and worse with each second. The numerous times she'd died trying to escape its bowels. The numerous times she'd given in to her own bloodlust, anger and hatred to completely decimate her opponents like a savage beast. She spoke of the different attributes of Hell's creatures, and how things worked.

Yuzu was already in tears. Tatsuki was shaking, and was holding on to Ichigo the whole time. Ichigo himself felt quite pathetic. For not knowing that his elder sister had all THIS in her mind, in her past. Karin was trying her best to look strong, but her shaky hands and almost teary eyes told them otherwise. Rukia was doing her best to console the black haired twin. Unohana had the most complex expression on her face, and was still trying to figure out where Summer came in all of this. Kenpachi on the other hand, was the only one remotely excited about the whole thing. The possibility that he would be able to fight those demons for all eternity was tempting.

"…and through thick and thin, the only one I could ever rely on was her. Remember when I said that in Remnant, we huntsmen use weapons that we often create ourselves? Well, in my case that was my Crescent Rose. I brought her here along with me, and when I was in Hell, I used the materials I found there to modify her to be able to fight those demons in hell" she said.

"Wait…Crescent…she's your….." questioned Ichigo, wide eyed.

"Uh huh. Once I escape hell, she became a part of me. Because I already had hell reiatsu and because she was also made from the materials in Hell, she became the manifestation of my hell reishi. Actually, this might be a good time" said Ruby, closing her eyes and extending her hand. With a flash, there stood the familiar form of the hooded young girl. No sooner had she done that, a certain pink haired figure threw herself at her.

"ROSY!" screamed Yachiru, squeezing the hooded girl between her tiny arms.

"But you said….that she was your daughter…." Asked Tatsuki.

"She…WHAT?!" shouted Ichigo and Karin in unison. They then turned to Ruby for an explanation.

"Well, I made her, so of course she's like a daughter to me, wouldn't you say?" asked Ruby, sweatdropping. That seemed to calm them down. She noticed that her daughter and Yachiru were already busy in each other's company, completely ignoring the rest.

"Ahahaha well…..kids are never interested in long drawn out stories to begin with…." She said to herself, chuckling. Clearing her throat, she got the attention of the rest.

"In any case, with Crescent, I was able to make it through Hell. But don't get me wrong. Neither was it easy, nor could I do it via strength alone"

Ruby continued, telling about the guardians, beings who were easily stronger than any captain, vasto lorde or any other creature, and how using her wits and willpower to break through was what gave her a sliver of hope of making it through. And then, she spoke of the 5th layer.

"…..after that, that thing, which called itself the will of the Left Leg of the Soul King, took me there. To see..."

"…me" Ruby's demeaner and tone had changed, though she looked identical to how she looked like before. Some recognized that voice, and some others didn't. But the one who had the most blanked out look on their face, was Unohana.

End BGM

"…Natsuko….?" She called out softly.

"Hi there….Yachi….." said Summer slowly, shying away. "Whahahahaa long time eh? You've um…changed your hair I see ahahaha!" chuckled the eccentric soul reaper, sweatdropping. "It's been a thousand years huh? Wheeeeew, long time! Yeah, long time indeed. I'm.. um….surprised you still remembered me. You know, normally people would just forget about stuff like that. Because yeaaaaah….I'm really hoping you've forgotten that I just might have ignored all the stuff you said about Arturo and totally left to fight him on my own….and that I totally didn't utterly lose to him, that I totally didn't use my silver eyes to get myself out and totally didn't get transported to Hell after that. Yeah….things like that. Ah haha….ahahahahahahaha! Totally didn't happen, don't you worry! And after that I didn't totally get captured by Mr. Left leg. Oh and I didn't totally get tortured in Hell for a million years in all forms of ways imaginable and otherwise. Not at all. But that's only if it happened right? And my sweetums didn't totally rescue me using her silver eyes which cause me, Ruby and Crescent to fuse together and become an arrancar. Wait, what am I saying that sounds like nonsense! After all, I'm here talking to you, aren't I? Ahahahaha! If all that really happened, I would be some talking sword making sarcastic comebacks and acting like I lost all my marbles. Crazy, right? Whahahahahahahaha! Oh, and don't think I was lying inside Ruby for weeks, completely out of my mind until Masaki-san helped me and Ruby regain my mind. Because that would be super weird. Don't you think so? Ahahahahahahah!"

On and on and on she went, ranting like a lunatic without a care in the world, even going over to Unohana's side and patting her like a maniac whenever she would let out squeals of laughter. Whatever serious and dreary atmosphere was present when Ruby was narrating her tale had all been thrown out of the window. Now, nobody knew how to even react to this…woman called Summer Rose. So much so that they didn't even have anything to say. Unohana herself had a very….concerning look on her face, like she was ready to explode at any second.

The woman whom she'd considered her closest companion in a long time, the same one who had changed her very principles and outlook on who she lived as a soul reaper was here, making her suffering look like a jester's tale. Each and every thing she spoke about would've been a jaw dropper on its own. But somehow, the crazy woman had been able to turn the most horrendous events of her miserable life into jovial experiences when she spoke of them. A sharp chill ran through everyone else's backs, as Unohana grabbed Summer by her shoulders, her face dark.

"Holy mackerel…you….….uh…look a little pissed…..ahahahahaha! Now I realize that I probably owe you some sort of apology or something….." said Summer sweatdropping.

"….how long…..?" asked Unohana in a deathly whisper.

"Um…how long as in….how long was I here or….ow ow ow ow stop squeezing my shoulders! Alright I know I know...geez you're a total meanie Yachi, we haven't seen each other in forever and-eeep!" The eccentric soul reaper's rant fell short when she was silenced by a single glare from Unohana.

"So….after that mission…you go to Hell, literally…..suffer for nearly a millennia…..are tortured, killed over and over, forced to relive your worst nightmares and memories….leaving the rest of us to wonder about your fate for a 1000 years….see your daughter go through the same, become part of her…..and this is all a joke to you?" questioned the 4th division captain in a deadly whisper. Her fingers were digging into Summer's shoulders. "Not to mention acting like a deranged mad woman….is there anything else I should know? Like perhaps the fact that you chose to stay here instead of coming to see me? Hmm? Now you let me, Jushiro, Shunsui and the other grieve, for 1000 years, and this is what I waited for? Mhm?"

"Timesies! I call timesies, ju-just hold on one second Yachi! Before you really do something you end up regretting. This is really important. I just have to ask before we go any further" interrupted Summer, her face more serious this time. Unohana stopped putting pressure on her shoulders.

"Tell me….it's been a 1000 years…and you still haven't found yourself a man?" she asked, her face serious at first only to be replaced by a lopsided and empathetic smile.

*SNAP*

Summer found the wind getting slammed out of her lungs after the 4th division captain discarded all reason and emotion and rushed at her in a frenzy. The eccentric Shinigami found herself pushed down to the ground, Unohana's hand tightened around Summer's neck, shaking her furiously. It took the combined efforts of Rukia, Karin, Yuzu, Tatsuki, Renji, Orihime, Chad, Uryu and Ichigo to pull her off.

"*Cough* *Cough* uwaaah uaaaaah I just saw my life pass by in the blink of an eye!" said Summer deadpanned, rubbing the area around her neck and dusting herself.

"Oy stop fuckin around, she'll really kill you this time!" snapped Renji.

"Heh heh, this woman is an interesting one. To make 'that' Unohana act like that…." Rasped Kenpachi.

"Um….I think you should just leave it to Onee-chan, Summer-san…" said Yuzu meekly.

"At least nee-san sounded like she meant it. Just bring her out already, none of us have time to deal nonsense right now, Summer-san" snapped Ichigo.

"Nonsense huh? Well aren't you a bright bulb, Ichi?" asked Summer, looking away from them, her tone completely serious this time. So much so that it threw off Unohana and the others. "Nonsensical rambling is what it was. Ruby was making it sound like it mattered, but the truth is, none of you seem to have picked up that what happened to me or her couldn't matter more than the dirt I'm standing on"

"How the hell can you say that?!" roared Tatsuki.

"Does it?" she asked, closing in on Tatsuki, and then looking at the rest. "The things I've gone through, the things that she's gone through are stuff that's already done and dusted. Finished. There have been some messed up things that happened because of it, but also good things. Right now, we're both here. Alive and healthy. With the people we want to be with. So why should you also become all depressed about that? When it really achieves nothing? It's not like you're getting the knowledge to save someone, nor are you learning some method to make it all go away. And besides, we've both learnt to live with it. I should've just done this from the beginning but well, that girl felt like telling you all first. And I just needed to do something to show that in the end, it doesn't matter" she said.

"Because the reason she even brought this up was for you" she said, looking at Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu, Tatsuki, Chad, Orihime and Uryu. "What she really wanted to say, was that if you kids continue to get involved with those guys, you will inevitably end up in a messed up career where your life is always in danger and you're forced to do things that will dirty your souls more than you can imagine. Like taking lives when the situation calls for it, or having to die for the sake of others who aren't even as noble and pure as you are" she explained. "And Ruby and I have seen first hand what comes out of being someone who's always out there, fighting for our lives. In Hell and in Hueco Mundo. That's why she had such an aversion to you going around playing hero. Because she knew what lay at the end of that path. And she wanted you all to know that properly without having to experience it yourself"

"Summer-san….."

"And the same goes for you lot as well" said Summer, looking at Rukia, Renji, Byakuya. "Don't get too complacent thinking that you'll be exempt from your actions just because you are soul reapers. Reiji being in Hell proves that. Speaking of which…..Byakuya-san….I do believe you were responsible for nearly killing my Karin and Yuzu, were you not?" asked Summer straight faced.

"Ah…that's….!" started Yuzu.

"I mean….yeah he did, but well…" said Karin.

*SWIIIISH*

Byakuya felt a slight breeze pass him by, and he could feel steel at his throat. The eccentric soul reaper was right in front of him, holding his own zanpakuto in her hand and holding it at his throat. Neither had he seen her approach him, nor had he seen her draw his zanpakuto.

"Never do that, ok?"

A foreboding shiver passed through him, Renji and Rukia. Byakuya in particular, was completely unsettled by her sudden shift in tone, attitude, her bloodlust and also, those eyes. Her outlandish, bizarre silver eyes now promised death. A cold sweat ran down his cheek.

"Summer-san, please don't!" begged Rukia.

"Summer-san it's fine! There were circumstances surrounding that!" explained Ichigo.

*SWIIISH!*

"And of course, how can I ever, ever forget everything you've done for those three! And such a cutie too! You know, you remind me of my darling so much! Kyahahahaha!"

Rukia Kuchiki found herself being lifted up and down by Summer who was now right in front of her with a cheerful and lopsided grin on her face. Any instance of bloodlust she had vanished completely without a single trace. And Byakuya's sword was right back in his sheath.

"Wh..wha-! Lady Summer, please, put me down!" pleaded an embarrassed Rukia, but the goofy soul reaper continued to play with her while the rest watched dumbfounded.

"That's it…I give up…." Sighed Tatsuki, slumping to the ground.

"Someone punch me and tell me I haven't been drugged or something because there's no way someone this senile could exist….." remarked Renji deadpanned.

"It's fine actually…..she's always like that…" said Yuzu, sweatdropping.

"Yeah….indeed…..ahahaha!" added Orihime.

"Oy! What was all that about?!" asked Karin. "One second you're about to kill him and now you're handling Ruki-nee like a rag doll!"

"Huh…? Well, he did try to kill you both, so naturally I couldn't just let that go right? But this cutie here did put her life on the line and more to make sure you guys stayed safe and she's that guy's sister. So that's why I just left him with a warning. It's fine isnt it?" asked Summer as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"GHYAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I like this one! Hey, crazy lady! You really put cherry blossom in his place. It got my blood pumping. How about we both go a few rounds, you and I?" asked Kenpachi, pointing his zanpakuto.

"Well I never! What are you saying in front of all these kids, captain?" asked Summer, faking a surprised reaction. She released Rukia, who then fell to the ground with a soft 'plop'. "And I'm a married woman you know, you can't be asking me to commit adultery, and to someone you just met too"

"Huuh? And what does that have to do with me wanting to fight…?" he asked, confused. But Renji and Rukia went bright red, as did Ichigo, Tatsuki, Uryu and Chad. Orihime stared at them with a blank look while Yuzu was asking Karin why she was going red as well. Unohana facepalmed herself. Just what in the soul king's name had happened to her companion?

"SUMMER-SAN!" they cried in unison.

"Ahahaha sorry sorry I'm just joking! Anyways, sorry about not coming over and telling you immediately Yachi. But well, I was planning to come visit you once this whole mess with Aizen has been settled. Because I really want to see you when there was nothing world threatening out there in the horizon. I even thought I could take pity on you, dress up like a man and take you out on a date or something, you know, since you still haven't managed to find yourself a man. You're hopeless Yachi, you know that? Well, atleast you have this refreshing side to you now. Back then, I'm pretty sure I would've gotten killed by you a dozen times over" she sighed. "But well, atleast this part's finally over. Now you know why your sister was hell bent on stopping you all from doing what you did and why she was so angry. The rest of it you know. The two of us spent a whole year with you guys, and then after she died, she wanted us to go back to Hueco Mundo, since that is where Nelliel and the others were. And that's where we learnt that we were summoned to this world by a higher power. I have a few speculations of course, but I can't be sure exactly who it is that's responsible for our arrival here" she said.

"Wait…..you said you were summoned….?" Asked Uryu.

"Uh huh. The guy showed Ruby what's been going on back home in the time she's been away. Short version: everyone dies and the planet is destroyed by the gods who created it. I know I know, don't give me that look, it's hard to believe but after that entity said that they were the one responsible for summoning us here, sending us to hell at those precise times, I was prepared to believe them a little more. And…..they also mentioned that we would see them once this whole fiasco with Aizen is over. I have my guesses, but it could be possible that it might've been the soul king. I can't think up of many others who have that kind of power"

"The soul king…?! You mean….you're telling me she met the Soul King himself..?!" asked Renji.

"Maybe. Maybe not. It's all speculation and we won't truly know until this whole thing is over. But yeah, after that, she and I were totally determined to make it through this whole mess and find out what in the world has been going on. And so, six years went by after that until, well, you know, you came crashing here" explained Summer. She then deeply sighed. "Well, in any case, I think I want to take a small breather. I'll go check up with Nel and the others. I imagine you want some time to talk amongst yourselves as well" said Summer, going over towards where Nel and the others were.

There was a strange silence that followed after Summer left the scene. There was just so much they learnt in such a short span of time, the more they thought about it, the more difficult it was becoming to think straight. Each one had different emotions running rampant in their heads. The only thing interrupting their thoughts was the occasional squeal from Yachiru playing with Crescent in the back. There was still so much they wanted to talk about, so much they wanted to ask. They were mostly talking amongst themselves in groups. Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu and Tatsuki in one, Uryu ,Orihime and Chad in another group right next to Ichigo's, Rukia, Renji, Byakuya and Kenpachi in another and Yachiru by herself.

---

"So...you got a Bankai eh...?" asked Karin, both as a way to break the uncomfortable silence and as a way to divert the topic from Ruby.

"Yeah...onee-chan taught me how" she said. "I couldnt learn any quincy techniques since there was no other quincy here. And well, you saw what it does. Within a span of 100 meters, I can control the reishi in the air to form a protective barrier around anything or anyone. And of course, since I'm manipulating reishi, I can also mold it to form other shapes. But the reishi is only good enough to defend and not really attack"

"Ehhh...that's amazing..." said Tatsuki. "If you ask me, that's even better than your Bankai, wouldnt you say, Ichigo?"

Ichigo had another look at his sword, feeling even more pathetic about being so scared to even hold his sword. Compared to the things that Summer and his sister had gone through, his own troubles seemed so trivial. And yet, it was her who finally managed to pull him out of his frenzied state.

"Come on Ichi-nii, stop being all depressed and stuff. Like Ruby-nee said, she's here now. And personally, I wouldnt have minded if she didnt tell us all that stuff. She herself said that too" said Karin.

"Actually Karin-chan, it was Summer-san who..."

"Nope. I refuse to acknowledge it was that deranged woman who said anything...urgh, I'll get a headache if I'm reminded of that scene again. I know it was Summer-san who did all that, but it was still Ruby-nee's body. You can't imagine how it feels to see Ruby-nee's body act and talk that way. Heh heh, speaking of which...I really wanted to get a feel of Ruby-nee's body and see if it really felt like a cat's body" said Karin with a mischevious look on her face.

"Y...you're making a scary face there, Karin-chan...but...you said you wanted to use the völlständig back then right...? So...does that mean...?"

"Oh yeah, I never told you. Yeah, I can use it. Not here though, since I need to absorb reishi for it to work and well, the reishi here isnt really that nice compared to the Soul Society or the World of the Living" she said.

"Must be nice, getting powerups all the time" sighed Tatsuki. "If anything, I'm the one who has to be depressed rather than this goof here" she said, slapping Ichigo on the head. The orange haired soul reaper angrily glared at her.

"Still, I never thought you'd learn quincy techniques...let alone from Ryuken-san. I thought you hated going to him?" asked Yuzu.

"Well...I dunno. After you were kidnapped by Aizen...I just...hated the fact that I was always looking for excuses not to do stuff. Even when mom died, you were always taking care of all the stuff and I couldnt even do simple stuff like help around the house. That's why...I wanted to do your share of work as well. So that I could fight both like a quincy and like a soul reaper" she said, looking away in embarrassment. Yuzu embraced her sister with a proud smile, further embarrassing her while Tatsuki beamed at the twins with a warm smile.

"Look at those two and look at you. Aren't you a man? Your younger sisters have more backbone to them than you do right now" she said, shaking her head.

But despite their best efforts to divert his thoughts, Ichigo couldnt take his own thoughts away from everything he'd learnt about his elder sister.

---

Unohana had a solemn look on her face. She'd never imagined in her entire life that this is what she had been through. It was too cruel; she, who was the most peace-loving person during the bloodiest times of the soul society faced a punishment more severe than even the worst criminals she ever knew. She was taking several deep breaths just to refresh her thoughts and clear her mind.

"Natsuko...what in the world happened to you...? I dont understand...even when you tell me everything, it seems far too outlandish that a person like you would become someone like...this. Just how much have you suffered, for you to have become this way? Surely you only gave us the watered down version of events, right? After all, if what happened to you was drastic enough to change you like this...and...that look from before...you really looked ready to end Captain Byakuya's life. I've never seen your eyes with such bloodlust, even back in the war. Just...just what have they done to you...Natsuko...? It's ironic, wouldnt you say? I, who never hesitated to take another's life gave up my way of living, just so I can fulfill my promise to you. No doubt doing so has brought certain peace to my heart, even if I cannot indulge in my desires. But you...you, who wanted nothing more than to live in peace, were broken, shattered and tortured for sins you did not commit, only for you to gain something you dont want; an instinct to kill, bloodlust that can put even the likes of captain Byakuya in a cold sweat...if karma really does exist as you proclaim, then...what compensation did you get for a million year's worth of suffering, Natsuko? Not only you, but your daughter wasn't spared of your fate either. And yet...though you seem more...animated than before, you can still smile the same way you did all those years ago..."

---

"Brother...you know...I always thought to be a Soul Reaper, helping souls and purifying hollows was just and noble. That we were beings that brought peace and order to both the living and the dead. But...after hearing Summer-san's words...it makes me think that we Soul Reapers are no better than humans. After all, we have our own troubles, our own flaws and even while performing our duties, we still cannot save everyone or everything. And considering what happened with Aizen, even we have people who go astray" said Rukia. "I never thought Hell was a place I would need to think about save for those times the gates open to take in sinful humans. But...I suppose it's only fair that everyone is judged equally for their deeds"

"Heh, just what are you talkin' about missy? Noble? Soul Reapers? You gotta be fuckin' kiddin', right? Is that somethin' cherry blossom teaches you?" asked Kenpachi with glee, earning a glare from Byakuya. "You seem to be mistaken, missy so I'll tell ya nice an' simple. You're here because of your ability to cut up things to ribbons. The better you are at it, the more recognition you get from the old fart. You can slice 20 hollows at once with a single slash of your sword? The old man promotes you to lieutenant. You can destroy an entire division building with your bankai? Well, what do you know, yer wearin' a fancy white coat and are now the captain of that division you just decimated. It's that simple. If you think otherwise, you're messed up in yer head, that's what. Go on and tell me I'm wrong. If it werent for that, we'd be nothin' more than petty criminals that the old fart takes care of from time to time by sending people like us to do his dirty job" rasped Kenpachi.

"but that's...you can't just clasify all soul reapers as being bloodthirty murderers!" protested Renji.

"Oh? And yet, you didnt argue back with what I said, didja Rooster head? Savin' people? Dont make me laugh! Even when yer 'savin' people' yer still cutting up hollows to do it. Admit it. Our whole job's to kill stuff. Be it hollows, other rogue soul reapers or even those quincy or whatever else that comes in our way. Get it, missy?" he said, placing his hand on Rukia's head.

"That's enough, captain" said Byakuya coldly, glaring at Kenpachi. "Our morale is already low enough with Summer Rose's tales. We do not need more discord amongst ourselves from you of all people"

"Heh, snide little prick. Here's a word of advice for all three of you, seeing that I'm such a nice guy an' all. You should stop worrying about going to Hell and what not and worry about what you want to do. Whether you like it or not, yer in a profession where you cut up stuff and kill stuff. Now I like it plain and simple; I just cut things I want to cut. The strong. Like her, and her and that brat" he said, pointing to Unohana, Summer and Ichigo. "So it's up to you to decide what it is that you wanna cut that gives you satisfaction. You like it when you squash weaklings? Go for it, I dont give a shit. But if yer happy, who the fuck cares. You want to protect brats like those four? Once again, as long as yer happy, who fuckin' cares. If yer in a profession where you end up in Hell for doing what you like to do, then I might as well live the way I damn please and when I go to Hell, I'll just do as I please all over again. That way, nothin' gets me depressed no matter where I am" said Kenpachi. Neither Rukia, nor Renji nor Byakuya had anything more to say after that.

---

Finally, Yachiru and Crescent came crashing to the ground right in their midst.

"Ahahahahah! That was fun!" squealed Yachiru, sheathing her zanpakuto. Likewise, Crescent de-materialized the scythe she had in her hands.

"Heh, look at you having fun by yourselves" rasped Kenpachi. "You should've called me if she was really that strong"

"Oh you're being silly, Kenny! My Rosy is definitely strong, but she's not as strong as her mom. That's why I thought I'd play with Rosy instead of Kenny so that Kenny can fight with her mom!" chimed Yachiru.

"I still can't believe she's nee-san's daughter…I mean…..I know she held her own against Ulquiorra but still…" said Ichigo.

"Wait…she fought that guy?!" asked Karin, surprised.

"Well, not really, since Ulquiorra wasn't serious either. But I couldn't do a thing to him back then and she was the one who held him off at that point….of course, after that nee-san came over" said Ichigo. "Oh yeah, speaking of which, I thought you couldn't speak. But that was definitely your voice, wasn't it?" he asked, looking at Crescent.

"Huh…? She spoke? That can't be right" said Yuzu.

"No no, I swear, she definitely spoke to me back then! Oy, say something!" asked Ichigo, looking at the robed girl. Crescent merely tilted her head with a questioning look.

"Now you're just being silly, Ichi!" teased the pink haired girl.

"Hey come on now, you're making me look like the bad guy here. What was all that stuff about having fun and wanting to go out to see everyone?" asked Ichigo with a dumbfounded expression. Crescent continued to look at him confused, whilst Yachiru began whispering in Crescent's ear while pointing at Ichigo, looking at him like an odd specimen. Ichigo could make out the words 'bonkers', 'daydreaming' and 'marbles'.

"You damn brats I'm gonna…come back here! Hey!"

And so began a cat and mouse chase between the orange haired soul reaper and the mischievous duo. It didn't help Ichigo that Yachiru sneaked away with Tensa Zangetsu, promising to give it to Kenpachi to break in two if he didn't catch them both.

"Sh…should we even interrupt them..?" asked Renji.

"Psssh leave me out of it. I'm already having a big headache after everything Ruby-nee said" said Karin, turning a blind eye.

"If she's Ruby's daughter, then wouldn't that make you both aunts to her? Then…wouldn't Ichigo be her uncle?!" asked Rukia.

"Oy oy don't say scary stuff like that, it makes me feel old" replied Karin, deadpanned.

"But then, technically, Ruby-san is old enough to have a child, so…" wondered Orihime.

"I'm just gonna pretend that she's aneki's zanpakuto and nothing more" said Tatsuki stubbornly.

"Honestly I don't see the problem with acting like her aunt, what does your age have anything to do with-"

"You keep quiet, four-eyes!" cried Tatsuki and Karin in unison.

"Well now, I see you've all sobered up" said Summer, appearing in their midst once again. This time with Grimmjow, Nel and Ulquiorra. "That's good too because the situation back in the World of the Living isnt really pleasant. And you two! Come, that's enough playing for one day ,don't you think darlings?" she called out to Yachiru and Crescent, flash stepping to them and separating them with each hand. Yachiru pouted, calling Summer names before joining Kenpachi while Crescent de-materialized and returned to Summer.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Ichigo.

"We were in contact with Urahara-san using that device he gave Ruby. As it stands, Aizen, Gin, Tosen and Momo along with the rest of the arrancars have engaged the soul reapers sent to intercept them. Simply put, the battles haven't been kind to the soul reapers" said Nel. "Of course, Urahara-san said he would do everything he could to hold off Aizen but…"

"What!? Then why are we still here?! We should go and help them out!" said Renji.

"Be as that may be, we were not part of the tactics that captain Kyouraku devised for the battle against Aizen. The question is whether we need to assist them at the cost of disrupting our own tactics or whether we stay here and avoid introducing last minute changes to our war plans" said Byakuya. "If we desert our post here prematurely, we could make the situation worse"

"But wait, didn't you say that the situation was bad enough as it is? Then what does it matter?" asked Karin.

"Alright, alright, looks like mamma Summer will need to step in for you all again" said Summer, literally stepping in between them. "Urahara-san himself wasn't that elaborate, considering that he's held up with Aizen, to put it lightly. But well, in short, the soul reapers are….screwed. Big time. Most of the lieutenants have been put out of commission as well as some of the captains. But Aizen's side has suffered massive loses as well. The arrancars have, for one. Aizen himself hasn't moved. But Urahara-san made one thing clear. Things aren't going well even for him, but he's managing"

"No….!" said Rukia, grimacing.

"Has Urahara-san mentioned anything particular about the condition of our forces?" asked Unohana.

"No. He said he had his hands full dealing with the situation so this was all he managed to tell us" said Summer. "But he said that even he can't assure that he can take care of Aizen. After all, even headcaptain was rendered helpless against him. Turns out that Aizen had something up his sleeve to seal off the headcaptain's zanpakuto."

"What..?!" exclaimed Rukia.

"What do we do, captain?" asked Renji.

"Unohana-san….if you fought Aizen, you could stop him right?" asked Uryu. "Surely you're stronger than him"

"No, that I cannot do" she replied. "My role….is to be a healer. Which of course means I should make my way there to take care of the wounded. And that is what I shall do"

"And besides, you all forget something. Aizen's kyoukasuigetsu. Getting past his kyoukasuigetsu itself will be taxing. When trying to fight someone at that level, being lost and mislead by illusions and risk friendly fire is the last thing you want" added Nel. "All of us Espada have seen his Shikai release, and so have all of you. Meaning this. Before you can even think of matching his strength or techniques, you still need to get past his zanpakuto first. And this is his shikai we're talking about. Who knows how powerful a zanpakuto like kyoukasuigetsu is in its bankai state"

"Then what's our plan here? Do we even have a plan?" asked Karin.

"We do, and Urahara-san agrees as well. There IS one person who can put up a fight" said Summer. "You, Ichigo. Well, actually, Karin and Yuzu can too. But there's a specific reason why it has to be you"

"Wait, me?" he asked, raising his eyes.

"I suspected as much" said Unohana. "The three of you are the only ones to whom Aizen hasn't shown his shikai release. Meaning this; you are immune to its effects. But young Karin and Yuzu are still not as strong as Aizen. But you on the other hand…you're strong enough to even wound me"

"And that's not even the full extent of your abilities" added Summer. "I….and Ruby don't like this one bit. But…..as she said, though you are still kids, you're still a lot more mature for other kids your age. I believe you can do it" Ichigo looked at Tensa Zangetsu, and then back at Summer.

"Don't give me that look. I know things got a bit sticky here and there, but so what? Your sister went through all that and still managed to stay sane, didn't she? Are you really willing to kick the bucket just like that? Look" she said, going over to Nel, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. "I…..We'll do what we can. I'm not sure there's much we can do against kyoukasuigetsu, but for one, I know how to counter it. But by myself I'm not strong enough. First, we need to stop both factions from fighting and causing any more bloodshed. And then, Nel, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra can hold Aizen at bay along with Urahara-san, Isshin, Ryuken and Yoruichi. Yachi can take care of healing the wounded. Basically, we'll do what we need to do and wait for you. You'll still need someone to open a garganta from this side, so I can stay back. It'll also be good for someone to keep watch just in case ans also because I think I can put up a fairly good fight, considering that I can look past Kyoukasuigetsu's illusions. A trump card needs to be saved till the end, right? The rest of you can accompany Nel to the World of the Living. If something happens there, Orihime's abilities can be quite handy" said Summer. "Does that sound good?" she asked everyone. They all gave their nods of approval, but Ichigo still looked unsure.

"I….I can't…" he said. "What if he goes berserk again?! What if I end up killing them…? I just….I can't risk that" he said.

"You wont" said Summer. "And besides, you're looking at this the wrong way. Your zanpakuto is not your enemy. It's a part of you. It only responds to your calls, your will and your instincts. But you wont ever get over this aversion to your inner hollow unless you really try to understand. How do you think I, Ruby and Crescent live together like this?" she asked. "Being someone who was initially a soul reaper and then became a zanpakuto, I can tell. Look. Your sister was strong right? You look up to her, don't you? Compared to what she's gone through, you still have it a lot easier. But use that as a motivation to believe that you won't succumb to something like this. Talk to your zanpakuto. Listen to what he has to say. Don't have prejudices and try to look at things from their perspectives as well. And then, I'm sure you'll find peace with your inner hollow as well. And I'll be here as well, right by your side"

"I'll…..try" he said, reluctantly picking up Tensa Zangetsu.

"If you're still not convinced, then here's something, just for the four of you" she said, gathering Yuzu, Karin, Tatsuki and Ichigo and edging closer so that only the four of them could hear. "You know that your dad is a soul reaper, right? Which is why you all have Shinigami powers, correct?" she asked. The siblings nodded. "And the two of you have quincy powers as well. But your dad isnt one. So….where do you think you both got it from? I imagine you already have an idea, right?" she asked. Karin and Yuzu looked at each other and reluctantly nodded their head. "Yeah….mom, right?" said Karin.

"That's right. Masaki. Your mom was a Quincy" answered Summer.

"Wait….mom was…!" exclaimed Ichigo.

"I thought you'd figure it out, Ichigo" said Tatsuki. "But yeah, I was surprised too, when I learnt that aunty was a Quincy"

"Is it really surprising?" she asked. "How else can you explain them having quincy powers? I'm sure even you must've considered it, right? Look, everyone else knows. It doesn't take a genius to find out"

"I've accepted that as true for some time Ichi-nii" said Karin. "I mean, when you think about it, it's pretty obvious" she said.

"….I guess….but still…..when you just tell me like that, I still find it hard to believe" he answered.

"Listen. Your mom wanted you kids to grow up as normal kids. If she showed off her powers, that would kinda defeat the purpose, wont it? She may have appeared to be a normal human, but she was even stronger than your dad. After all, your big sister did fight her once in a sparring match" said Summer, surprising the kids.

"Sh….she did….?!" Exclaimed Ichigo.

"Uh huh"

"W…was mom…strong…? Who won…?" asked Karin.

"Well, since it was just a spar, there was no winner or loser per se. But you know..…..even with just that, your mom was still a badass" winked Summer, smiling at them. "And you three are her badass kids. So you cant be wimping out, now can you?" she asked them. When Summer said that, it filled them with a strange sort of vigor, a sort of renewed determination that brought them confidence.

"Ah...ahaha...of course...aneki is...really amazing after all..." said Tatsuki with a bittersweet smile.

"….yeah. Of course we are" grinned Karin. "Thanks, Summer-san"

"And that's not all" said Summer "Now, this is just the short version because I still need to brief them up before they leave. But it is important, so I'll keep things as elaborate as possible. Before meeting your dad, there was a certain arrancar that attacked the town your mom was living in. This was around 20 years ago. So your mom was still a teenager herself. But this arrancar, let's call him White. Now White here was…" said Summer, explaining to the kids all the events that unfolded on that fateful day, starting from White's origin as one of Aizen's creations, their father who tried to intercept White, only for their mother, who happened to witness the whole thing to come over and help their dad, saving him from White by finishing it off, the aftermath of which caused White to fuse with Masaki's soul putting her in danger of dying, the arrival of Urahara to help Masaki and Isshin by using a special gigai to prevent White from destroying Masaki's soul and their life together for the subsequent years as normal humans, since Isshin lost his soul reaper powers after entering the special gigai to save Masaki. The siblings listened, enraptured and enamored, about the past of their parents. The things that their mother, who never showed any signs of weakness in front of them, went through to be the person in their memories. And their goofy dad who had so much more going on for him than what appeared on the surface.

"….and then the two finally got a gift. You" said Summer, pointing to Ichigo. "And when you were born, Mr. White who was freeloading off Masaki's body jumped to the next one. Yours. And well, you can guess where I'm going with this, can't you? Mr. White really can't combine with quincy souls. The two are like oil and water. Heck, its even poison to quincies. But….shinigami and hollow….now that just works, doesn't it? Like Vanilla and Chocolate ice cream. If Karin and Yuzu have both quincy and Shinigami powers, don't you think you'll have them too?" asked Summer.

"….huh….?"

"….oh yeah….now that you think about it…." Wondered Karin.

"I thought it was strange too…..why onii-chan never had any quincy powers…" said Yuzu.

"You have both. But….when Mr. White jumped over to your body, he didn't like the quincy power he found. But that Shinigami power was like a feast to him, waiting to feed him. And so, he did just that. He merged with your Shinigami powers and became just that. So now….you have a shinigami-hollow hybrid spirit and the manifestation of your quincy powers. You may be wondering, why don't those two combine as well? After all, in Karin and Yuzu's cases, that's what happened. But, ah hah! They can't, remember? Quincy and hollow can't mix. But your quincy power needed some way to manifest itself. Quincies don't normally have inner worlds and zanpakuto spirits. And yet, it couldn't merge with your shinigami/hollow powers. But….because of how unique your situation is, your quincy power was forced to oblige to those rules. Otherwise, you would've died. But because this happened, here you are, alive and kicking. Now, I don't need to tell you this, but…..now, you know who is who….dont you? When you told Ruby about your inner hollow and zanpakuto and talked about them as two different things, I already had a hunch you didn't quite get what was actually going on. But I thought the time wasn't right back then. But now….you know, don't you?"

Ichigo didn't answer, and merely stared blankly into space, his eyes wide and pupils contracted. His hands were shaking, and he was sweating profusely.

"Oy Ichigo...what's wrong?!"

"Onii-chan..?!"

"Ichi-nii…?!"

His erratic breathing became stable and he stopped shaking when he felt Summer's protective aura cover him, and her hands caught his in an assuring manner. "Ichigo, I know this is a bit sudden to take in, but its all fine. Instead of panicking, talk to them. In any relationship, communication is a key element. It can make or break a person. I don't know what your zanpakuto spirits have told you. But in the end, as I've mentioned, they are there for you. They care for you, in their own way. Talk to them. Don't think about Aizen, don't think about me, your sisters or anyone else. Just…..take as long as you need, and talk to them. Understand them. Think from their perspective. And I'm sure everything will make sense. Your mother lived with Mr. White for 20 years. And your dad too, gave up everything he had just so that he could help the woman who helped him. The three of you are their kids. So be strong. After all, if you want to protect others, you should be strong yourself, right?" she said, patting him. Ichigo seemed to have calmed down, and gave her a nod.

"But wait…..Summer-san….if mom was really that strong then….how did she die…?" asked Ichigo. "You're not telling me that someone like Grand Fisher killed her, are you?"

"…..you're right. She didn't die because of him. But…..it's already getting late. The more we drag things here, the more people there are in danger of falling to Aizen. Let's just say that Masaki's death had nothing to do with Aizen. Let's get over this crisis first. And then, we can talk about this topic, is that alright?" she asked.

"Will you really tell us?" asked Karin.

"Promise. Either I or Ruby will. But just not now. For now, you should get things straight with your Zanpakuto. Who knows, your inner spirits may even tell you that. And until you make your peace with them, Nel and the other soul reapers and arrancars will hold Aizen for you. Is that clear?" she asked. Yuzu and Karin nodded.

"Good. Stay right here while I go and clear a few things with them first, alright? Karin? Yuzu? Tatsuki? The four of you have always been together, facing whatever happens and emerging victorious. It's no different this time around as well. And I and Ruby will be here right by your side. And Ichigo….remember, don't worry about anything. It'll all be fine. You're her son. You're like my own son. And your Ruby's brother. With such amazing people looking after you, you can't be falling behind, now can you?" she asked. Ichigo nodded. "That's the way. Then, I'll be right back" she smiled, before giving them one big hug, like a mother would to her children before sending off Nel and the others to intercept the battle in the World of the Living.

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So I thought I would include a fun little artwork I made, it's basically a conversation between Summer and Unohana that happens 1000 years ago. You can search for "Unohana Yachiru tries her lieutenant, Summer Rose's cookies (Bleach x RWBY)"

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Whew, that's another double chapter done! I hope you liked it and as usual, I always appreciate your comments and hope I can write better and better! So yeah, the next chapter will be about what's been happening in the world of the living in the meantime. In fact, the part where Ruby returns to Remnant isnt too far off. Just a few chapters away.

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Response to reviews:

Argorok: Thanks a lot! Indeed, the next chapter should pretty much cover a large part of the war.

Spellflame: Yup.

Fregreg: Well, arrancars resurreccion names are just the Spanish names of the animals that the Espada and arrancars are based after. Ruby's is a cheetah. And she's a female. Guepardo is a male cheetah, and so Gueparda is a female cheetah. Hence the name.

firewyrm2: Ah I see. Unfortunately I'm not too familiar with Inuyasha lore, been a super long time since I read that. And thanks!

Rairi Valelira: Ahaha thanks!

Kragh: Thanks a lot!

Crimsongear: Thanks a lot! Hope this one did justice as well!

NinjaGogeta: Well, you saw the reason in this chapter. But personally I thought it would be too obvious if I had all members of RWBY show up, so I tried doing something more fitting. Yang will be a lot more important when she returns to Remnant. Most Remnant characters for that matter.

Mobian: Yup! A lot of new revelations in this chapter as well.

AnimeA55Kicker: Ah, it wasn't my intention honestly. I'm still trying to make it as little dramatic as possible but I suppose I could do better. How do you suggest I can make it less dramatic?

Cyan-Snake: Well they got their butt whacked in front of everyone I'm pretty sure that was worse than just getting slapped :D

L4 of the WEST: Thanks for your continued support!

Guest: They will. In time.

Vedahzii: Yeah you're right. Just that Guepardo is a male cheetah and Gueparda is the female version, so I used that. But of course, I don't speak Spanish and I could be wrong. I see, I'll definitely give black crypt synod arcana a spin!

Xeno01: Ahahaha indeed! I really don't want to make another Kurama like relationship between any of the characters. This chapter as some of the stuff you expected and some more as well. Hope you liked it and thanks a lot as always!

Zifryt: Thanks! Ah well….they have a lot more to be surprised about. Like Ruby's entire journey pretty much. Especially the bits where she was in Hell.

NEGATARO: Thanks a lot as always!