Shower in the dark day

Clean sparks diving down

Cool in the waterway

Where the baptized drown

Naked in the cold sun

Breathing life like fire

I thought I was the only one

But that was just a lie

Sunday, February 11, proved to be a chilly day, yet a bright day. For the past three months, Ichigo and Trunks battled each other under augmented gravity. Both made incredible progress, especially Ichigo, but even after months of intensive training, Trunks still could not use Bankai.

With only two weeks until their battle with the Arrancar, Trunks expressed distress, but Ichigo worked to keep him optimistic. It was noon, and while the two waited for Soi Fon to emerge from the gravity room, Ichigo suggested they play some baseball with Jinta in the front yard to pass the time.

Trunks stood eighteen meters from Jinta. The ball in his rested right hand while a glove nestled on his left. "You ready, tough guy?"

Jinta gripped the handle of his bat and carried it behind his head. "Bring it!"

Ichigo squatted behind him with his glove extended from his body. Trunks slid his shoes together, and after he lifted his leg, the ball sped from his fingertips. Jinta stepped with his front leg and swung with all his might.

The ball smacked into Ichigo's glove. "Swing and a miss! Hanakari strikes out, and the Yankees lose Game seven of the World Series."

"Dammit!" Jinta yelled. "Why the hell can't I hit anything today?"

"You're getting a little jumpy," Trunks said. "If you sit back and wait for it, you'll be blasting these babies into orbit."

Ichigo stood and stretched his legs. "You mind if we take a break, though? My knees need a breather."

"I second that," Trunks said. "I must've thrown a hundred pitches by now."

Jinta grunted. "Ah, give me a break. All you guys wanna do is talk about girls."

"Not really," Ichigo said. "But how about we take ten to talk, and you take ten to get your mind right? Go get some water, settle down, and then we'll get back to it."

Jinta rolled his eyes and threw the bat over his shoulder. "Fine. When we start again, I'm putting the first ball right between your eyes, Trunks."

"I'll look forward to it," Trunks said. Jinta turned and walked inside.

Ichigo trotted toward Trunks. "So, are you gonna do it?"

"I dunno, man. I think I should wait till after we beat Aizen."

"Maybe, but tomorrow's her birthday, and you haven't made a move since your birthday party. Just ask her if she would wanna go out to eat or something, and then give her your gift."

Trunks sighed. Anxious energy built in his chest. "Oh god, I can't do it. What am I gonna do if she says no?"

"She's not gonna- well, she might, but you'll never know unless you try."

"Thanks, that's very encouraging. I'd rather not know than get shot down."

"I know, but… Okay, how about I cut you a deal? You ask Soi Fon out, and… I'll ask Orihime out, too."

"Ichigo, why are you so pressed about this? Don't we have other things to worry about, like, I dunno, uh, Bankai?!"

"You'll get your Bankai, I'll promise you that. And I'm not pressed. It's just that you really like her, and I don't want you to miss your chance and regret it. Plus, it'll be Valentine's Day two days after her birthday. You literally can't ask for better timing."

"I guess, but… you know what, fine. If you guys will finally leave me alone about it, then I'll do it. Plus, it'll be fun to see you when the shoe is on the other foot."

"By the way, I've never asked this before but, what is it you like about her, anyway? I'm not saying there's nothing to like about her, but I'm just wondering."

Trunks placed his hands on his hips. "Um, well, I think she's beautiful. She's strong and independent. She's kinda stubborn sometimes, but-"

The sliding door to the shop opened. Nerves attacked his entire body once Soi Fon stepped out of the door.

"Hm?" she asked. "What the hell are you looking at?"

Trunks shook his head. "Oh, sorry. You scared me."

"Hmph. The chamber's all yours." Soi Fon closed the door behind her and hopped off the porch.

"How was it? You stayed longer than usual.

"It was productive. I wanted to stay longer, but I know you two have been waiting."

"Oh no, it's fine. You could've stayed as long as you wanted. Do you think you'll be ready in two weeks?"

"That's the goal. What about you?"

"I have some work to do, but hopefully I'll be okay.

Soi Fon walked past him. "You better get to it, then."

Ichigo nudged Trunks and motioned for him to speak. He took another quick inhale. "Soi Fon, wait! I wanted to ask you something.

Soi Fon stopped and faced him. "What is it?"

Once her curious gaze met his, Trunks' heart beat with furious intensity. His nerves magnified to even greater heights. He tucked his fidgeting hands in his pockets and smiled at the ground. "Well, I just, um- I wanted to uh-I wa-was gonna ask you if, uh-"

"I'm not sure if they taught you this in school, but this is what you call short-circuiting." Ichigo shoved his hand in front of his face to stifle a laugh. "Dude, please get this over with. I don't think I can hold out much longer."

"Do you need help?" she asked. "You sound like you're choking."

Ichigo turned away and suppressed himself to a snicker.

"Oh yeah, I-I'm fine," Trunks said. He took another deep breath. "I, um, wanted to know if you were doing anything tomorrow."

"Besides coming here and clearing up some paperwork, there's nothing special happening tomorrow. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just that- well, tomorrow's your birthday, so I wanted to ask if you would like to-"

An intense sensation interrupted his proposal. External pressure and internal dread replaced his previous nerves. Ichigo and Soi Fon sensed it as well, and they turned themselves toward the eerie spiritual pressure.

"What the hell is that?" Trunks asked. "Is that Aizen, or an Espada?"

"I can't tell," Soi Fon said. "But it's coming from downtown Karakura."

"But what are they- Ichigo, we have to go, now!" Trunks turned back toward Soi Fon. "Get back to the Soul Society and tell them what's going on."

She shot him a glare. "Kisuke can take care of that. I'm coming, too."

"No! We don't know how powerful they are and we can't risk turning this into an all-out battle, especially not with that many people around."

Ichigo pulled out his combat pass and thrust it into his body, transforming into his Soul Reaper form. He left his human body on the ground. "Trunks, come on! We gotta get going!" Trunks nodded, and the two of them soared into the downtown area.

Left to watch them, Soi Fon gritted her teeth. "Asshole. You think I've been training all this time just to be sidelined?!"

Ichigo and Trunks raced into the city and landed on a rooftop to scout the area. The streets swarmed with honking cars and bikers. Pedestrians walked back and forth on the overflowed sidewalks.

"Dammit!" Trunks shot his head left and right. "They hid their energy."

Ichigo's eyes bounced in all directions, searching for anything out of the ordinary. "They couldn't have gotten that far- Hey, look!"

"Look where?!" Trunks raised his eyes. His body stiffened once he laid eyes on two men stood in the heart of an intersection. One of them was a tall, slender man with long black hair and a large Zanpakuto on his back that looked like two crescents attached. The other was a man with dirty blonde hair and an eyepatch over his right eye. Smirks crossed both of their faces.

"That's one of the Espada, right?" Trunks asked.

"Nnoitra. I'm pretty sure that's his Fracción with him."

"Let's get down there and move this somewhere else."

Ichigo nodded. The two jumped high into the air and landed in the middle of the intersection. The cool demeanor of the Arrancar signaled that they had control of the situation. No matter what, Trunks couldn't show his apprehension.

"You two took your sweet time, huh?" Nnoitra said. "Now we can get the show started."

"Hold on," Trunks said. "This isn't the place for us to talk, let alone fight. I'm sure there are some deserted islands close to here that'll be better for us."

"No, I'm fine with staying right here, but I can clear up some space if you'd like."

"We're not gonna fight you here," Ichigo said. "There's no reason to have all these people-" Traffic resumed and interrupted Ichigo. He and Trunks jumped back to avoid the oncoming cars, while the sound of horns deafened all other noise. Some drivers rolled down their windows to remind Trunks he was the only one visible to the human gaze.

"Get out of the road, dumbass!"

"The rehab center's down the road, you bum!"

Trunks ignored this, but a bus approached Nnoitra and his accomplice. Before Trunks or Ichigo warned him, the bus smashed into Nnoitra's back. He stood unmoved and left a large imprint on the vehicle.

Nnoitra's grin sank into a scowl, and his Fracción turned to him. "Master Nnoitra, shall I clear the area?"

"Yes, Tesla," he answered. "We shall."

Nnoitra held out his tongue. The tip emitted a yellow glow; Tesla's left eye glimmered red. Two Ceros raced behind Trunks and Ichigo. The duo spun around in horror after a cluster of skyscrapers exploded. They both swiveled to deflect Ceros aimed at each of them. Nnoitra then turned his back and shot a Cero through the bus and into the populated area. Another set of skyscrapers erupted.

The Arrancar fired a three more Ceros each before Trunks broke through. "Stop it!" He raced towards Nnoitra and struck him in the back of the head. Nnoitra stumbled before he glared at Trunks.

The glow from Tesla's eye faded. "Master Nnoitra! Are you-" Ichigo crushed him with a punch to his cheek. Tesla fell back-first onto the pavement.

"Damn you!" Ichigo shouted. Fury burned in his eyes. "Why the hell would you do something like this?!"

Trunks unsheathed his sword and clenched his teeth. Nnoitra grinned. "Now there are no more distractions and no more of those annoying humans to get in our way."

The surrounding buildings glowed orange with intense heat. Smoke rose into the sky to shroud the sun. City blocks and sidewalks had been destroyed, while civilians screamed and trampled over one another to find any means of escape. Dozens of innocent bodies laid silent and scattered. None of Trunks' worst nightmares compared to the landscape before him.

Nnoitra tilted his head toward the people who attempted to flee. "Oh look, a few loose ends."

Trunks powered up to Super Saiyan and charged him with Zangetsu. Nnoitra whipped out his Zanpakuto and blocked Trunks' multiple sword slashes before he escaped into the air. Trunks let out a furious cry and chased down his enemy.

Ichigo drew his Zangetsu from his back and prepared to take on Tesla, but a hand rested on his shoulder.

"How about you take me on instead?"

The hair on Ichigo's body stood to attention. Without looking, he slashed his sword behind him. Nothing cut, but the enemy somersaulted over his head and landed meters away from him.

The man grinned. "Still as sharp as ever, Kurosaki."

"Grimmjow… Of course he sent you, too. It's not like you to hide and let someone do your dirty work.

"I was waiting until their fight got started so we could have another one-on-one."

"Why the hell are you guys even here?! To kill these innocent people? To destroy Karakura Town for fun?"

"I didn't destroy your precious town. Take that up with those dimwits over there. I'm only here to settle the score and beat you till you're unconscious."

"Dammit… You're all dead!" Ichigo's spiritual pressure leaked from his body and prompted Grimmjow's grin to deepen.

"Oh, I'm gonna enjoy kicking the shit out of you this time. Hurry and get your Bankai out so I can show you how weak you are."

Rage took over his rationale. "You want it?! You got it!" He swung his sword toward the front of his body. "Ban-kai!"

His spiritual pressure erupted from his being. Once the glow disappeared, Ichigo appeared in front of Grimmjow and smashed his fist into his stomach. Grimmjow leaned over and coughed up spit before Ichigo grabbed his shirt and launched him into the air. He thrust his spiritual pressure into his Zanpakuto and flung a Getsuga Tensho at his opponent.

Grimmjow recovered and exposed some of his Zanpakuto from his side. He sliced his pointer finger on the blade and stuck his hand forward. "Gran Rey Cero!"

A massive blue beam left his palm. However, it failed to repel the full power of Ichigo's attack. The ensuing explosion occurred in Grimmjow's face. Smoke filled the air, and Grimmjow flew out to get his bearings. Ichigo appeared right beside him and threw a kick at his ribcage. Grimmjow blocked, but the force of the kick sent him in the other direction.

Ichigo inverted the grip on his blade and brought his wrists behind him. "Galick Gun!" Ichigo thrust his hands forward and released a large, fuchsia-colored energy wave.

Grimmjow stopped himself and smiled. "Well, look who learned the royal technique. I haven't used that one in a while." Grimmjow brought his hands together and fired off a Galick Gun of his own. The beams clashed and detonated in the sky.

What the hell? Ichigo said. He took the moment to catch his breath. Did he just use a Galick Gun? How would he even-

A massive burst of spiritual pressure within the smoke overwhelmed him. No way! Grimmjow's putting out that much energy?

The smoke from the previous explosion swirled around Grimmjow, then dissipated to reveal the cause of Grimmjow's power increase: a new form. His hair grew longer and turned white with black bangs. His shirt and Hollow mask vanished. Grimmjow's body sported black tattoos, and white fur adorned him from his torso to his calves. The claws on his feet and hands darkened, and his forehead, eyes, tail, and scar all emitted blue spiritual pressure.

"Allow me to introduce you to my new transformation. Ressurrección: Segunda Etapa."

Segunda Etapa had only been exclusive to Ulquiorra. That form made him suffer one of his most excruciating defeats; it was the form that almost took his life. While Ichigo froze with a trembling jaw, Grimmjow lunged in to assault him.

On the other side of the city, Trunks kept his opponent on the defensive. Ichigo released his Bankai, but he still had enough restraint to not unleash his full power in the city. However, he pressured Nnoitra and landed some strikes on him.

"Bastard!" Nnoitra yelled. "Don't think you're going to defeat me like this!"

"You murderer!" Trunks swung his sword with relentless. "I'll make you pay for what you di-" A rush of spiritual pressure surged near Ichigo. How could he be fighting someone that strong? Shit! Is that a-

He snapped back into battle, but a red blast from the ground blindsided him. He eluded it, but Nnoitra used his Sonido to appear behind Trunks and trap him in a headlock.

"Your help was unnecessary, Tesla!" Nnoitra tightened his grip on the Trunks.

Tesla bowed his head. "My apologies, Master."

Nnoitra's expression soon changed from a scowl to a self-assured grin. "It was an inevitability. With or without his help, you were bound to end up like this."

Trunks tried to pry his throat free from Nnoitra's forearm. A fist thrust into his spine and caused him to yelp out in pain.

"I'm sorry, but what happened to all that talk about making me pay?" Helpless in his enemy's clutches, Trunks endured the several punches and cackles. After a minute passed, Nnoitra stopped and pointed his tongue. "Now turn to ash, like the rest of those pathetic ants."

Trunks couldn't hold back any longer. Before either of them made their move, a foot plummeted into Nnoitra's cheek. He soared towards the ground and crash into Tesla with enough force to bury them both in the pavement.

Trunks stretched his neck from side to side. "So, how long were you gonna watch me get my spine straightened?"

With her eyes glued to the ground, Soi Fon stood beside him. "It took some time to have Gentei Kaijo granted. In the meantime, I was evaluating their strength."

"Well, thanks for the save. Nice kick, too."

"You can keep your thanks. You refused my help, remember?"

"I thought we would be okay on our own. As you can see, the situation's changed."

"Let's end this quickly, then."

"I'll take the Espada, and you take his Fracción."

"I'll kill the Fracción, and then we'll both kill Espada Five. After that, we can help Kurosaki deal with Espada Six."

A grin slid across his lips. "You sure you can manage him on your own?"

"Don't insult me."

The Arrancar emerged from the rubble with torn garments. They flashed into the air and surrounded Soi Fon and Trunks. With their backs against each other, the Super Saiyan and Soul Reaper captain took their respective fighting stances.

"You made a big mistake, Captain," Nnoitra said. "I'll take your life for that."

Trunks ascended to Super Saiyan 2. "You won't even get past me to try it." Trunks and Nnoitra gazed at one another for a moment, then disappeared to resume their clash.

Soi Fon and Tesla stared each other down until Soi Fon smirked. "What's wrong? Are you afraid?"

Tesla bared his teeth. "You dare harm Master Nnoitra? I'll cut you down for your insolence." Sonido allowed Tesla to travel behind Soi Fon with his sword high in the air. However, a spinning back kick hit his jaw, followed by a fist to his opposite cheek. Tesla regained his footing, but lost sight of her.

"Looking for me?" Soi Fon asked from behind. Tesla twisted and slashed his sword, but missed as Soi Fon Flash Stepped behind him again. "Am I too fast, or are you painfully slow?"

"Damn you, just stay still!" He charged at her again with a flurry of swings and thrusts, but she dodged every attack with ease. He stabbed his sword toward her chest. Soi Fon sidestepped the attack and caught his blade between her fingers. She smirked, but stopped when she saw his uncovered eye glow red. Right before Tesla fired off his Cero, Soi Fon threw an uppercut to his jaw, which caused him to lift his head and fire his attack into the sky. As he continued to fall back, Soi Fon jumped and struck him with a fist that broke his nose.

Trunks gained a significant advantage after he increased his power. The Espada swung his sword upward, but Trunks whirled around it, then shoved Nnoitra back with an energy air push. Once Nnoitra recovered, he averted his attention to his underling.

Trunks landed a punch on his jaw, then threw a knee into his abdomen. After Nnoitra doubled over in pain, Trunks elbowed his spine and sent him into the ground.

He touched down and strolled to his opponent with a grin spread across his face. "Don't worry. He won't last much longer, and at this rate, neither will you."

Nnoitra glared in frustration, but after a moment, he changed it into a devilish smile. Trunks furrowed his brows, but the faint sound of people behind his foe raised alarms.

"Oh, no!" He darted toward the crowd before Nnoitra fired a Cero at them. At a suitable distance from the civilians, he slashed his sword in front of him and challenged the blast head-on. The full force of the Cero exploded in his face.

With Trunks distracted, Nnoitra teleported into the air behind Soi Fon. His Zanpakuto carved into her back and spewed out a large amount of blood. She cried out in agony, but he grabbed her by her hair and rammed his knee into her in her stomach. A backhand across her face caused her to fall towards the earth.

"Tesla!" Nnoitra yelled.

"Yes, Master!" Tesla directed his crimson eye downward. Nnoitra stuck out his tongue and fired a Cero with his Fracción. The two blasts combined to create a large orange beam headed for Soi Fon. However, Trunks flew between them at the last second and shielded her from the impact.

Nnoitra's maniacal laugh made a return. "What a fool! He threw himself in front of the blast for that Soul Reaper? How dumb can he-"

"Ha!" From the smoke of the Cero, an energy blast headed for Nnoitra, who deflected it with little effort. Powered down to his base form, Trunks stumbled to the pavement with Soi Fon in his arms.

His tattered jacket left his bloodied ribcage and back exposed. Only half of his energy remained. His unconscious ally worried him much more than his own ailments. Her head slumped away, and the amount of blood that poured down his arms disturbed him.

No… I'm so sorry. Please, hang on for a little longer.

Before Trunks planned an escape, a yellow blast hailed from overhead. He ran to avoid it, but a red Cero hurled down at him. Trunks ran in the opposite direction until yet another Cero rained down. Trunks did his best to avoid the continuous blasts without tripping on any debris.

"Ahahaha!" Nnoitra hollered. "Yes! Dance, monkey! Dance!"

He fled the attacks until he stepped backed against a burning building. The Arrancar prepared to fire their final Cero.

"Now, say goodbye," Nnoitra said. A combined Cero raced toward him. With no more options and little time left, Trunks summoned his sword and gathered the rest of his remaining energy.

"Getsuga, Ten-"

Once he brought his blade forward, a blue energy beam struck the Cero from the side and diverted it into the sky. Trunks stood perplexed until a familiar ally appeared before him."Go-Goten!"

Captain Hitsugaya dropped out of the sky and landed next to him. Both Goten and Toshiro turned to Trunks, but their eyes widened at Soi Fon's condition.

"I'll cover you," Goten said. "Get her to Kisuke, now!"

Without another word, Trunks darted for Urahara's shop as fast as possible. The Arrancar touched down and narrowed their eyes on the duo. Toshiro drew his sword, and Goten ascended to Pseudo Blue.

"Let's go," he said.

Before they began their showdown in the inferno, Grimmjow, in his base form, landed beside Goten, holding something in each hand. "Excuse me." He lifted his right hand. "Would you mind taking this for me?"

A gasp escaped Goten and Toshiro. Grimmjow clutched a beaten-down and unconscious Soul Reaper by his white sash, while his other hand held a black blade.

Goten's parted mouth quivered. "No… Ichigo?"