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).

59. Chapter 59: Worlds apart

Chapter 59: Worlds apart

Ruby Rose woke up feeling groggy and nauseous, with her temple throbbing painfully. It was hardly the worst pain she'd felt in her long life, and yet, it sent waves of unpleasantness. She was quite used to changing environments as well as changes in her own body, and yet, there was something very icky about her current situation. She would be lying if she said she didn't feel annoyed. From the light pouring onto her room, she could tell it was late in the morning, if not sometime closer to noon. Which by itself was strange, for she was never one to sleep that long into the day.

"Urgh…..this is worse than the hangover I got after the night at Kukaku's place" she mused to herself grumpily, remembering the events of the party following Aizen's defeat. And yet, she could only remember bits and pieces of the events of the previous night. Anxiety began to kick in when she noticed just how quiet everything was. No matter how much she peered inside, all she found was black nothingness, which mirrored her current feelings of anxiety.

Then it came back to her. The Togabito in Remnant. Her home in Patch. Seeing her friends and family. Salem. And…..Crescent and her mom. And the feeling of emptiness that overtook her senses and the primal feeling that followed right after. She simply slumped to the floor, helpless and dejected. She felt neither frustrated nor despaired about her current situation. She simply felt empty. Tired. She simply wanted to go back to bed, which brought her attention to her current surroundings.

Where was she? Honestly, she couldn't tell. Her current room was spic and span, and almost entirely white. There were not that many things that served as interior decor, giving Ruby the feeling that she was in some kind of ultra clean white room. There was a single bed and a window through which sunlight poured into the room, accentuating the whiteness of the walls and ceiling. And by her bedside were flowers with a small note beside it.

"Get well soon…I cannot wait to be with you again" Ruby read out the note aloud. "Doesn't tell me anything else….who could it be from?" And just beside it was an overflowing plate of perfectly baked, delicious smelling cookies. Ruby couldn't help but break into a smile, as her hands automatically reached out for one of them and popped them into her mouth.

"Hmmm…..whoever made these knows their stuff. Nothing like a few of these to sweeten up my mood…" she thought to herself. There was a hint of familiarity in their taste, but in her current groggy mind, she couldn't quite tell.

Looking out the window, she saw that her room was quite high up, but that gave her a bird's eye view of everything else.

"This is…..definitely Atlas City" she noted to herself. Atlas…..how in the world? The last thing I remember, I was definitely in Beacon…..hrmm…nope. Can't remember anything after that. But that can be easily fixed. I just need to…

With a practiced motion, she tapped her finger in the air, almost reflexively walking into a phantom garganta that wasn't present. She blinked and stumbled a bit, almost as if missing a step while walking down a flight of stairs. Then it dawned on her.

…of course I can't…huh? Would be safe to assume I have no access to any of my Arrancar abilities. Speaking of which, I can't feel my hell reishi either.

Ruby let out another long sigh, and let herself just slump against the wall. Though the door to her room was a place she hadn't checked, she felt no drive at the moment to do so. She didn't know how long she stayed like that, wallowing in her own empty thoughts. The light in her room had dimmed, telling her that it had atleast been a couple of hours.

She thought about making the best of her situation and finding out more information. Clearly she was in neutral territory, if not a friendly one. She was still alive, after all, and in such a pristine place. But of course, she knew such places functioned just as well as a prison.

*Clop clop clop*

Her sensitive ears perked up when the sounds of someone approaching could be heard. Her instincts kicked in, as she got into a defensive position, and she tried scanning for the approaching person's reishi.

Nothing.

She blinked, trying again, only to get the same result.

The footsteps grew louder now and quicker. Whoever was approaching clearly had no consideration for subtlety. Ruby considered blasting them with a bala blast, but what if it was an ally instead?

With no warning whatsoever, the footsteps turned into a full on sprint, the sounds echoing off the hallway beyond the door and making it sound as though there was a hailstorm of stones. Ruby had just enough time to move away from the door before she saw an orange blur and two blue lights rush right into her field of vision. It was no exaggeration to say that even with her reflexes, she couldn't avoid the body tackle of death as it knocked the wind out of her. However, even as she crashed into the ground with her mysterious attacker, familiar feelings and memories came rushing to her mind.

"Pe…nny..?" she managed to gasp, before the lights went out again.

Somehow, her current blackout seemed even longer than the one she suffered following the events of the previous night. This time however, there was a familiar, almost soothing presence accompanying her throughout. It made her emptiness feel like a forgotten memory, almost covering it with a warm, holy light. A feeling that was almost unmistakable.

It almost made tears well up in her eyes. Almost. She considered it strange, that despite everything she had gone through, losing parts of her, parts that made her self, would make her so downcast, and that the memory of her presence would make her so emotional. Ruby couldn't tell if she was actually present, or if this was something else. Currently however, she cared little for such things and simply allowed herself to rest peacefully under that holy light illuminating her.

When she finally blinked and awoke, she could tell it was well past afternoon.

"You're awake!" chimed the female next to her, clearly pleased.

"...Brun…?" blinked Ruby, taking a moment to adjust to her surroundings. She was still in the same room as before, only this time, Brunhilde's figure filled 70% of her vision. She let out a relaxed, exasperated sigh. "Too close, Brun, too close. I see you loud and clear. You should probably loosen your grip before I pass out again" suggested Ruby, half amused, half asleep.

The orange haired woman had an apologetic, almost childish expression on her face, before her arms relaxed and left Ruby's embrace.

"Oh I'm so terribly sorry Ruby! I was just so energized and excited to see you that I threw all caution to the wind..!" she trailed off, fumbling and flustering all the way, before Ruby felt the need to calm down the girl by pressing her lips together with her finger.

"It's fine, it's fine. I was just a tad bit surprised to see you here, that's all. But Atlas City IS your home. Not that surprising, on second thought" waved off the ex-5th Espada, almost nonchalantly. "I assume you were the one who brought me here and nursed me back to health?"

Brunhilde nodded. "Of course. Are you feeling better now? I visited you now and then to see if you were awake, but most of the time you were either sleeping or mumbling to yourself. In either case, I was unclear if I should wake you up, so I just left you some cookies instead"

"I noticed" smiled Ruby. "I thought it might've been you. You're the only one here whom I know would make cookies for me instead of leaving flowers. And who knows my tastes"

"Oh..is that not normal? I was certain that the custom of leaving things when visiting your sick companion was a normal thing. Why would I leave flowers though? Isn't it normal to leave something that the person in question would appreciate?" asked Brunhilde, tilting her head.

"Uh huh, that's just like you!" chuckled Ruby, heartily patting her friend. "You're right. The cookies were damn good. I'm all better now, relatively speaking that is. By the way, what do I look like to you?"

"What do you look like…? Um…you look like an adult female Faunus belonging to the Acinonyx Jubatus species, in other words, the cheetah family, in her mid to late twenties with shoulder length dark hair with deep red highlights, silver eyes, cheetah ears with deep red and black fur, a tail with the same coloration, and two red markings running down your face" she trailed off, tilting her head. "You have undeniably aged since I last saw you, for reasons I am still trying to ascertain. However, leaving that aside, you look the same as far as my memory goes"

"And off goes my encyclopedia called Brunhilde" Ruby let out an exasperated sigh. "So I really DID change….I thought there was something odd about my body. It felt like my older self…..I didn't have a mirror to check, so I could only guess. Well, at this point, it's happened so many times that I probably shouldn't care"

There was an odd silence, wearing Brunhilde continued for Ruby to say something, only for the latter to continue on as if she had nothing else.

"I do have some things on my mind of course" said Ruby, almost as if answering the orange haired woman's gaze. "But…I had a lot of time to think about it and wallow about it. I think…I'm fine now. For the moment atleast. Seeing you here is a big part of it as well. So don't worry about me"

"I….see" she replied. "...is there…..nothing you want to ask me? I was 100% certain you would have certain questions to which I was calculating how to answer…"

"I assume you mean why I'm not asking about your lack of questions or reactions to the kind of person I am, or the state I was in" corrected Ruby. When the orange haired girl looked away uncomfortably, Ruby sighed, looking at Brunhilde fondly. Her dumbfounded and awkward expression was simply too precious for the ex 5th Espada to miss; and so, she promptly reached out for her cheeks, pinching them with a small grin on her face, further confusing the orange haired woman.

"Let's take a walk" she said.

Brunhilde blinked, confused.

"I want to stretch my legs. And maybe climb a few trees or something. Anything really, as long as we're outside this place"

"A…walk? Trees…? Bu-but…..uh…sure! Yes of course..! Whatever you need…" replied a flustered Brunhilde.

Before long, the duo were walking down the long and monotonous hallways of what was once Atlas Military HQ. Which was evident from the half-dismantled machinery, or the fact that most of the people that the duo could see in the distance, be it scientists working on the other side of a glass wall or officers speaking to each in German, were clearly not Atlesian in descent. They wore coats of white with black boots and white hats with star pointed insignias, which was very different from the standard armor-like uniform of the Atlesian Military.

While most of them were occupied with their own tasks, occasionally the duo would receive a greeting or a salute from those that happened to lay eyes on them, though it was evident those were directed at Brunhilde. Ruby's companion however, was an awkward, fumbling mess the whole time, while Ruby herself couldn't help but chuckle whenever it happened. She would try to salute back, but would stop herself just before she did, almost as if she decided against it at the last second, resulting in an awkward greeting that was neither appropriate nor subtle.

"I-it's not what you think..!" insisted Brunhilde "There's a very valid, sensible and thorough explanation for everything! It's just that I believed I should-"

"Bzzzzt! We officially have a new entry on Brunhilde's Social Foibles" re-enacted Ruby "The more you try to hide something, the more obvious it becomes that you're trying to hide something. Next time, try not to make excuses, my adorable compatriot or just pretend you don't know anything. I'm pretty sure it'll be somewhat convincing at least" she grinned. "As amusing as it is to see you be a bumbling mess, in all seriousness, I'm telling you it's all fine. I had a lot of time to think, Brun. Trust me, I wouldn't be walking at a place I thought was dangerous this casually. And besides, we'll have a lot of time to talk about things you wanna tell me later, when we're outside. Just don't worry about things until then"

"Ah…if, if you insist, Ruby. Then I shall save our discussions and questions for later" agreed Brunhilde, and Ruby nodded in agreement. The 5th Espada watched Brunhilde pull out her scroll and type away hastily, with the screen displaying 'Life Lessons', which made Ruby's mood infinitely better. Atleast somethings don't change, she thought to herself. Brunhilde was a lot calmer after, but in Ruby's eyes, she looked just as uncertain and anxious as she did before. With that, the two simply walked in silence, passing by more buildings, workers, Faunus, and a whole lot of other people before they could finally see the outside.

"Aah~~some fresh air! There was once a time such a thing wasn't all that exciting to me. It's hard to imagine a dork like me who was always in the basement going bonkers over weapons and the like to be like this one day. Tells you just how much people can change, doesn't it?" asked Ruby.

"You were a basement dweller?" asked Brunhilde, surprised. "I am hard pressed to believe that. To begin with, would there even be enough oxygen and sunlight to…"

As the girl trailed off on her own tangent, Ruby let out another loud chuckle.

"That's not what I meant, silly! Well, you'll figure it out someday. Anyway, I'm going to go a bit away from all this military scenery. You don't mind, do you? I'm going to jump a few times. I know of a very nice park somewhere around there. I remember Weiss showing me where it was on her scroll. It's this place called Hagaparken" she said "I assume you can follow me through the air?"

There was a bit of weight to her words, and Brunhilde, although reluctant, subtly nodded her head. But Ruby merely smiled.

"Let's race! Last one to touch down carries the winner back to base!" grinned Ruby, before leaping off into the distance with a burst of speed. She could feel the wind burst past her cheeks as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop, and right by her side was Brunhilde, following in her steps. While the latter avoided looking at Ruby's face, Ruby simply returned a thumbs up, and the two continued on. Not even 5 minutes later, and the duo found themselves in a completely different landscape.

"Ack, I guess I lost!" remarked Ruby "And I used to think I was pretty fast. Well..I was. Not that I'm bad now, but still, you're pretty amazing for being able to keep up with a Vasto Lorde like me"

"I…that's….I could go faster….actually" trailed off her partner.

"Ehh? That's damn amazing" complimented the dark haired cheetah Faunus. "I'd love to see what all you can do, as you are now….Penny"

Brunhilde nearly yelped, and sparks flew from how quickly she turned her head away from Ruby. Her glowing blue eyes were flashing red, blue and sometimes green. She could feel several of her actuators seize up from all of the chaotic control signals they were receiving. She could recognize several of her cooling systems failing to keep up with the amount of heat her main CPU was generating.

"Aaaaah crap I totally shut her down by mistake! Calm down, calm down Brun!" called out Ruby, instantly holding her hands in a pacifying manner. "Look, I didn't think you'd feel that off about being called Penny, I'll just keep calling you Brun if that's what you-"

"How much…do you know…Ruby?" interrupted Brunhilde, her voice timid. "Please….be honest with me. And about what you think"

Ruby paused, before asking Brunhilde softly. "Would I be right in assuming that…..you know about everything? About Earth, Hueco Mundo, the Quincies, about…me?"

The orange haired woman hesitantly nodded. "Master BG9 granted me a lot of knowledge about Earth. Before I was graced by His Majesty, I was shocked of course….I never thought my dearest friend would go through all that. I….am not that good at processing human emotions. At best, I can only imitate them depending on the context and situations. But when I was being uploaded with data about your life, I just….I could sense so many anomalies in my thoughts. Strange signals and..feelings, that I could not comprehend. I had the urge to simply shut down and not wake for a good while. I really wanted to come straight to you, hold your hand, hug you right and never let go"

"I'm….not sure I'd survive another one of your killer bear hugs, Brun" chuckled Ruby rubbing her head. "But…thanks. It means a lot. But you needn't feel bad. You had your circumstances, and it's the thought that counts. But maybe that's what set me off. Not that you knew everything, but the fact that you were possibly Penny" said Ruby softly. "I mean, think about it. There I was, in Beacon, raising Hell together with Salem's lot as well as Yhwach's lot and you just come over flying and sweep me off my feet like a princess and take me to your castle. Honestly, it's sweet. But…well, that kinda blew your cover too. More like it confirmed some suspicions I had for a while. Besides, you looked exactly like Penny as a grown up. It's really not that hard, silly"

"But…that can't be. I even made sure to hide my spiritual pressure. I never mentioned anything about His Majesty or any of the-" she cut in, before covering her mouth hastily, with an expression of guilt on her face. "I-I didn't….ahhh! Stupid, faulty piece of programming! Ahh!"

She began vigorously scratching her head, before Ruby felt the need to stop her friend again.

"Brun, you really ought to stop doing that" sighed Ruby. "Nothing you did specifically gave you away. I just had a hunch. Seeing you, being with you, I felt an odd sense of familiarity and comfort, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like I was finally reunited with a soul that I hadn't seen in a long, long time. So when I saw you there yesterday night, it couldn't be clearer. I was…..surprised, to say the least. To think you'd gotten such a big glow up. Needless to say, I felt a lot of things. But then again, that applies to both of us, wouldn't you say?"

"Ah….I suppose so…" said Brunhilde, smiling weakly. "That would be…an exaggeration…."

"Ahahaha it certainly is! Still, it gave me a lot of comfort knowing that it was you. I didn't know the reasons for why or how, but I could guess. And all of the Quincy reishi told me a few things. I'm pretty good at sensing stuff you know. And while I was a mess last night, I was hardly out of my mind. I could see and perceive everything loud and clear. So…..it really wasn't hard to put two and two together. The only thing I wasn't really sure about is what exactly they did to you. And I will admit the prospect of picking apart my dearest friend does excite the weapon-geek in me….if only a little" she smiled mischievously.

The orange haired woman slowly inched back, all while Ruby continued giggling. "To be serious though, I knew you wouldn't hurt me, and I knew you would have your reasons for what you did. So I simply let you continue doing things as you did, trusting that you would tell me what I need to know when I need to know them"

"You're…..not angry at me? I was 95% certain any human or living being would find themselves angry in this context. All that time, and I never told you who I was. You…really believed an android like me wouldn't hurt you? But Ruby….that's just brash! If I was programmed to do it, there is nothing to stop me from seriously-"

"And yet, here I am" cut in Ruby "If the Quincy were the ones responsible for your glow up, I doubt they'd leave any room for negotiation when it comes to hollows like me. Isn't that right?"

Brunhilde nodded slowly. "I have indeed been programmed to terminate all hollows, Arrancars and those from Hell immediately. I requested His Majesty to exempt you from that decree, to which he consented as long as I was responsible for what happened to you"

"And I imagine that can't have been that easy" stated Ruby, to which Brunhilde nodded again. "Then that's fine, isn't it? You asked me if I was angry, but why would I be? I'm not someone who judges people based on their actions alone, not entirely. To me, intentions are just as important, if not more. And Brun, you're wrong. You're not just some machine with programming in it. You're a real, live human soul. You're as real a person to me as any other. True, you may not have the same 'body' as most people do, but wouldn't you say I fit that bill as well? Except in my case, it's my soul that's 'not human' while my body is. Kinda. Heh, we're both more similar than I thought, despite being polar opposites. So don't ever say that your thoughts and feelings are fake. They come from an actual soul. The soul of someone called Penny Polendina. So don't ever feel otherwise, no matter what anyone says"

There was an odd silence, and Brunhilde looked at Ruby with mixed expressions.

"You don't look convinced. It almost feels as though you want me to blame you, just because of what you are and the fact that you're in a faction that I don't belong to" pressed the cheetah Faunus, and her companion neither confirmed nor denied the statement. Ruby sighed once again. "Let's walk some more. If it's ok with you, why don't we walk along the city side? I want to check something, and that I think will give you the answer"

The orange haired girl agreed.

Flittering rays of the twilight sun bathed the two figures in an orange-red glow, as they walked alongside the streets of Atlas city. It was odd, to say the least. The streets were bustling with activity but from those that don't generally belong to the scene. While Beacon academy had been razed to the ground the previous night, Atlas City itself was relatively untouched. However, the infrastructure was definitely undergoing a lot of overhaul. The sounds of machines, robots and other similar contraptions buzzing and whirring could be heard throughout the streets, but a lot of them were powering down or closing up for the day. People of all different kinds with the same white and pale blue uniforms were directing each other to different places, while others formed groups as they walked towards the city center. Normal residents could be seen as well, with few of them talking to what appeared to be authorities of power, while others walked away warily and cautiously whenever one of the white coats of the Quincy walked by. All in all, there was a lot going on, but it was a sort of mixed chaos that was expected in such a big city, especially following the revelation of events from the previous night. It was chaos, but controlled nonetheless. Chaos that the duo were lost in, which kept them away from the glances of others. However, Brunhilde did get a salute or two from the occasional Quincy officer, to which she would awkwardly and quickly respond back with a swift greeting.

When they walked away from the city and towards the suburbs, Ruby threw Brunhilde a questioning glance.

"After His Majesty and the Sternritter arrived at Atlas City, my master BG9 took control of the systems in place, and fortified them. Following that, we began working on improving the infrastructure currently present in Atlas City and upgrading them to better defend against threats. What you're seeing here is simply the transition; many people welcomed His Majesty. A good number of them however, are still wary and cautious, unsure of the future His Majesty promises. So we're doing everything we can to show our honest intentions. It is indeed true that the manner in which we exercised our power to suppress the forces from Hell and that might have been intimidating to the people of Remnant. But once they see that we truly do care for their well being, this initial unrest will cease as well, and Remnant will change for the better" she explained.

"And there you have it" replied Ruby. "Doesn't that answer your question? If no violence was used against those that shouldn't face it, if people's lives are indeed being made better than ever, who am I to say anything against it?"

"Objectively speaking….even if that goes for the people of Remnant, there's no changing the fact that we did in fact hurt your…" paused Brunhilde, averting her gaze. "Your Espada friends….and His Majesty sealed away the abilities of your siblings. Would you really forgive us, forgive me…for something like that? As a human being, should you? Should you not be more angry? Betrayed? For what I did?"

Ruby remained silent, her eyes narrowing every so slightly.

"...I dunno Brun" she replied in an outlandish way. "Yesterday, I really lost it, like old times. I never thought I'd ever go back to that phase considering that mom and Crescent were always there to hold me back. But it was one side of me I never wanted Yang and the others to see. I….don't even know how I can face them at the moment. They were already having enough trouble accepting me as I was. This was the last thing I wanted to see. Not to mention the fact that the Quincy are here. There was just so much to process. Luckily I had that time. But you know….it really didn't take long for me to simply accept it. What happened to big-sis and Ichi, Kari and Yuzu, and the people here. And to you"

"I…somehow can't comprehend that" admitted Brunhilde. "From my knowledge of the human psyche, most people would be in a state of shock just from the few things you've had to endure in your past. Something like what happened yesterday, of having to endure losing parts of your soul itself….I admit I can't really comprehend that. I'm honestly worried about you, even if you look alright. In my view, you're a really strong person, Ruby. More so than any Human, Hollow, Arrancar, or otherwise"

"Strong, huh…?" asked Ruby. "Not the term I'd use really. Uncaring perhaps. Numb, maybe. I really don't know what to say. Even if I feel like I should feel upset, or angry or desperate, I just can't. Or rather, I don't. I don't know why. Maybe it's because now I'm a pure hollow, even if I still retain my body. Or maybe, I've simply grown too jaded and tired of things after experiencing the things I did in my life. After all, it's not like Yuzu, Kari and Ichi are dead. It's not as though big-sis and the others are dead. In fact, going through situations like these used to be normal for a long time in our lives. So I doubt my Espada family thinks too much of what happened either. But that doesn't mean I don't care for them. I would still risk my life and more to protect them if it came to that. And I still love them all dearly. But I simply don't feel threatened, or angry or scared about it. And as I mentioned before, things are peaceful here, even if the Quincy are here. I cant bring myself to hate the Quincy either, because my family belong to the Quincy as well. Yes, I am aware that Yhwach was the one responsible for what happened to Masaki. But even so, she's still there, in the Soul Society. And even if I think it, I don't hate him from the bottom of my heart, despite what he did. But you know….despite everything, no matter how many times I remember the visions I've seen and remember the hurtful things I experienced, I never grow over them. Even now, the thought of Yang, dad, mom, Weiss, Blake, big-sis and the others and everyone I love rejecting me scares me"

Brunhilde watched her companion with a lost, forlorn look on her face. She could see several internal signals and messages going off in her main thought processing unit. "I…don't know. No matter how much I search my archives, I am unable to compute her feelings. It-it makes my whole unit behave strangely. Despite my processing unit confirming time and time again that Ruby is healthy, mentally and physically, I cannot think of it as anything but an error. She is not alright. I was positive I understood everything about human behavior and that I could apply my knowledge in better understanding her. I want to help her. But….this is beyond anything I've…"

Brunhilde's arms moved out on their own, embracing her companion. "Ruby….I-I don't know. I want to help. From the bottom of my heart. Everything in my programming tells me you're fine and that I should just believe what you say. But somehow, I don't trust the results of my computations. I want to help, but I also want to understand you. Several journals on human psyche and behavior mention speaking and communication as a way to understand each other. So please, tell me anything that makes you sad, or upset or hurt. I will listen to them and give you my input as best as I can. And I promise Ruby…even if something were to happen to me, that makes me hurt you, it would never, ever be my intention to do so. And I promise I'll always be with you, regardless of what happens"

"Hopefully not when I'm using the bathroom" snickered Ruby, which caught the orange haired android off guard. She blinked once, twice, before Ruby heartily patted her friend.

"Chillax, Brun. There's no need to be that serious all the time. I'll be fine, and I know all of those things even if you don't explicitly tell me. I won't hold it against you either. So…let's just spend time following the days as they come, alright? I'm sure…things will be fine"

"...very well. Yes, let's do that. Thank you once more, Ruby" said Brunhilde, her tense expression softening every so slightly.

"Yeah. As long as my family and friends are safe on the other side, and the Quincy don't plan on attacking them, I think I'd like to look around town and spend time here, observing just how different the lives of the people will be. After all, this too, is my home. And…as I said, I'd rather not meet Yang and the others for a little while. I want to give them time to…digest a few things. Of course, I'm worried about them and about Mom and Crescent too. If Salem's really here, then I have all the more reason to be here. And besides, I've lost the ability to return back home. I can't open Gargantas anymore. Maybe Mom can, since she can still use her Zanpakuto to open a Senkaimon. But I can't, not unless I regain my Arrancar abilities"

"Oh, that won't be an issue! Using one of the sun gates, we can easily-" answered Brunhilde, before Ruby shook her head.

"Maybe, but I meant more in the sense that…I just need a bit of time for now, some time by myself. I'll drop in eventually, but for now, I think I'd like to be here. And besides, I'd only be in their way as I am now. At the very least, I'll need my abilities. Or have mom and Crescent be with me" replied Ruby. "Until then, I can only hope that they don't do anything that endangers their life"

---

The moment they found themselves within the confines of Kisuke Urahara's underground playground, several things happened at once. Indeed, they were certainly the center of attention. None of those that donned robes of black expected to see a bunch of humans covered in soot, dirt and blood appear out of thin air. And while the denizens of Remnant had taken notice of the new faces around them, it would hardly stay on their minds for long.

Perhaps it was the sudden change of atmosphere, literally and figuratively. Or perhaps it was the overall lack of hostility around them, and the lack of sounds of battle, death and destruction. The first to react however, was Blake, owing to her loss of Faunus ears. The lack of auditory stimulus was instantly apparent.

"This again…" she groaned, clutching her head and rubbing the area of her head where her Faunus ears were normally present, as if grasping for a phantom organ that was no longer present. She wondered if that is how Yang felt the moment she lost her arms. One glance at the blonde told Blake that she was still in just as much of a state of shock as she was before. Or Qrow for that matter, who still struggled to walk without bumping into something unless Amber supported him. It did make her feel better about her own situation.

"What now…?" asked Roman Torchwick, his tone exasperated. The criminal mastermind sounded almost uncaring about the changes to his surroundings, clearly having given up trying to understand what other whims fate had for him. Neo was still by his side, clung on to his leg. He could see her glancing at the distance before she would shrink to herself, her body shaking.

He sighed again. The girl could never really maintain her composure when it came to things like this, especially those that were too far out of her scope of understanding. As long as things were under her expectations and control, there were very, very few things that would unshackle her. But of late, it had been one thing after another gone awry. Roman Torchwick was surprised that she held it off for this long, and wasn't a squabbling mess. Not that he'd ever heard her do so before, of course. All he could do was pat her shoulder comfortingly and thankfully, all of the events that had transpired left them well out of anyone's attention, despite being a wanted man in all of Remnant. Something that seemed incredibly irrelevant at the moment.

"Ruby…." called out Tier, her tone somewhat concerned, being supported by Nel. "Is she here..?" Her eyes began scanning her surroundings, and while she saw several familiar figures, she could not see the familiar form of the 5th Espada, nor could she sense her spiritual presence. Even Brunhilde was nowhere to be seen.

"...didn't that Quincy woman take her along with her? You know, that one called Brunhilde…" answered Mila-Rose slowly. She grit her teeth, her brows furrowing. "We were really played like a damn fiddle. I'm sorry, Harribel-sama. We failed you…"

"No….the fact that we even made it out of there alive is a miracle. I'm glad that none of you died" she replied, shaking her head.

"'Take her along'...? That's a really nice way to put it…" scoffed Karin. "Dammit…I can't believe we were so useless…."

Nel remained silent, before looking at Kyouka in a dejected manner "...so it would seem. We were completely outmatched. But I wouldn't blame ourselves too much. Not only were our opponents at our own level or higher, they were also immortal. And fighting in an alien world with nearby casualties just made things even more complicated. However, you do have our thanks for helping us out of there…though I'm not sure exactly how we're here or what you did to bring us back"

"You're in a much worse shape than I thought. And I'm really surprised to see you five as well, young Ichigo and friends, not to mention the Espada and the lovely ladies of the Tres Bestias. Naturally I'm curious about a lot of things, just from looking at the condition you're in and I can make a few guesses" came Kisuke Urahara's voice, the tapping of his cane breaking their thoughts as he approached them. Although his words were casual, they could sense the slightest hint of worry in his voice. "And I see you've brought along some stowaways as well…but not enough of them, it would seem"

The headmaster was the first one of the lot to pick himself up and speak up, as though representing the group. While Roman Torchwick had a few words for himself as well, he was happy to forgo them in consideration of his own and Neo's current state.

"Would I be right in assuming that you were responsible for saving us and bringing us here?" asked Ozpin, looking at Kyouka "You have my most sincere thanks"

"Which also reminds me, who the hell are you?" asked Apacci. "I mean, I'm happy you saved us an' all, but if you could pull us out of that hellhole, you've to be some kind of big shot, wouldn't you?"

Kyouka had a sly smile on her face. "No one important, I assure you. You are the ones of interest here. Trivial formalities are appreciated, but you shouldn't be so eager to hand them out that quickly" she replied. "You can return the favor by getting yourselves healed along with the rest of them, so that we can begin our next steps soon. There is a lot to be done, after all. And I can hardly wait to get started. I hope I can leave them to you, Kisuke, while I go and assist Beni"

There was a mischievous smile on her face, and it almost seemed to be in poor taste to be amused, given their situation. The woman was already making her way towards another doll-like woman further back, one who had ghostly pale white skin, long loose black hair with loose fitting robe over which a white lab coat of sorts was worn.

"How strange…..I cannot sense that woman's spirit energy, even with Pesquisa" thought Ulquiorra to himself, as he watched her leave. Something about her rubbed him the wrong way, as though the answer was right on the tip of his tongue. When he glanced at the other Espada, he noticed he wasn't the only one with similar thoughts. A small trace of disappointment passed through him when he noticed that Ichigo and co remained blissfully oblivious to her presence.

"As she was saying, we really do need to get you all patched up first. If I didn't know any better, it would seem what hit the Soul Society seems to have hit you there as well. Or something similar in magnitude" said the enigmatic candy store owner, observing their blood and dirt covered bodies, as well as eyeing Yang's missing arms in particular. "I don't know what happened there, but I was hoping you'd bring back Ruby honestly. We're rather short on those that can use healing kido. Orihime-san's been working non-stop. And that's just the few critical cases out of the several hundred that were injured, the ones that wouldn't have made it unless Orihime-san healed them. Squad 4 has their hands full as well. Given the situation, Soul Society couldn't exactly spare people to be sent here, so we only have those necessary to discuss our next steps" replied Kisuke.

"Hold on Mr. Hat and Clogs, what do you mean by 'several hundred were injured'?" asked Ichigo, his eyes wide. "Did…something happen at Soul Society?!"

"Oy! Kisuke! Emergency! This thing's going haywire!" cut in Yoruichi's voice from a distance. Kisuke tilted his head in the direction of her voice, before sighing. "Oh dear. Sorry, just hold on, I'll be right back" he said, excusing himself and walking over to the flash goddess, leaving the fresh arrivals from the events of Beacon Academy to ponder amongst themselves once more.

"Dammit..!" cursed the orange haired teenager. "The hell happened here?! First it was nee-san's world going to hell and now this…is Yhwach responsible for this too?!"

"Ichigo….right? You know where this place is?" asked Weiss, still sticking close to her friends. Her guard was still up, with Myrtenaster still held tightly in her hand, ready to attack at a moment's notice.

"You can relax" assured Nel with a soft smile. "We're amongst friends. Friends and family of Ruby. In a place that was more or less like her second home"

"We may not have done the best job, but I can tell all of you are well enough, given the situation. We promised Ruby we'd bring you to safety, so you have nothing to worry about" added Sung-sun.

"Yeah, we'll be safe here" added Yuzu "It's going to be fine….it will…"

Their words, however, while convincing, did nothing much to change their minds. For the place itself looked more like a bomb shelter than a safe haven at the moment. Ichigo and co looked around the massive underground training chamber, and while the reality of seeing multiple soul reapers laid down on the ground inside makeshift tents kicked in, what surprised them even more was seeing some rather familiar faces amongst those who were injured.

They reached a solitary tent, one that was slightly bigger than the ones they passed by. And inside, they saw two people, one uninjured and another with minor injuries. However, it was their identities that made them reset their thoughts.

"Ruki-nee!" exclaimed Karin.

"Momo…is that you?" asked Nel, raising her eyes.

Rukia remained passive and unresponsive, seemingly asleep. Momo however, did lift her head in response to them.

"...Ah, it's you" she said. "I have to say, I'm rather surprised I didn't see you here sooner. I'm surprised they didn't admit you with the others given how bruised and beaten you look. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised I'm only seeing you now. But I arrived rather early and haven't exactly left Rukia, so I missed what has been happening outside"

"Hinamori-san…why are you here? I thought you'd disappeared after Aizen was defeated. Or atleast that's what nee-san told us. And what the hell happened to Rukia and the other soul reapers?" asked Ichigo.

"It's a long story" replied Momo. "She's….gone through a lot in a short span of time. And I imagine the same could be said of you. You dont look like you're in the best shape either, and unlike the Soul Reapers here, you don't even look like you received any sort of treatment for your injuries. Shouldn't you be getting Orihime or Captain Isshin to have a look at you? I did hear that they were looking for you"

"That was the idea, but things didn't exactly go as planned" sighed Starrk. "To begin with, I never imagined my peaceful day would go like this…"

"A friend of yours?" asked Glynda.

"You could say that" replied Nel. "Though, it's been nearly 2 years since we last saw each other. I assumed you'd disappeared from everyone's eyes"

"I thought so too. I resolved to go out there and see the outside world for myself, and find my own path and purpose rather than following someone after what happened. And I really thought our paths wouldn't cross. Naturally I still missed everyone, but I starved off my urges to come see how everyone was doing. Still, I never thought that would be interrupted in as little as 2 years" replied Momo. "I don't believe I recognize them" she said, pointing towards Ozpin and the others.

"They're uh…." Ichigo started, scratching his head.

"They're Ruby and Summer's friends and family" said Tier.

Momo raised her eyes. "Really?" She then picked herself up from the ground, dusting herself off and then promptly walked over those from Remnant. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Momo Hinamori. I was…once someone who worked closely with Summer and in turn, Ruby. I'm deeply indebted to both of them"

Yang raised her eyes. "You worked with mom?"

Momo nodded. "You're…her daughter? That would mean you're also Ruby's sister. Yang…if I remember correctly? How wonderful! I've heard a lot of tales about you. Summer would often talk about you, as did Ruby" she then offered her hand, and Yang did the same out of reflex, only for her to awkwardly and dejectedly stare at her two stumps-for-arms.

Momo herself had a rather silent expression on her face, looking at Yang's missing arms with an expression of pity.

"Ugh..that's awkward.." said Nora, half chuckling, half in pity. "Should I uh…lend you a hand?"

Every single person in the vicinity, including Ichigo and co, stared at Nora, exasperated. Ren in particular felt the need to pull her ear, looking at her in a chastising way.

"Ow ow ow! I was just trying to lighten the mood, it was depressing enough as it is…" she protested in a childish way, but Ren only narrowed his eyes.

"You sure are carefree compared to the rest of your lot, chica. I'm not sure whether to commend you for maintaining your composure, or question your sanity on being able to make light of something after what you went through….." commented Mila-Rose. "Though it's probably for the best"

Yang herself however, did find herself chuckling. It did help her feel better about her situation, as well as appreciate a good pun (atleast in her mind).

"I wouldn't say it was in bad taste, Mila-Rose-san. I actually agree with the young lady here" smiled Momo, as she placated Ren. "These are times that none of us are really equipped to handle, so I think something to lighten the situation is always welcome. Such things are pretty common in the outer Rukon districts. I'm pretty used to them for one. Still, you needn't worry too much, Yang. Orihime should be able to restore your arms in no time, as well as any other injuries that are impossible to heal via healing kido"

Yang gasped. "I can…..get my arms back?! And Uncle Qrow can get his eyes back too?!"

Momo nodded. "As long as you aren't dead, which I can tell is the case, she can definitely restore any sort of injury you've sustained. I think you should do that first, maybe even get a shower and have something to eat. I'm not sure what happened exactly, but I assure you that you'd want to be well rested before I tell you what happened here. It's not going to be an easy tale to handle, after all. Especially for you", she finished, looking at Ichigo and co.

The blonde brawler couldn't help but break out a smile. Even with the best technology in the four kingdoms, it was very uncommon for someone who had lost their limbs to regain them back without using prosthetics. It sounded almost unbelievable that it could be done without such sophisticated medical tech. But she clung on to that feeling to help wash down some of the gloom from the events of the day.

"You've changed…" noted Sung-sun, looking at Momo with a relaxed expression. "You're nothing like the ignorant brat who was being strung along by Aizen's whims. It's almost as if you can actually think for yourself for once…."

Momo returned a small smile of her own. "Maybe so. I did have a lot of time to self-reflect. And I suppose I do look a bit different than I did 2 years back. Though most of it is a result of traveling in the outer Rukon districts. I'm really glad your sharp side is the same as ever, Sung-sun"

The snake fraccione simply looked away with a pouting but somewhat smug 'hmph'.

"You look slightly older in appearance, yes. I suppose that reflects how your soul has grown" added Tier. "However, you appear to have found clarity. Peace of mind, if you will. As though I am finally talking to your true self, and not one contrived by others. It is a rather pleasant change"

"Everyone…!" cut in another feminine voice, and they could hear footsteps approaching them at a quickened pace.

"Orihime!" called out Tatsuki, Uryu and Ichigo in unison, running over to their classmate. Karin and Yuzu followed close behind, alongside the Espada and finally, the inhabitants of Remnant.

The orange haired girl gave a tired but surprised look in their direction, before even recognizing the faces of her friends. Tatsuki, Ichigo and Uryu themselves did a double take when they saw the girl.

For a girl who was normally bubbly and cheerful, she looked as though she could rival Ulquiorra in terms of gloominess. Her soft brown eyes were only half open at best, with heavy bags under them. Her long, orange hair was frizzy and lacked its usual luster. Ichigo was certain the girl was ready to fall over with the slightest push. In fact, they were surprised the girl didn't already collapse from running over to them. Even as they looked at her, she was very unsteady on her feet.

"O-oy! Easy!" cautioned Tatsuki, supporting her friend before she fell from sheer exhaustion. "You look like crap, when was the last time you slept?"

"S-sorry…..I 'unno…monday or something…what day is it today again…?" she replied sheepishly. "Um..uh…..Tatsuki-chan…can you just hold me like that? I'll heal you all straight away. I'm not sure I have enough spirit energy, but I'll push through somehow. Can you just lend me your shoulder until then?"

The tomboy grit her teeth in anger. "No way, you need some rest right now! I don't care what the hell happened here, but you're in no condition to be-"

"Please….." rasped Orihime, with pleading, half-asleep eyes. "Just…this once. I was really worried about you and everyone else. Just let me make sure you're alright. I'll take some rest after that…."

The raven haired girl paused irritably for a few seconds, before supporting her best friend. She continued to project an orange-colored transparent shield over the injured soul reapers, quincy, arrancars and humans in front of her. Teams JNPR and WBY watched in surprise as their injuries were slowly being reversed, like a tape playing in reverse. Yang felt a tingling sensation in her arms, and to her astonishment, she could see the stump in her arms grow, until the shape of her arms could be seen.

"Amazing…..our injuries are being healed in seconds…" gasped Pyrrha.

"Is that your semblance?" asked Weiss, looking at the girl. However, Orihime didn't so much as look at them, and continued to focus on the task at hand, as though it was taking her everything just to maintain her current posture. The light from her protective shield fluctuated, and the orange haired girl's form swayed, getting dangerously close to falling but she firmly grit her teeth, and caught herself, returning the light to how it was before. Soon, the light faded and they were all left spotless, without injuries or any sign that hinted at the same. Even the grime and gore on their bodies and clothes had disappeared. In fact, their clothes and weapons had been repaired too.

"This is no simple healing skill…our clothes, weapons and gear as well…!" gasped Glynda, wide eyed.

"Indeed…it would seem it is more akin to temporal reversal or reversal of state of being" theorized Ozpin. "Because she even restored this chip on my cane, which I admit was a result of my clumsiness. However, that shows that her skill isn't 'repairing' something but rather restoring things to 'how they were'"

Ulquiorra raised his eyes ever so slightly, looking at the headmaster with a hint of interest. "Rather impressive, for a human to be able to deduce so much, especially when the rules of this world are alien to you"

Ozpin returned a curt smile. "I've seen my fair share of different wondrous abilities over the course of my life. Though I must admit, this is my first time seeing something of this caliber. However, I think the young lady's resolve and strength to push herself for the sake of others, despite her own battered state, is far more impressive than the abilities she possesses. You have my utmost thanks, young lady"

"Neo…neo..woah, you look as good as new!" gasped Roman in wonder, holding her by her shoulder, and observing her. "Gotta admit, that's a very neat little trick! I can't imagine how ludicrously easy cleanup would be with that girl on our side!"

Neo herself looked much more comfortable but wary nonetheless. The duo still kept themselves just behind the group, but in close enough proximity that they wouldn't be the only casualties in case something happened. But it definitely improved the ice cream girl's mood to know that she wasn't covered in the stuff of nightmares, and in fact, she could even get a whiff of the perfume she normally wore, which until now had been masked by all of the blood, dirt and grime.

Qrow thought he would never feel so emotional over recovery after a mission gone sour, but he truly couldn't help but blink several times as colors and vision returned to his eyes. He could see the concerned and surprised look on Amber's face, as well as the impressed expressions of Ozpin and Glynda. He felt an immense sense of gratitude to the orange haired girl in front of him as well as whatever else was out there that made such a miraculous feeling possible. He never thought he would ever become so overwhelmed by just being able to see.

Yang herself had tears on her eyes, as she flexed and curled her hands and fists several times, still convincing herself that they were there. She couldn't help but pull Orihime into a bear hug, surprising the half asleep and exhausted girl and those around her.

"Thank you…!" she whimpered "Seriously, I know I'm cryin', it's totally uncool. Especially when I'm meeting someone for the first time. I don't know what else to say. But I'll never forget what you've done for me today…!"

Orihime let out a weak, surprised yelp, before returning a tired smile of her own and allowing herself to slump against Yang's bosom.

"O..oy! Are you alright?!" asked Yang, before Tatsuki, Uryu and Ichigo came over to help as well.

"We should lay her down somewhere" suggested Tier. "Her skills consume a fair amount of spirit energy, and as a human, there is only so much she can do before she depletes her stores of reishi. She should be fine once she gets enough rest to recover"

Tatsuki could only scowl in annoyance at her friend's recklessness and lack of self-care, while she helped Ichigo lay her down inside the tent just beside the resting soul reaper who was now healed.

"I see. So it's no different from when a huntsman runs out of aura to use their semblance" noted Glynda. "That aside, that is a rather remarkable ability, and she has the character to match it as well"

"As I said before, she is a very noble young lady" remarked Ozpin. "However, as with people like her, it would seem she is one who forgoes herself in her concern for others as well"

"You're not wrong, she's always put others before herself" answered Uryu.

"And an idiot nonetheless. She never listens, and always ends up doing this to herself time and time again…" frowned the raven haired tomboy. "Still, atleast now we're here. She won't have to do this alone"

"Speaking of which, shouldn't Chad be here somewhere?" pointed out Uryu. "Although, I'm not sure he could be of much help in the healing department…"

"Was that your sister…?" asked Nora, looking at Ichigo. "I mean….the orange hair and brown eyes you both have…"

"Huh..? No, we're just friends from school" replied the orange haired teen dismissively.

"By that definition, the two of you could be siblings as well" said Ren. "Still, I can see why you made that assumption. I wouldn't be surprised if you told us so"

"Well, she is kinda like an older sister to the two of us, so I wouldn't say it feels all that wrong" answered Yuzu. "She's always looking after us in place of onii-chan or onee-chan whenever they aren't there"

"Yeah, but she often fails to include herself while doing it" added Karin, shaking her head dismissively, looking at Orihime's exhausted frame. "I'm worried about what she mentioned. For her to tire herself out that much, there has to have been a reason. I've never seen her look so desperate to help…"

"Tch, you'd think you'd have figured that out by now with the number of soul reapers lying here…" grunted Grimmjow.

"I sense some rather peculiar spiritual pressures around us. It would indeed appear that whatever happened at Hueco Mundo is the reason for whatever happened to the Soul Society" added Ulquiorra. "Or at the very least, is connected to the events that transpired at Hueco Mundo"

"Hueco Mundo? Wait, you're telling me something happened there as well?!" exclaimed Ichigo. "Come to think of it, we never DID ask you guys how you ended up in nee-san's world…"

"We were attacked by a Quincy calling himself 'Gremmy'" answered Lily. "Dammit, remembering that brat still makes me mad. How the hell can one guy have such stupid BS powers?! That was just cheating!"

"They're not stupid if they're capable of restraining several Espada at once" sighed Starrk with a tired expression, further accentuating Ichigo and co's flabbergasted expressions.

"That's….hard to believe.." exclaimed Karin, skeptical. "I mean, come on, we're talking about you guys here. You're one of the most powerful beings I know of…"

Nel sighed. "I'm not being very humble, but I agree. I really believed that we could fend off most threats that come our way. But this really isn't too surprising. Hueco Mundo's way of life has always been one of survival of the fittest, and acknowledging that there is always someone or something out there that could potentially end your life one day"

"That damn bastard isn't going to have his way the next time we meet…!" declared the blue jaguar, gritting his teeth. "I've become too damn soft.."

"The punk put up some kind of weird circle and then once we were in it, the world around us disappeared and we found ourselves there" added Lily.

"Um….sorry to interrupt, but this 'Hueco Mundo'...you mean the world of the hollows, right?" asked Pyrrha. Several heads now raised their eyes.

"How in the world do you know about that?" asked Karin, surprised.

"We were there for just a short while" said Jaune "Ruby took us there to uh….explain a few things"

"She informed us about a lot of things that I'm still digesting myself" added Blake. She rubbed the spots in her head where her Faunus ears would be present once more. "If I remember correctly, the place she took us to was one where she said she spent her life with her 'big-sis' after she died as a human"

Tier let out a small gasp, and Nel, Starrk, Lilynette and even Grimmjow had varied expressions on their faces. Nel's face was one of remembrance, Tier had a lost, longing expression on her face, while Lilynette looked sad. Grimmjow's brows furrowed further in irritation, reminded once again of Ruby's absence and abduction by the Quincies. But more importantly, of his own powerlessness against them and the legions of Hell.

"...how long ago was this?" asked Tier.

"...about a week ago, if I remember.." said Yang. A longer silence followed.

"Just around the time she left her home, then. Strange. I never thought she would break the news about everything to you that quickly. Knowing her, I thought she'd want to enjoy the time she lost with you for a much longer time than that. I was almost prepared for her to not return for a couple of years at the very least" commented Sung-sun.

"That she did, indeed" agreed Pyrrha. "She tried very hard to keep things going as normally as they could. But of course…."

"Of course, given that she herself had changed so much, it was near impossible. To begin with, her Faunus appearance itself would've made it impossible for her to live the life she had before things happened" continued Blake. "Still, we were partly to blame as well, in forcing her hand and making her spill the beans…if only some of us respected her wishes, it wouldn't have come to that…"

"W-what..?!" demanded Weiss, noticing the looks she and Yang were getting from Blake. "If you're insinuating that we were at fault and had a hand at forcing Ruby's hand, then I demand you rescind that statement! Didn't we already talk about this before?! If anything, our reactions were normal from our point of view, anyone would've done the same! I mean, did you even look at what she turned into?! And why are we arguing about this anyway when there are things far worse to discuss?! "

"Oy oy oy, you guys, you're uh kidding right..?! Like we just went through hell and back and we're still going at it..?" asked Nora, exasperated.

"Alright alright, my dearies, let's not get worked up, shall we?" suggested Nel softly, grabbing Weiss and Blake by her side, softly caressing their heads. Despite the suddenness of her actions, neither one felt the slightest urge to push her away. There was something oddly comforting about the teal haired Espada; be it her soothing voice or her soft expressions and face. "You're all tired and drained from everything you've gone through. And tensions are naturally high. I don't blame you for anything, nor would Ruby. So leave all the heavy talking for after we've all slept and rested well, shall we? For one, we still don't know much about a lot of things"

"Agreed. I believe it would be best not to dwindle here longer before exchanging information. It would be detrimental to make presumptions before the situation is fully known" suggested Ulquiorra calmly. "Kisuke Urahara did mention the same, yes?"

The group then continued walking along more and more tents, occasionally watching more moans of pain or discomfort breaking into the gloomy underground training grounds, with someone from the 4th squad immediately rushing in to address the situation.

"That's dad…and Gin-san" noticed Yuzu, pointing to Isshin in the distance who was in his doctor's uniform, alongside Gin Ichimaru, who looked just as occupied. They were being assisted by Tessai, Jinta and Ururu.

"Dad..!" called out Ichigo, but the man seemed too engrossed in his task to notice them. Looking at Isshin go about his work, focused on his task, as well as his general appearance itself reminded Yang about Taiyang. She looked away uncomfortably, but in longing. It only reminded her that they were nowhere near her at the moment. In fact, she wasn't even sure what happened to her dad, which only further deepened the pit in her stomach.

"Sorry about that" cut in Urahara's voice again, and this time, he looked visibly tired as he approached them. "It's been one thing after another since the Quincy attack, and even I've been having trouble procuring enough resources from the Department of Research and Development to keep things running here. Ai…Kyouka-san has been a huge help, as well as Benihime. Anyway, before I get sidetracked with something else again, let's do some catching up, shall we? I know just the place, and I believe they'll want to know what you have to say as well. Unless of course, you'd all like to rest first. There's really no rush, and I think it's best we take this at your pace. So, what will it be?"

"As far as we're concerned, we'll be just fine" said Mila-Rose. "It is true that all of us are worn out from battle. But that's nothing new for us. We'd rather get information about the happenings of things out there than sit back and keep speculating. Unless of course, someone else thinks otherwise"

She glanced at her Espada companions, only silence and looks of agreement greeted her back. "There you have it"

"We'll be fine too" said Ichigo. "Honestly, all we did was watch. We were too late to do anything before most of the fighting happened. I doubt I'd get any sleep even if I wanted anyway, not when I have no damn clue about what the hell's going on. But maybe it's better for you both to take it easy for a while" she suggested, looking at the twins.

But the duo shook their heads.

"No way, we want to know about Ruby-nee and everything else just as much as you do!" protested Karin. Yuzu nodded in agreement. Ichigo sighed, but ultimately obliged.

"That just leaves you then" said Urahara, looking at Ozpin, Glynda, Amber, Qrow, Roman, Neo and the others. "I can vouch for them since I know them, but…"

"Honestly, I would love to take a break…." admitted Jaune. Some of them narrowed their eyes onto him. "I mean…I'm sorry guys, but I'm not sure how much more I can take in one day…"

"And that's totally fine" smiled Nel. "Even I could do with a nice nap. There's nothing wrong with wanting time to collect your thoughts and rest your bodies. There's no rush, as far as I can see. If you're worried about Ruby, it'll be fine. She's gone through situations far, far worse than this. And if this is about Remnant…..I still think nothing good will come out of rushing back there without a proper plan, especially when we're all this fatigued. But if you still feel you can't rest without curiosity eating your peace of mind away, then I won't stop you from listening in"

"You're right, but I'm getting to the bottom of this one way or another. And…" argued Weiss. "I'd really like to know what we did to deserve what happened at Beacon Academy"

There was an odd and uncomfortable silence amongst the inhabitants of Remnant, with some looks of pity coming from Ichigo and co, while some of the Espada glanced at the children with understanding looks.

"We could always brief you guys on what happened" offered Ichigo. "After all, you're all nee-san's family and friends. If you guys are gonna be staying here for a while, there's always a chance for us to do that"

"But maybe it's best to hear some things from you as well, when the memory of today's events are still fresh on your mind" continued Uryu.

"Normally, as your instructor, I would've told you to call it a day without a second's thought" sighed Glynda, and Ozpin nodded.

"However, I imagine one cannot rest with peace of mind when the events of the day still torment you with mysteries. And for that reason, let us postpone that venture just for a bit, shall we?" suggested Ozpin, following which Teams WBY and JNPR nodded in contentment.

And following that, they were taken to what appeared to be a makeshift pavilion of sorts, where some tatami mats were laid out onto the ground. And there, they could see some soul reapers garbed in white, as well as some in black, deep in discussion. However, the moment they entered, all eyes were upon them. And at the far end of the wall was a gigantic screen wherein more figures could be seen.

"Ah, you're all finally here" greeted Shunsui Kyoraku, the only soul reaper captain of the lot still dressed in his pink, flower patterned haori, making him stand out from the rest. "And from the looks of it, in good health too. Can't really say the same for the rest of us. I would offer tea or sake, but what can I say? Nanao-chan insisted otherwise. Everyone's just been brooding and sulking. Can't say I blame them, given the situation"

"Captain, be serious for once!" came a reproachful remark from Nanao, who was currently in some kind of meeting room within the Soul Society, if the screen was anything to go by. And by her side was Renji, who bore a surprised expression upon looking at the newcomers.

"Ichigo…the Espada..you're all here.." he said, in a somewhat cautious tone. "When did you…no wait, how much do you..? And who in the world are they?!"

"That's what we're here for" sighed Ukitake. "Normally, we wouldn't be rushing things, but given the severity of what happened, we felt it better to establish certain things first so that they're in place"

"Shouldn't we be introducing ourselves to our new guests first?" suggested Kyoraku, to which Ukitake nodded.

"I'm Juushiro Ukitake, captain of the 13th squad of the 13 court guard squads of the Soul Society. Ah, the Soul Society is-"

"Woah…..you're a captain?" asked Nora. "That means you're one of the strongest geezers around here, aren'tcha?! Are you, like, as strong as these arrancar guys?"

Ukitake did a double take, while Kyoraku tried his hardest not to burst out laughing. Nanao was visibly surprised as well, as was Renji. Ukitake wasn't sure what he should react to; the fact that the girl in front of her could recognize his rank, or the fact that he was just called a geezer.

"Now isn't that something!" remarked Kyoraku, amused. "Seems you already know a few things!"

"Ruby briefed us a little" explained Blake. "Most of us are aware about Soul Reapers, Hollows, Arrancars, Hell, the Soul Society and the like"

"Did she now? That saves a lot of time. Natsuko-san always spoke of her home world, so we knew about its existence for a while now. I'll admit, I was expecting something different about meeting inhabitants from another world, but Natsuko-san was as normal as any other human, so maybe I shouldn't be too disappointed" admitted Kyoraku.

"Lady Summer and normal? Are we speaking of the same person, captain?" questioned Nanao incredulously. "Still, when Kisuke Urahara let us know about having found a way to connect our worlds, it seemed like a possible ray of hope for our current situation Though currently, there is still a lot left to be discussed"

"Yeah, like what the hell happened there, Kyoraku-san! Who was responsible for..?" asked Ichigo.

"Hmm, where do we start?" began Ukitake. "What happened is.."

And for the next half hour, Ukitake spoke of the quincy invasion, keeping things brief enough but at the same time, not withholding important details. Like the deaths of Ikkaku, Yumichika, the Head Captain, Byakuya, amongst several other souls reapers.

"Byakuya's….dead…?" whispered Ichigo, in a gasp that was barely audible. His thoughts went back to Rukia, and when he thought about all that she was likely having to digest deepened the pit in his stomach.

Yuzu and Karin looked just as downtrodden and forlorn, at a loss for words. They remembered the time they encountered the duo, all those years back when they invaded the Soul Society to rescue Rukia, and their first fight, and all of their following encounters after that. Yuzu looked downright depressed, but she was just as surprised that she had no tears to shed. Perhaps it was because merely hearing about it hit differently as opposed to actually watching someone die. And it certainly didn't help that she and Karin had to go through their own set of unpleasant circumstances just moments before. Nonetheless, Tatsuki hugged the two of them, comforting them. Both of them welcomed her embrace, while Ichigo simply covered his face, lost in his own thoughts.

Uryu, on the other hand, never felt as small as he did now. He wished all eyes stayed away from his frame, and that he could simply go back home.

"Of course, Squad 4 is taking care of things as much as they can, but naturally there were some cases that were simply too much to handle. And Squad 4 never had to deal with that many people at once. There simply wasn't enough equipment. So we had Orihime, Captain Isshin and Ryuken-san help us out. Really, we're glad Ryuken-san offered to treat the injured at his hospital. It's a massive load off our backs. So please don't look so guilty, Uryu-kun" suggested Ukitake, to which the quincy looked surprised and yet, ashamed.

"While it's true that I never held Soul Reapers with high regard, I never wished for bloodshed on such a massive scale…." he admitted, looking away. "I never imagined that my father would even offer help, although I can imagine him arguing that a 'doctor simply takes no sides and treats all injured patients equally as per his duty'"

"You're not wrong" said Kyoraku. "Although, the Quincy are hardly our biggest problem. For one, we have no idea about the whereabouts of captain Zaraki, nor of Yachiru, the only one who can hope to find captain Zaraki. It's as though both of them have disappeared. And while captain Unohana is still around, she's been spending her time locked up in her division, treating patients left and right. But I'd say that's not what she should be doing at the moment. This is not good news, to say the least. If another attack happens, we'll be sitting ducks. Those two are our strongest captains, and given all the Soul Reapers we've lost, there's no hope for the Soul Society if the Quincy ever return"

"I was really hoping you would have some good news, but from the look of things, I suppose not" sighed Urahara in a tired manner.

"I'm afraid you asked at a bad time" answered Starrk. "Things haven't been that pleasant at our end either"

"Urgh, at this pace, we're going to be stuck here forever" groaned Roman Torchwick, rolling his eyes. "All this formality crap's gonna kill me faster than those things back in Remnant. Perhaps you should mention the part seeing it all first hand, seems like a major detail to overlook, wouldn't you think?" grunted Roman sarcastically, in a mocking tone. "~Oh, did I forget to tell you how the world itself went to hell after creatures that looked like an 8 year old brat mashed together a bunch of toy parts together decided to run around the four kingdoms while literal wannabe white knights went around tearing them apart? All while throwing colorful beams of light like it was a rave party from hell? Sheesh, I've been in a lot of territory power struggles, let me tell you. But those two would put any criminal organization in existance to shame. When the walking, talking nuke that can take out entire cities with ease and the flying angel lady that can literally bring the dead back to life are waging the biggest gang war for dominance, is it really any surprise the four kingdoms are nothing but collateral damage? Poor old Roman Torchwick and his adorable little partner in crime were simply caught up in all that craziness"

He finished once again by letting out a faux sigh, grabbing Neo by her shoulders and showcasing her to the rest, as if to prove his point. The latter however, had no puppy dog eyes to accentuate Roman's points and merely gave him a scowl, as if to say 'I told you to stop doing that!'.

"Urgh, can you just shut up for once? You've been giving me a damn headache from the moment we arrived. You're not the only one going through hell, bub. So why don't you just pipe down for a while and go cry in a corner somewhere?" rasped Qrow, "Some criminal mastermind you are, and yet, my niece's been handlin' things much better than you have. If you don't like it here that much, feel free to boot yourself and your sidekick back to that hellhole"

"Hey, I didn't ask to be put alongside your lot. FYI, you don't know half the things we've had to go through, not to mention carrying along this pain in the mutt along with me with all the crap that's been going on! If anything, you should be thanking us for being so nice" he argued back, reaching into his coat pocket and picking up a familiar black and white colored object, which quickly unfurled itself to reveal the corgi of the Rose household.

"Hey! That's Zwei! Give him back!" demanded Yang angrily.

"By all means, if you can get the damn mutt to leave me be" he hissed, shaking his hands to free himself of the corgi, but Zwei clung on to Roman like an attached doll. The blonde brawler quickly made her way over to Roman, with Neo watching Yang cautiously. The two of them spent a whole minute trying to wrestle Zwei off Roman's hands, before the corgi was finally convinced to let go of the criminal mastermind and into Yang's arms.

"Sheesh what's gotten into you, Zwei?! You've never been that attached to anyone.." she groaned, as she struggled to free Zwei from the criminal mastermind.

"Good grief, this is a rather lively bunch you've introduced to us in such…perilous times, Urahara-san" sighed Kyoraku awkwardly. "I'm reminded of how Ichigo and his friends used to be, back in the day ahahaha! Just what we need in such difficult times, wouldnt you say, Urahara-san? Kurosaki-san?"

"I'm not sure that's really a compliment, Kyoraku-san, and while I understand wanting to remain positive, I'm not sure this is the time to be fooling around" replied Ichigo, giving Roman and Yang a strange look. Instantly, the two of them felt a pressure on their bodies, forcing them to get on the floor.

"I'm so very terribly sorry about that" apologized Glynda, a purplish aura covering her. "This is totally inexcusable behavior towards our saviors. There are some unresolved issues amongst our group, as you could no doubt tell. But it portrays a poor first impression, no doubt. Roman Torchwick is one thing, but Ms. Yang Xiao Long is one of our own students. So please allow me to apologize in her stead"

Ukitake shook his head. "Please, there's no need. Clearly you've been through a lot, and I can understand wanting to vent off some of that stress. In anycase, we lack specifics, so we would be quite happy to hear your side as well"

"Finally, we're getting to the point, I was beginning to think we'd never get back on track" scowled Mila-Rose, starting the Espada's version of events. She, alongside the other Espada went on to mention their own encounter with Gremmy, their capture by Yhwach, torture by Quilge and then their fateful meeting with Salem, her merger with the Galathea and all of the events that transpired at Beacon Academy.

"I see….so you actually saw her before she….turned to the Ruler of Hell" noted Ozpin with an odd expression. "I find it incredibly hard to believe that she was sympathetic at all"

"You speak as though you're quite familiar with her" noted Kyoraku. "Now, I do recollect that Mila-Rose mentioned the two of you were….'bound by destiny', if memory serves correct?"

"If this concerns the Ruler of Hell, a potential enemy leader and one of the four parts of Soul King-sama, then I believe it would be best to gather any information we can" said Nanao.

Ozpin let out a rather long sigh. "This is not something I wish to speak of with everyone. Not because I wish to hide something, but simply because it does not concern our current discussion at hand. If I to go into detail about specifics, it would just take too long. So I can summarize by stating that at one point, she was my significant other. We had a common goal. A goal that we saw with very different perspectives. And now, we could not be further apart in our ways. She wishes nothing more than my demise, and I too, wish for nothing more than to end the threat called Salem. However, as she is now, I admit I have no idea if anything I know about her still applies"

"This may indeed sound wrong, but in my view, you are sadly just as mistaken about her true self as you are about Galathea" replied Tier. "In the little time I had to interact with her, none of what you mentioned were the things she mentioned. It did not sound as though she spoke in falsities either. The only thing she wanted was to die, to put an end to her immortal life. While I agree that her methods were rather extreme, I would not readily fault someone for resorting to them, considering what she told me about how her life was like. For one, she never resented you, even if she holds views that directly oppose your own. When the Quincy were torturing her very soul, 'Ozma' was the name she would call out the most. And the names of your deceased daughters"

"That's…..I apologize, I do not mean to doubt you, but I'm not sure I can bring myself to accept that so easily. After all, you have known her for a short while, yes. But I have known her since time immemorial. I have given her chances to show me otherwise, but it simply never happened. At one point, I simply gave up because it was too painful to consider the alternative. After all, she was my wife, my betrothed, before she became who she is now" replied Ozpin "But if that were indeed true then….it is as you say. It would appear that I truly do not understand her at all"

"You were married to one of the four deities of our world?!" asked Renji, surprised.

"That's not what they said, he was betrothed to the immortal witch before she became the vessel of the ruler of Hell" corrected Nanao. "Still, it's just as surprising. However, the BIGGEST news is definitely the fact that the Quincy have taken over your world. This is….grave, to say the least. It would imply that the Quincy are much, much stronger than we first believed"

"We didnt see it happen, and 'taking over' an entire world is not a feat that just happens overnight, but, all things considered, it would be a safe assumption, yes" said Glynda, gritting her teeth. "We are safe, yes. However, I can only imagine the conditions our students, staff and the people of Beacon are in. And how powerless we were to stop it. They even overtook Atlas Military Tech and made it their own. The communications network of Remnant was theirs to command as they saw fit. I never thought I would see entire kingdoms come under the control of one group in such an incredulous span of time. Naturally, their abilities were just as alien and frightening to all of us"

"No surprise there. We felt the same when they attacked the Soul Society. And unlike you, we've known the Quincy for over a 1000 years. And that ignorance cost us dearly. However, not everything was lost. We did manage to capture one of their main fighters. And surprisingly, she's from the other world as well, just like Ruby" explained Kyoraku, making the folks from Remnant raise their eyes.

Ukitake gave a nod to Urahara, who then went out of the tent, only to return a short while later with a woman whom Weiss instantly recognized.

"Winter!" she shouted in surprise, dashing forward and hugging her. The older Weiss sibling was just as surprised, but returned the embrace upon seeing her sister. "Winter…! You're here..?!"

"Weiss….I…I never expected to see you here as well. I'm glad you're alright" she said. "But how…why are you…?"

"Ice Queen….what are you doing here?!" exclaimed Qrow. "And….what the hell do you mean by 'enemy'?" he asked Kyoraku. "If she's your prisoner, then…you're telling me she's with those Quincy guys?!"

The gang did another double take, especially Weiss, Amber, Glynda and even Ozpin.

"No, not exactly" explained Winter. "It's a long story.."

Winter then explained her version of the events, following the demise of the Winter Maiden, her own role following that, the fall of Atlas City at the hands of the Quincy, and their planned assault on the Soul Society after being indoctrinated by BG9 on information on the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, Earth, the different races and everything else up until her capture by Kyoraku and Ukitake.

"Although I'm their prisoner, I've been treated very well, to the point that it doesnt feel as though I'm a prisoner of war at all. Naturally I was happy to cooperate in whatever way I could. Since…given everything Ruby told us, it went against everything I knew from Yhwach" she explained.

"I see…" said Kisuke, his hand on his chin. Ukitake and Kyoraku had understanding looks as well. "That would explain everything, as unbelievable as it sounds. That also tells us that the situation is now a lot more complicated than it looks"

"I'm afraid you're right, Shunsui. If they really have access to a whole new world and have complete control over it, then…I'm afraid we really won't survive another assault" agreed Ukitake.

"You're right, captain Kyoraku and Ukitake. His Majes-...Yhwach was always clear that he sought to 'right the wrong principles of this world'. He merely considered the Soul Reapers as mindless sheep who stood in the way. As for the hollows and Arrancars, he has no plans to leave a single one alive. Including the realm of Hueco Mundo itself" added Winter.

"Then….would he really gain anything by attacking us again?" asked Nanao. "We're beaten and defeated. We hardly have any soldiers left to defend the Soul Society. To say that we're a threat to him is far fetched"

"Indeed" agreed Winter. "I doubt Yhwach plans to attack the Soul Society anytime. Not unless the Soul Society initiates it first. As for Hueco Mundo however, I do not think he will be as merciful" she said, looking at Tier and the other Espada.

"That's not very surprising, considering everything that piece of shit Quilge bragged about when he had fun torturing us and Salem" scowled Apacci. "But how do we know you aren't on their side? That bastard really loved to rub it in our face that 'Quincies always look out for each other'. If you're really one of em, what's to say they don't return to retrieve you?"

"That's impossible, my sister isn't one of them!" insisted Weiss. "She just told you that she didn't have a choice! And she's been giving us information about everything that happened! That alone proves that my sister is on our side, on my side!"

"I know what I said, runt" retorted the deer Arrancar. "I never said she was 'on their side'. I was talking about the time the Quincy decide to retrieve her because she's part of their army, whether she wanted it or not"

"That's…."

"Well, we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there" said Kyoraku. "I do understand your concerns, Apacci-san, but it's better to have her cooperate than have her locked up under security. To begin with, we don't have the resources to restrain anyone and keep them captive"

"Which is why you want us to fill in that gap, isn't that right?" asked Ozpin. The silence he received from the captains and Urahara told him enough.

Glynda had a stern look on her face. "I'm grateful for your assistance and for rescuing us. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline. As much as I wish I could help, we have our own situation and battles to go back to. That alone already cost us too much. If we get involved in another faction's battles, it will mean our students will have to partake in a battle that isn't theirs to begin with"

"I see" came a woman's voice, and two figures entered the tent. "Is that truly how you see it? I'm afraid you have no choice but to accept our very generous offer. Whether you want to or not. I assume you understand, yes?" she asked Ozpin, narrowing her eyes onto the man with a sly smile. "After all, you didn't complain or refute Shunsui Kyoraku's words despite knowing exactly what he meant"

"Kyouka-san….Beni…I assume you're done?" asked Kisuke.

"Uh huh! I haven't exercised my brain that much in a long while! But we've managed to stabilize the portal to Remnant with the you-know-what that Kyouka gave us. But it's going to stay there for a while" explained Benihime, stretching her wooden, doll-like arms that creaked as she did. She then promptly curled her arms around Blake and Yang. "Oh ho hoh~~? Are these..? I can't wait…!"

The two teenage girls were clearly taken aback by the doll-like Zanpakuto, but found themselves unable to escape her grasp.

"Before we get side tracked again, did I hear you correctly? Did you just say that we have no choice but to depend on you?" asked Glynda.

"That I did, and for reasons that should be more than obvious to you" replied Kyouka. "Even a child could figure it out. As their instructor, it should have been clear to you from the beginning. Why not ask one of them, hmm?"

"I….think she's right, Professor" replied Pyrrha. "I…I don't think we can go back. If we truly have to fight Grimm that are now as powerful as lady Tier and the others, then we truly have no chance of winning. We're not strong enough"

"Yes, but-!"

"We just have to work for these guys, right?" asked Yang. "I think that's fine with me. If that'll make me stronger, then I'm all up for it. And if they're really Ruby's friends and family…then, I want to spend some time here as well. Also, I….I dont want to go back for some time either"

"Tch, look at you guys, making all the decisions for us" scoffed Roman, "Still, it doesn't look like we have much of an option. Let us be 'allies out of convenience' until things go back to normal"

Kyouka had a smile on her face. "And that's that. If that has been sorted out, I propose a night off to rest your minds and begin starting tomorrow"

"Begin? Begin what, exactly?" asked Nanao.

She sighed. "Must I explain everything?"

"It's fine, you go ahead, Kyo, I'll handle things" offered Benihime, much to Kyouka's relief.

"It's simple really. You guys aren't strong enough to be going back to Ruby's world, and we're lacking people who can fight. It's simple, right? We'll help you get in speed with everything going on, and thanks to that, you'll get to improve your abilities and have a chance of restoring things back to normal. Still, there's a lot left to discuss, but for now, that should serve as a good explanation, yes? So don't worry about things now. Just go sleep off the rest of the day, we can get into specifics tomorrow. And have a proper introduction once everyone feels better"

And with that, there were no more words of dispute or debate. After some closing statements, each of the individuals present in the pavilion were left to their own devices in their shared tents to ponder and contemplate the events of the day, as well as dwell on the uncertain series of events awaiting them for the future.

---

A/N: Just wanted to notify a small change in the ending of the last chapter! So instead of Aizen appearing in the ending paragraph of the last chapter, it's Kyouka. I realized I hadn't changed it before posting it, and it was a mistake on my part. My bad, sorry about that!

---

Responses to reviews:

Xeno01: Ah, well, not Aizen per se, but yeah, it IS indeed him I guess!

Eh, kinda. That would be simplifying their motivations a lot, but yeah. Kyouka too has her own motivations and can be 'cold and cruel' if seen from one perspective. Bizarre is indeed the right word. There's a lot to unpack indeed, especially given how many characters are meeting together.

Farhan Nugraha: Her aspect of death as an Espada was 'Empathy'. As for Ichigo, yeah, it would be something akin to that. But he already used some of that against Aizen's battle in this fic atleast, though it was a single sword using both Quincy/hollow abilities. As for Brunhilde, she definitely has a schrift, and it's one that a few people who are close to a certain Quincy are very familiar with. Crescent and Summer are definitely going to play a role, to be revealed in the next chapter in fact. Haha yeah, but there's a small correction there. It's more Kyouka rather than Aizen for reasons that will be mentioned in the next chapter. Interesting question! About Kon, he's definitely still around. After all, Ichigo still needs him to be able to use his Soul Reaper abilities. So yeah, he's out there at ichigo's house, alongside other konpaku that are helping Karin and Yuzu keep their Soul Reaper forms out. And regarding the reaction fic, yeah, sure, I dont see why not…?

PhenomsServant: Thanks a lot, and I really appreciate you bringing it up in such an objective and constructive manner. I'm really aware that the pacing has been an issue of late. It's happening because I'm organically trying to connect events and dialogue as though it were real life, to make character interactions and the like more believable and to fill in interactions between characters that will help in developing them. It's also another reason why I plan on focusing on the 'training arc' for the gang from Remnant more, so that they get the screentime that they did not have, as well as interactions with characters from Bleach. As for specific character reactions themselves, I do admit some of them do raise questions, (such as the one that you mentioned with Yang). I can say that my way of writing characters would be to try and empathize with each character and how they would react given a situation and then go with it. Naturally this means that I need to really know these characters first, and when they are faced with situations you dont see them facing in canon in the same level, it can be a bit difficult. Clearly a skilled writer can do better, but this is more learning experience for me. I can only promise that I can try to do as best as I can, and of late, getting time to work on this fic has been rather difficult as well. But thanks to all the support, I'm hanging on, trying to do better each time. Once again, thank you so much for the support.

RandomName3064: I sent you a PM with the reply, hope you've seen it!

PoofyOhio: Like a lot of usual narcissistic characters I suppose.

Dicordum: I have checked all your replies, and I thought maybe replying to each and every one of them would make this section too long ahaha! But thank you so much for the support and I'd want to mention that I have taken the points you mentioned into consideration and while some of them are addressed in the later chapters you arrived at, some others are a bit too difficult to change since it would require changing a lot of things from chapters very early on. Still, what I can do is to use this experience to do better the next time I write. Thanks again!

Matthew: Thank you so much!

Hefster: I hear you. I contemplated between leaving it as an exposition point that should be mentioned in the story vs having it be a plot element to drive the story forward. A lot of times exposition can make things look as though they're there to fill up words but sometimes it's needed to have the plot make sense. I do plan to include a small explanation for it soon, but it wont be the main point anyway. I'd say it's better to look at it as a plot point/event/arc for the moment.

Fezzgator: Thank you so much! I understand and all I can say is that I thought that since Ruby had so much screentime until now, it would be bad for the other characters if they went on without much screentime. Which is why I took some focus off her and some onto the cast from Remnant. Now, I guess it'll be a mix of both, with one half focusing on Ruby and Brunhilde and their surrounding interactions, with the other being on the cast of Remnant, the Espada and Ichigo and co. Thank you so much for the support once again!

Jaxsondahuman: Really sorry about the delay, but I havent dropped it! I've been extremely busy of late, and I do have a bit of a writer's block, but I'm doing a bit everyday, little by little. I definitely plan to finish this story, so you have no worries there! Thanks for the support!

Guest: I understand, I do realize that those earlier bits are bits I could've written better. But I can't change them now and can only promise to do better next time. It's not for everyone for sure, and maybe it wasnt necessary too. But at the time, I thought it was a good idea.