I climbed your arms

And you pulled away

A new cavity moved into

My heart today

Every audible breath that escaped caused her body to tremble. She struggled for self-control as Trunks left with his tail tucked between his legs. Had a senior captain not intervened, she would have continued to scream in his face. Even when Yoruichi rushed in to calm her, Soi Fon's impulses desired to tackle him in the hallway, then bark unintelligible vitriol. Yet she tamed her compulsions, and as soon as his presence vanished from the Seireitei, she exhaled. Once her body stopped shaking, she sat back in her bed, clutching the white quilt that covered her legs.

Unohana left, leaving Yoruichi standing at Soi Fon's bedside. Every attempt Yoruichi made to converse or lighten the mood fell to silence as Soi Fon stared out of her window. Eventually, Yoruichi bid her farewell and gave her the space to work through the events of the day.

When she regained consciousness in Squad Four's barracks, Soi Fon expressed shock and confusion instead of the rage that followed. As soon as she heard Ukitake apprehended Trunks, she ordered for his release. If the Head Captain or Central 46 acted before she did, there would be little that she could do to save him. After he arrived in the medical ward, she only wanted to ask why tried to kill her; why he betrayed her trust.

Once she overheard Trunks argue with Yoruichi, all fantasies of a civil discussion vanished. A remorseful individual wouldn't cause a scene, let alone in a setting such as a medical care facility. His voice filled her with enough anger to ram her fist into the wall beside her. She forced Lieutenant Kotetsu to stop treating her and bring Trunks into the room. Her negative emotions only evolved from that point, and his lack of a concrete explanation invoked her fury.

She struggled to withhold the violent thoughts that oscillated. At the lowest point of her anger, she wanted to punch another hole in the wall. She considered it, but she already apologized to Unohana and promised to pay for the damage. At its peak, Soi Fon wished she bloodied Trunks' face while she pinned him against a wall. He deserved to feel as weak and helpless as she did.

She loosened the grip on her quilt and released the tension between her clenched jaws. She didn't wish to imagine a broken nose between his desolate eyes. Soi Fon averted all prospects of exacting revenge and tried to examine the situation from a different perspective.

She may have pushed him too far, causing Trunks to overcompensate in a near-fatal way. In fairness, she gave the impression that she would kill him if he didn't fight back. It was the only way she knew to get through to him. If she explained that, he might understand.

It all clicked. If they both understood each other's point of view, they could try again once the commotion died down. After a night of rest and planning, Soi Fon checked out of the Squad Four treatment center and took to the Seireitei streets. She raised her head to the overcast sky above. There had only been two cloudy days in the year so far, and only one led to precipitation. She ignored the clump in her stomach and hoped the weather didn't foretell a bad omen.

Trunks' hadn't returned to the Seireitei. That didn't surprise her, but she expressed curiosity when she failed to sense Goten. Soi Fon allotted herself no time to speculate as she hurried through the Senkaimon and landed in front of Urahara's shop. In the barren yard, Jinta stood in front of the deck, swinging two aluminum bats between clasped hands. He halted once Soi Fon approached.

"Hey, you know where Trunks is?" he asked.

Soi Fon stopped and gave a dazed look. "You haven't seen him?"

"Haven't seen him since yesterday morning. All of his stuff is gone, too."

Her heart missed a beat. "Has anyone else come by?"

"Uh, yeah. That short captain and the redhead with the huge boobs came yesterday to talk to Kisuke. And Ichigo came after them and started yelling."

Kurosaki, Hitsugaya, Rangiku, but no Goten. Tension mounted in her chest. "Is Urahara inside?"

"He should be in the front."

Soi Fon turned away and entered the shop. Urahara sat at the small table with a teacup in one hand and a newspaper in the other. He muttered to himself while he skimmed the headlines.

"Theft, murders, blah, blah, blah. Rats?! You've gotta be-" He stopped and lifted his head from the paper. "My apologies, Captain! I didn't see you there. It seems you've made a quick recovery. Sit, I'll pour you some tea."

"Cut the shit, Urahara," she said. "Where is he?"

"I see you're as forthright as ever." He took a sip of his tea. "If you're referring to my lavender-haired employee, I'm afraid he's not here. He collected his belongings and left yesterday."

"What do you mean? He didn't say anything to you?"

"No, not a word. He left while I went grocery shopping with Tessai."

"What did Hitsugaya and Rangiku come for? Did Kurosaki have any information?"

"After a conversation with Hitsugaya that doesn't pertain to Trunks, he informed me that Goten left with him. Ichigo arrived later, asking questions in a much louder tone. Had to walk him downstairs to speak in private."

Soi Fon paused and walked to Trunks' room. "He didn't leave a note? No clues as to when he'd return?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm sorry."

Soi Fon slid the door open and wandered into the vacant space. She checked every corner of the room, in between the sheets of his mattress, even the ceiling. He left nothing behind. She left the room with her head lowered.

"If I had known, I would've asked him to stay another day," Kisuke said.

Soi Fon passed him without a glance in his direction and exited the shop. Once she stepped onto the porch, Jinta dropped his bats and ran to her.

"Did he say anything?" he asked. "Is Trunks coming back?"

She averted her gaze, then mumbled a response. "No… he's not."

To prevent any further conversation, Soi Fon Flash Stepped kilometers away into the air. She confirmed it one last time: Trunks and Goten weren't anywhere on Earth. The knot in her stomach twisted further as she opened the Senkaimon and entered the Seireitei. The clouds only grew darker in her absence.

She considered returning home for the rest of the day, but opted to head to her quarters. Even if she locked herself inside, she could be on site in case someone needed her. She used another Flash Step to arrive, but when her hand reached to the door, her foot tapped something.

Soi Fon's arm slumped to her side once she laid eyes on the two paper bags underneath her. Two paper bags filled with rotten food. Food that she wanted to surprise Trunks with atop Sokyoku Hill. She stood motionless, her eyebrows and mouth sunken with melancholia.

A thunderous boom filled the air, followed by a droplet of water that hit the back of her neck. She flinched, but eased her muscles, allowing more to strike her as they saw fit. Soon enough, a flurry of bitter rain and wind bombarded the area, but Soi Fon remained glued to her spot. It was all so convenient. So cliché, yet so fitting.

After she allowed the frigid weather to numb her fingers, she picked up both bags and turned away from her quarters. Soi Fon disposed of the garbage and used her speed to carry herself home. She couldn't face her subordinates, let alone resume her duties. She entered, hung her clothes, dried off, then laid under the covers of her bed.

Soi Fon didn't understand why she felt so debilitated. When Yoruichi fled the Soul Society a hundred years before then, a wave of sadness and anxiety crushed her. Not only had she been abandoned, but Squad Two and the Stealth Force were on the verge of separation. Soi Fon at least had a massive influx of responsibilities to occupy all of her time. She worked for hours on end to not only keep them unified, but to obtain enough strength to be their leader.

Although Trunks created the situation, he at least tried to resolve it. She pushed him away. Instead of longing for a feeling she had become accustomed to, her mind tormented her with thoughts of what could have been. It created an uncomfortable, hollow sensation within her. If she kept him at a distance from the start, she could have prevented these crippling emotions.

She expected that a day of rest would clear her mind, but the next morning, shooting pain coursed through her head. Her body felt heavier than before. She felt ashamed to miss another day of work, but it would be disgraceful for her to appear before her squad as the wretched individual she was.

On the following day, however, she rolled off of her mattress and resumed her routine. Her bodily ailments had disappeared, but her mental state hadn't recovered. However, she needed to carry on with her obligations as a captain. Soi Fon concluded her stretching and arrived at the training grounds fifteen minutes early. Once she arrived, her third seat perked up.

"Good morning, Captain!" Karasu said with a bow. "I hope you rested from your injuries."

"Yes, I made a full recovery," she said as she adjusted the black sleeves on her forearms. "I apologize for my absence-"

A member of the Stealth Force appeared behind her and kneeled. "Commander, Head Captain Yamamoto requested to speak with you."

She maintained her composure and turned to her lieutenant. "Omaeda, lead stretching if I don't return in time."

"Yes, Captain," he said.

Without another word, she Flash Stepped to the Head Captain's quarters. Yamamoto gazed out toward the dark sky, but faced Soi Fon when she dropped to a knee, pressed a fist onto the floor, and bowed her head.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Captain," he said. "I hope that you've spent the last two days recovering from your injuries."

If she hesitated for a moment, Yamamoto would spot her lies. "I have, Head Captain. Against Captain Unohana's recommendation, I checked myself out of care. I underestimated the time I needed to rest."

"Your men should not have to speculate why their captain is not at her post."

"You're right, Head Captain. I should have kept them updated. It will not happen again, sir."

"That is the least of my concern. The pressing issue is why you were harmed at all. Explain this matter and spare no pertinent information."

"Yes, sir. I asked Trunks Briefs to spar four days ago in an effort to observe and learn more about his power. The next day, I took him to a secret location inside of Sokyoku Hill, created by Kisuke Urahara long ago. We sparred, but I insisted he used his full power. When he reluctantly obliged, I attacked with my Bankai. He tried to deflect it, but the explosion destroyed the cave, and I was injured in the process."

"You say that he had no intent to harm you?"

"Yes, Head Captain. It was an act of self-defense. My injuries were purely an accident, and once Trunks saw my wounds, he rushed me to Squad Four. "

"And that is why you released him from custody?"

"Yes, Head Captain."

"Where is he located now?"

"He returned to his world, Head Captain. I confirmed that with Kisuke Urahara two days ago."

Yamamoto paused, then proceeded. "Captain Soi Fon, you are aware of the charges that attempted murder of a captain carries, correct? Even in his absence, if they found him guilty, he would be banished from the Soul Society. Should we ever find him, he would face much worse punishment."

"I am aware, and I will testify before Central 46 if need be."

"That won't be necessary. If you answer one last question, this case won't need to go any further. Explain why both you and your third seat had an outburst inside the Squad Four barracks."

"It was a misunderstanding, sir. When Trunks arrived, he failed to explain the situation properly. I believe the explosion caused him to fall unconscious, making it harder for him to recount the events. My third seat came to my defense, while I was too quick to anger. I take full accountability for both of our actions."

"So, this matter needs no more attention?"

"No, Head Captain. I have dealt with this situation in its entirety."

Yamamoto sighed. "Very well. Exercise caution in your training sessions from now on."

"Yes, sir. It won't happen again." Soi Fon disappeared from Yamamoto's presence and arrived outside the Squad Two barracks. Her fist tightened while she failed to quell her boiling blood.

She shouldn't need to lie to the Captain Yamamoto's face. She shouldn't have to vouch for Trunks to bail him out of trouble, especially not when he hurt her. He set the boundary between them; she only reinforced that separation.

She couldn't bear to wallow in self-pity any longer. Instead, she needed to prove that she hadn't lost her way. With another Flash Step, she returned to the training grounds, where her officers and other subordinates sparred.

"Attention!" she shouted. Every Soul Reaper spun toward her and snapped upright with their arms at their sides. "On one hand!"

The Squad Two members all dropped to the dirt and flung their legs into the air, balancing themselves on one hand. Soi Fon sat down with her legs crossed and rested her hands on her lap. "Now count to 3,000."

She shut her eyes and listened to them count in unison. Once they reached 2,800, she stood and walked over to her third seat. "Are you ready?"

Karasu kept his head low as he strained his voice. "Ready for what, Captain-" A fist rammed into his stomach, and caused him to tumble into the ground. He held himself and cried out in agony.

"It's going to be a long day for you," Soi Fon said. "Get up."

"My… apologies… Captain."

As Karasu struggled to resume his handstand, Soi Fon scowled at the others. "Let this be a lesson for everyone. If another captain reports anything negative about any of you, there will be hell to pay for all of you. Every time Karasu falls, you will restart your count."

Omaeda groaned. "Ah, you've gotta be-"

"What was that, Lieutenant?! Would you like me to test your core strength, too?!"

"No, ma'am! I was just counting!"

Soi Fon's streak of cruelty extended past that day. She became swifter with punishment than ever before. It felt the most organic way to soothe her anger and take her mind off of people that no longer existed in her life.

She didn't need Trunks in her life, anyway. Someone who lingered around her with a weak mentality would only drag her down. In fact, she considered thanking him for tearing out her last distraction.

For a month, Soi Fon tried to carry these sentiments, but they soon fell flat. Trunks always lived in her head, even when she directed negativity at him. She tried to cast him aside, but as time passed, her thoughts bothered her more. Her issue came to a crossroads when she sat in her quarters one afternoon and tried to attach the word "hate" next to his name. She couldn't explain why it proved to be an impossible task. Maybe if she made peace with the situation, the matter would rest.

Soi Fon pushed all the documents she worked on to the side of her desk, then placed a clean piece of paper in front of her and wrote ideas as they flowed. What went wrong? The day before their encounter, Trunks exhibited strange behavior. He attributed it to post-battle depression, but there had to be more to it than he let on.

His refusal to fight didn't strike her as odd, but what came after defined the entire day. The spiritual pressure he exuded in the Study Chamber felt nothing like what she sensed from him in Las Noches. Even if she pushed him to the edge, it wouldn't change the essence of his power into something sinister. Did he hold back all along? Did she burst a dam open to an unknown presence within, or…

Her eyes shot open. The writing utensil she held slipped through her fingers and clanked onto her desk.

Hollowfication.

It couldn't be. Ichigo should have informed Trunks beforehand. If a Hollow lived within him, it should have been controlled by now. But he never unveiled a mask. He must have known, right?

She didn't want to believe it, but the more she thought, the more likely it seemed. However, speculations required physical evidence to solidify them as facts. Soi Fon left her quarters and sped toward the cavernous opening in Sokyoku Hill. Yellow tape and a red "No Trespassing" sign marked the entrance. From the edge of the hole, she gazed at the remains of the Study Chamber. Shadows shrouded most of the inside, but the sun provided some illumination. Destroyed rocks and boulders encompassed the landscape.

Soi Fon jumped onto the ground and made her way toward the former location of the hot spring. The explosion flattened the pit, and boulders hindered her search. She doubted that she'd find anything, but it wouldn't hurt to look. With a low-level Kido, she blasted the boulders into dust, and after rummaging through debris, her eyes spotted a small white object that almost blended in with the other rocks. She placed it in her hand and dusted the dirt off of it. A red line - a mark too defined and bright to be mistaken for blood - streaked across the middle.

She trembled as her palm pressed against the object's sharp edges. Overwhelming guilt washed away weeks of resentment. "How could I have been so… so stupid?"

"There's no point in chastising yourself, Captain."

Soi Fon spun around and gasped. "U-Ukitake?!"

Jushiro smiled back at her. "Soi Fon! It's certainly been a while. How have you been?"

Soi Fon squeezed her hand and dropped it to her side. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you the same."

"I was looking for something that I left in here."

"Well, I searched the entire area, and I didn't come across anything that may have belonged to you. However…" Ukitake reached into his coat and pulled out a tan-colored folder. He lifted a photo from it and handed it to Soi Fon. "These were the only interesting things I found."

Her mouth fell open once she stared at the picture. "Fragments of a Hollow mask?"

"Half of one. We could use the one in your hand to put it back together, sort of like a puzzle."

Soi Fon gave it back to him, still as perplexed as ever. "But… How long have you known about this?"

"I had a hunch after I interrogated him. It's very rare for a person to develop amnesia after such a vivid event."

"I'm assuming you left this last piece of the mask for me to find?"

"I did, but I didn't think you'd take so long to return. Now that you're here, how do you feel?"

Soi Fon lowered her eyes to the Hollow mask fragment in her hand. "It'd be an understatement to say I feel like a fool. Every clue was in my face the entire time, yet I ignored it."

"It wasn't as clear as you're making it to be. Not even Kisuke Urahara detected any signs of an inner Hollow. Just to be sure, I went to the Research and Development Institute to find data. Urahara's cameras had stored footage from the battle in Hueco Mundo. When the live video shut off, what do you remember?"

"Aizen strangled Trunks, and then the video stopped a few seconds later. It stayed off for about five minutes, but when it came back, he was alive. Do you mean he-"

"Hollowfied? I believe so. A battle took place in between that five-minute gap, and when the footage returned, bone fragments surrounded Trunks' body. I asked Captain Hirako just to be sure."

"He knows?!"

"Yes, but I asked him to keep quiet about the matter. I also had the Research and Development Institute wipe their recordings of that moment. If word spread, the entire Seireitei would brand him as a threat."

"I see… What else did Hirako say?"

Ukitake exhaled. "He told me that there's a great deal of mental anguish involved. The Hollow constantly tries to make its host submit. Unless tamed, it's a tireless struggle to maintain control and sanity. Those symptoms likely manifested after his fight with Aizen."

Soi Fon crumbled the piece of bone mask. "Why didn't Kurosaki tell him?! Dammit! Wouldn't that be something you would warn somebody of?"

"Trunks' Asauchi took more from Ichigo than any of us anticipated. A passing word would have helped, but he's not to blame. Instead of pointing fingers, let's find a solution." Ukitake extended the folder out to her. "There's a detailed process inside for him to control it, but it's going to require help from multiple people. Since you were the one directly affected, I think it's best that you decide what happens next."

Soi Fon took the folder and looked through the labeled photographs inside. After a few moments, she shut it and walked past Ukitake. "I should be able to finish a detailed report in two hours. I'll hand this over to you, and your lieutenant can deliver this to Kurosaki. Don't mention my name to her, but make sure she emphasizes that this is his fault."

"I'll follow through on the first request, at least. Oh, and one more thing, Captain." Soi Fon turned and raised an eyebrow. "Has the Head Captain brought you in for questioning yet?"

"Yes, he summoned me a month ago."

"Because he didn't call a captain's meeting over the matter, I'll assume you weren't honest with your answers. Be aware that he likely knows the truth."

"How?! You told him, too?!"

"No, but the Head Captain has been around longer than either of us combined. He can distinguish a Hollow's spiritual pressure, even if it was diluted with a foreign one like Trunks'. It's a good thing you released him when you did, actually. Yamamoto prepared to question Trunks himself in the detainment center. If that happened, his fate would have been sealed."

"But… He let me lie to his face?"

"It's quite unusual for him to do that, but then again, he has softened up in recent years. It looks like he wanted to follow your lead on this matter. That's also why I didn't tell you about this until you showed interest. We are your allies first and foremost, and if you deemed him not worth saving, we would wipe our hands of this issue, albeit reluctantly. That said, I would recommend that you stay truthful from now on."

Soi Fon nodded. "Pissing off the Head Captain is the last thing I need."

The sun descended onto Karakura Town to mark the end of a bright afternoon. The temperature increased with each passing day, and cherry blossoms bloomed across the small city. While children played in the streets, Ichigo Kurosaki found himself trapped in his bedroom, avoiding his literature homework. He tapped a mechanical pencil against his wooden desk while his mind wandered.

Ichigo heard about the incident from Kisuke, then Toshiro filled in some of the missing information. He tried to speak to Soi Fon, but she dodged him every time he approached. Still, he had a good grasp of the situation. Ichigo never questioned why Trunks left in such an abrupt manner. Instead, he regretted that he hadn't been there.

The only mystery he couldn't work through was what caused Trunks to snap. Trunks was nervous, but he'd never be violent toward a Soi Fon, especially since he trained his hardest to avenge her. It made no sense. He couldn't have been in his right mind.

A pair of knocks came at his window, prompting Ichigo to swivel his head. "Rukia?" She waved on the edge of his window sill. Once he stood and opened his window, she jumped onto his bed. "Why don't you just put a Gigai on and come through the front door like a normal person?"

"That's too much work," she said. "What's wrong? You're not a fan of surprise visits anymore?"

"I planted my foot in your back the first time you surprised me, so the answer is no." Ichigo sat down in his chair and leaned back. "What brings you back to the World of the Living, Lieutenant? Running from the Soul Society again? You can stay for a couple days, but you're on your own when Renji and Byakuya come looking for you. You'll have to share that closet bed with Kon, though."

"Hilarious, Ichigo." Rukia held up a folder in her hand. "I'm here to give you an urgent delivery."

Ichigo leaned forward with intrigue. "What's inside?"

"I'm not sure. Captain Ukitake told me not to open it until I handed it to you."

"Well, give it here and let's find out."

Ichigo stretched for the folder, but Rukia moved her hand out of his reach. "I'm not sure if I should. You were quite rude to me a moment ago."

"Are you serious-" Ichigo sighed and muttered to her. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry for being rude."

Rukia lifted her chin and turned away. "Doesn't sound like you mean it. Try again with more feeling and I'll reconsider-"

"Rukia, enough." She turned back to see Ichigo's solemn expression. "This isn't the time for games. What if this is about Trunks?"

Rukia brought her arm forward and handed him the file. "Right… sorry." Once Ichigo opened the folder, his eyes widened at the first picture he saw. Rukia stayed in place as he continued to flip through photos. "Is something wrong?"

He continued to observe each picture, leading to a page-long letter. His head sank with each word he read. After he finished, he closed the folder and placed a hand over his eyes. "It's all my fault…"

She inched closer to him. "What does it say?"

Ichigo wiped his eyes and took a breath. "In short, Trunks Hollowfied against Aizen. He did it again with Soi Fon and almost killed her."

Rukia's jaw dropped. "What? So… it was him, after all?"

"Apparently, it happened after she hit him with her Bankai. I didn't think it would ever happen."

"But he knew it was a possibility, right?"

"No, I never told him. Enduring my inner Hollow was an intense experience, to say the least. I couldn't sleep, I barely ate, and I never wanted to get out of bed. I wanted to move past it and never look back, and if Trunks never had to deal with it, even better. His sword was only supposed to copy Zangetsu, but I guess it took on every aspect of my soul."

"He never seemed off during your training? His spiritual pressure never felt different?"

"Never. I suspected he could have inherited it, but it didn't turn into anything. I pushed him hard every time we fought, just to see if it would come out. When we left and trained in his universe, we came close to killing each other, and it still didn't show. At that point, I thought he was in the clear."

"This isn't your fault. You didn't know that this could happen."

"People got hurt because of me. If I said something before, we could've handled this when it happened before. Now he's gone, and there's no way I can reach him."

Rukia stood to her feet. "Don't be so quick to give up. Captain Ukitake wouldn't have made this delivery urgent without a reason."

"So you're saying there's a way to reach him? I don't see how, unless…" Ichigo sprung to his feet. "Kisuke! Ukitake probably knows that Kisuke has a way to fix this."

"If that's the case, we shouldn't waste anymore time."

Ichigo grabbed his combat pass from his bag and thrust it into his chest. Once he laid his lifeless body on his bed, he snatched the folder, leaped out of his window, and sped away, leaving Rukia to tail him far behind. They arrived at the shop and flung the door open to find Urahara seated in the center of the room, scratching Yoruichi's feline back.

"Well, hello there, you two," Kisuke said as he adjusted his hat. "What seems to be the trouble?"

Ichigo held up the folder. "Rukia just gave this to me a few minutes ago. Trunks inherited my Hollow, and it showed up against Aizen and Soi Fon. Look for yourself. It has pictures inside."

"Oh, no need. I'm already aware."

Ichigo and Rukia raised their eyebrows. "Ukitake already contacted you?" Rukia asked.

"Yes, but I knew well before he did. I analyzed Trunks' energy composition after the incident at Sokyoku Hill took place. Had Aizen not sealed the Garganta during the Hueco Mundo invasion, I would have detected it much sooner."

"But you said you were at the grocery store," Ichigo said. "How did you analyze anything?"

"Between the four of us, I planted a microscopic bug in his scalp that takes continuous samples of his power. It's buried under his skin; he'll never find it."

"Why are you saying that so casually? Wait, am I bugged, too?!"

"Relax, Ichigo. I removed your bug a long time ago."

"You asshole! First Ukitake, now you?! You could've at least told me!"

"If I did, you would throw a fit just like you are right now. It's really not that big of a deal. I kept my bug on Trunks because his power is so unique. You don't get too many people like him walking through your door."

"You're sounding like Mayuri now. Anyway, if you knew, why didn't you say anything before?"

"It took me a few days to collect the data. Once I compiled that information, I contacted Captain Ukitake, but he told me to withhold my knowledge until he completed an investigation. That's all in the past. I'm sure you didn't visit just to hand me that file."

"I wanted to know if there was a way for me to reach him. The Garganta stretches to his universe, so maybe I could fly in a spaceship and locate his Earth."

"Well, you're in luck, my boy. I already have a plan."

"No way! What are we waiting for, then?! Open the Garganta and send me in!"

"I appreciate your eagerness, but allow me to elaborate. I've tracked his signal and sent a small device to travel through Universe Seven. It's on its way toward him, and once it arrives, you'll have a direct path from the Garganta to his planet. I'd estimate it'll take…" Kisuke lifted his head and hummed. "Six months before it reaches the destination."

"Six months?! But that's too long! There's gotta be another way."

Yoruichi arched her back and yawned. "You're looking at this the wrong way, Ichigo. For you to tame Trunks' Hollow, you'll have to keep it at bay while he enters his inner world. How strong are you compared to him?"

"We're nearly even, but he's got the edge on me."

"What are you going to do against a ruthless Hollow that will be tens of times stronger than you? If you want to help, you'll need to recruit a reliable group and start training as soon as possible."

"You're right. Well, are you in, Rukia?"

"Of course I am," she said.

Ichigo turned back to Yoruichi and Kisuke. "And how about you guys?" They both nodded, and Ichigo crossed his arms. "I'll go ask Toshiro once I leave here. He'll probably be the best person to train with. Once I touch down in Universe Seven, I'll ask Goten, too. That brings the group to six people; I think we can afford a lucky seventh. Yoruichi, can you ask Soi Fon if she wants to help?"

"I'll try, but she's been avoiding me lately," Yoruichi said.

"That makes two of us. If you get through to her, let her know that this is my fault, and I'm sorry. I'll make sure he controls his Hollow, but we'd really appreciate the help." Yoruichi nodded, and he turned his gaze to Urahara. "I'm gonna head off. Let me know if anything changes."

"Will do," Urahara said. Ichigo and Rukia left the shop, leaving Kisuke and Yoruichi to themselves. After moments of silence, Kisuke looked at Yoruichi. "Do you two need privacy?"

"I don't think that's necessary." Yoruichi turned toward Trunks' old room. "You can come out now." The door slid open to reveal Soi Fon with a scowl spread across her face. "So, what do you think?"

She scoffed. "He can keep his apologies. I refuse to speak to him."

"You don't have to, but do you plan on joining?"

Soi Fon's eyebrows lowered. She sighed and answered with a restrained voice. "I don't know yet."

"What's holding you back?"

"Nothing. I just... I don't know.

"You were the victim of a situation that none of us predicted. I should shoulder more of the blame since I served as the catalyst for the argument between you two. We can lament at our actions in retrospect, but it's time to move forward. We can change things for the better."

"But I can't change it. I tried to, and I failed. Nothing will take away what I said to him."

"If you truly believe that, then why are you here?"

"I wanted to train in the gravity room while I think about it."

"Would you like to increase the limit again?" Urahara asked.

"Setting it at 800 should do. I don't plan to go further than that."

"I'll adjust the settings after you're finished."

"By the way, Urahara. Why did you lie to them?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You only unveil projects once they're complete. Is it really going to take you six months to find him, or did you make that up on the spot?"

Kisuke grinned and tipped his hat. "Nothing ever gets past you, Soi Fon. I don't want him to jump into a circumstance that he can't handle. If he's going to do this the right way, Ichigo needs time to physically and mentally prepare to face Trunks."

"So how long will it actually take you to reach him, or have you found him already?"

"Found him two days ago. I must say, Earth over there looks very interesting. Did you want to visit?"

"I'll pass." Soi Fon walked toward the entrance of the basement. "Don't tell Kurosaki or anyone else that I'm coming here."

"One more thing, Soi Fon," Yoruichi said. Soi Fon stopped but did not face her. "You're holding yourself to a standard that he wouldn't. He'd forgive you for what happened."

"How do you know? Once he learns the truth, he'll shift his hate toward me."

"I don't believe he has the capacity to hate you."

Soi Fon paused, then continued on her path. "He has every right to."

She left her former squadmates without another word and entered the gravity room underneath the store. After she removed her white haori and tossed it to the side, she approached the center console and increased the setpoint to 500 G's. However, her fingers stopped just short of the start button. The empty sensation crept inside of her again. Pressure crawled up her throat and carried on into her sinuses and face. She sniffled, but failed to prevent the escape of tears.

Why wouldn't Trunks hate her? After she almost killed him, she slammed him into a wall and hurt him with intentional and scathing remarks. She chalked up his genuine apologies to conscious deception. Shame piled into her every time she remembered his dismal gaze falling away. She couldn't help him now. It pained her to admit it, but Ichigo was the only one that could communicate to Trunks and save his soul.

She didn't dismiss the idea of teaming up with Kurosaki, but she chose not to envision any interaction afterward if she did. The anger and depression she experienced in the weeks before had drained her. Trunks most likely had it twice as bad as she did.

Soi Fon wiped her eyes and nose onto her arm sleeve. She took one last sniffle, then pressed the start button.

If I go through with this, we'll go our separate ways afterward. It'll be better for both of us if I'm distant.

A/N: Alright… just a few things this time, I swear.

Damn, these chapters get heavy… I love it.

I really enjoyed writing this one. Delving into two of my favorite Bleach characters is always a joy. Really, the last few chapters have been a joy, but now it's time to move forward from the angst. We'll dive into the action, and then we'll lighten the tone and have fun :)

A couple weeks ago, I was down, real down. Like… I didn't wanna continue. But to quote The Wolf of Wall Street, "I'M NOT FUCKING LEAVING!"

Saturday, mid to late afternoons. Gonna nail that down.

Next chapter will be about… 4000-5000 words?

If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask. Have a great day and I'll see you next time.

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