Chapter 28: Tactics
It happened so fast, so suddenly, that those present there could only watch. Nay, that was wrong. Most of those that were present there were still preoccupied in their own thoughts. It was as if the wheat haired girl was waiting; waiting for the time she left. Waiting for that window of opportunity when the rest of them would take their minds off of their surrounding and by extension, her. Waiting for the precise time when she could clear that distance with a well-timed flash step, enter the nearly closed Garganta and follow after her. Waiting just long enough that their elder sister wouldn't notice the straggler that followed after her long after she'd left. And thus, before they knew it, she was gone. Without so much as an explanation, without any rhyme or reason. Just as quickly as the one she went to be with.
It wouldn't be long until a particularly queer noise rung out from Urahara's robes. Fishing out a device similar to the one he gave the ex-rose huntress before she left, his expression changed from one of mild surprise to a satisfied smile.
"It seems little Yuzu wants to be with her big sister. And Ruby-chan just let me know that she'd take care of her for a while and that we have no need to worry" he informed them. "My~! Who would've thought Yuzu-chan would be so crafty! She really is the polar opposite to you, Isshin-san~~!" he cooed out in his sing song voice.
"Says the craftiest one out of all of us here…" muttered Yoruichi, amused. "Still….I suppose there's nothing much we can do. I'm sure she'll be fine with her"
"What about Hueco Mundo being poison for Quincies?!" asked Ichigo. "Why are you so calm about this?!"
"Oh, you're always so tense, young Ichigo! You're worry about every little thing more than us adults do, and you're not even one yet! You really should enjoy the finer things in life like I do!" rang out Urahara's sing song voice again. "It would appear that the time she spent in Hueco Mundo initially helped her gain resistance to its air. Something that your sister also let me know. Personally, I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious but what can I say? I'd rather not annoy your sister if I can avoid it ahahaha!"
"How can you…..dad! Why aren't you saying something!" he asked Isshin, who was equally calm as the others.
"Your sister's strong, and honestly, I think she'll be just as safe with your sister, if not more, than being here. Just think of it as Ruby getting some well-deserved bonding time with her sibling that she hasn't seen in 6 years. If your sister really has things worked out there, and that she has other Arrancars looking out for her, then I'd say she's a lot safer there than here. Not only would she be safe from harm under their watch, she would likely be spared from having to participate in the upcoming battles. If anything, I'd worry more about you kids here than Yuzu being there with Ruby" said Isshin, crossing his arms.
And that was that. In fact, Karin and Tatsuki were already placated once Urahara informed them of the new developments.
"Honestly, I wish Ruby-nee had taken me along too. I would've loved to meet Ruby-nee's family back in Hueco Mundo. Even better if I could stay with her" sighed Karin with a disappointed smile.
"Haaah….just when I thought I could convince aneki to stay with me a while, she goes and leaves. I'm quite jealous of Yuzu" said Tatsuki.
He, it seemed, was the only one who was opposed to it. For how could he not? How, he asked himself, as much as he disliked it, could any of them begin to understand him? Here they were, reminding him of how powerless he still was, despite all that he'd done to avoid it. He, whom his sister had deemed too weak to protect anything. He, who was still in a different world than the 'adults' as they called themselves. It wasn't that he hated his sister or the fact that his skills were so beneath hers. No, if anything, his respect for her only grew by leaps and bounds. And the fact that despite being a hollow, an arrancar, she cared for them so dearly made it so that he could never truly come to dislike Ruby. No, if anything, it was himself that he despised. His voice coming from within only grew louder with every passing day, taking pleasure in rubbing in the same fact.
"How absolutely pathetic, partner! You have no idea how agonizing it feels, having to put up with you, Every. Single. Day! I've just about had it with your bitching and that look on your face every time things go beyond your expectations irks me to no end! Next time, we do things my way! And mark my words, weak as you are, I really don't even need to think to show you the ropes! See…? Just like this…!" came his voice and before him, he could see his photonegative version hover right in front of him. Whether he was seeing this within his own mind or if he was really there, he couldn't tell. But to Ichigo, he felt as real as the air he was breathing. There was a satisfied smirk on his photonegative version's face.
"Don't you worry about anything, partner! Even if I hate how weak you are, I'm still willing to show you how you can change that. See? Arent I generous? And all I want in return is to crush some skulls or slice up things to ribbons every once in while! They wont, but I can help you change your weak pathetic self, Ichigo!"
"-i-nii….."
"So be nice and let me have a go at big sister, I'll show her and you how weak both of you really are!"
"..chi-nii…!"
"Well, I'll be going now, but don't be mistaken, I'm always watching. Always waiting. Waiting for you to use me, waiting for the time to finally have some fun!"
"WAAAAKEEEYY WAAAAAAKEEEEEYYYYY DEEEEAAAARRRR BROOOOOOOTHEERRRRR!"
*CRAAAAAAASSSHHHHHH!*
Chappy and Ichigo Kurosaki vigorously rubbed their heads as one got a rude awakening and the other a mild bump in the head.
"Owwwwiee! That was so mean, dear brother!" cooed Chappy in her cutesy voice.
"Urgh, shut up! Why are you in my bed everyday anyway?! I told you I can wake up just fine!" replied Ichigo, annoyed.
"Hmph! You should be happy that a cute girl like me is here to wake you up everyday!" replied 'Yuzu' putting out her tongue.
"Ichi-nii, you looked like you were having a nightmare, so I asked Chappy here to wake you up since I had no luck there" said Karin. "What was all that about?"
"….it's nothing you need to worry about" he replied half heartedly, putting away his covers, folding them and then heading out of his room. "And cut it out with all that cutesy crap! I know you're just being that way in front of her, aren't you?!"
"Oh how could you, dear brother? You'd doubt your own sister…?" asked Chappy with crocodile tears. A vein popped in Ichigo's face. He let out a sigh before turning back and heading to the washroom. Chappy put out her tongue once more as his back was turned.
"Don't tease him too much Chappy" said Karin simply, before looking at her brother. "Ichi-nii….is everything alright…?" she asked.
"Yeah I'll be fine. You needn't worry about anything. Go on, I'll catch up" he replied with a small smile. Karin flinched.
"Ichi-nii…when I see you smiling like that with that expression, that's when I'd really start to worry" she told herself. "Ever since Ruby-nee left, you've had that look on your face…..it worries me, Ichi-nii"
It didn't stop there. No matter where he went, be it to the dining table downstairs or towards his class with his friends, the looks of worry and pity they gave him didn't change. And the more they looked at his face, the graver their expressions became, which further irked him even more.
Why…?! Why did they continue to throw him looks of pity?! Was he really that weak?! That incapable of protecting them?!
But he might as well be, he told himself. After all, even regular hollows were getting the better of him now. Every moment he picked up his Zanpakuto, his voice would grow stronger and stronger, cajoling him into accepting his help. Every moment he picked up his Zanpakuto, he would start counting in his mind, waiting for something to happen. And every time, without fail, his mind would go back to that moment when he fought Mayuri and Byakuya, the emotions he felt rushing back to him. The ecstasy, the euphoria, the satisfaction and also the utter horror upon realizing what he'd done to his opponents. And each time, Mayuri's mangled body would be replaced by Yuzu, or Karin, or Tatsuki or Orihime, Chad or Uryu.
No, he told himself. I cant let them look at me in this state anymore. It wont be long until either they or I snap. Heck, in fact Tatsuki had already been giving him strange looks since they met up this morning, and it looked as if she was on the verge of going bonkers on him.
Just as he was about to face her and say something, he was interrupted quite rudely by beeping sounds coming off from his Substitute Shinigmai Combat Pass given to him, Karin and Yuzu by Ukitake before they left the Soul Society.
"A hollow…..now?!" thought Ichigo. He'd barely arrived at school and there was already a hollow nearby. Without even thinking, he dashed out, diving into the nearest restroom and locking himself in a stall. Fishing out his pass, he came out of his soul reaper body and headed out.
"Orihime, I'm heading out as well. I'll leave it up to you cover for me when Teach arrives" notified Tatsuki and heading out as well without even waiting for her to respond.
"That Ichigo…..where the hell does he think he's going with that pathetic look on his face….!" Said Tatsuki to herself before focusing her efforts on locating the orange haired soul reaper.
"Gah!" she gasped as she rolled along the sands of Hueco Mundo after barely blocking a particularly heavy vertical slash. She had no time to pull herself together before the Adjuchas next to the one she was fighting took a swipe at her with its tail. Yuzu did a quick leg sweep to gain her balance and to regain her posture and to avoid the incoming attack.
No sooner had she done that, she immediately found herself wedged in between two Gillians.
This is insane, she thought to herself, struggling to even keep up with one of them. Just these two by themselves are strong enough to singlehandedly defeat me, and now Onee-chan wants me to fight against all of them?! Who would've thought Onee-chan would be this tough with training….
Yuzu's thoughts went back to that time soon after their return to Hueco Mundo, still contemplating how things came to this point. She had no idea how long it had been since she had been at this. Perhaps it had been a few days or even a month. But it all began on that day.
FLASHBACK
"Ruby! You're back! How was-" Nel stopped mid-sentence when she noticed the wheat haired girl following behind her, her hand still clasped with Ruby's own.
"I'm back" replied Ruby with a tired smile.
"Wait….isnt that the twerp that was still with you? How come she's still here…? I thought you'd have dropped her off?" asked Apacci.
"A few things happened, to say the least" replied Ruby. "I think it's best you guys hear about everything". And so, Ruby spent the next few minutes detailing her reunion with her siblings and all the happenings and events of their life including the little spar she had with them before finally making her way back to Hueco Mundo, only to discover that Yuzu tagged along. And how, after much deliberation, she gave in to her request and allowed her to stay with her.
"I see…..but, will it be fine?" asked Nel. "Wasn't she almost dead from being here the last time around?"
"It'll be fine…..I've become accustomed to the air here. I don't care what anyone says, I wont leave Onee-chan" replied Yuzu, clinging on to her even tighter.
"Now listen here you little pissant, in case you haven't noticed, there's a fucking war about to come. Neither we nor your 'big sister' can afford to be worrying about you in the middle of fighting. So how about you just go back the way you came, be a good girl and run along to your family?" asked Grimmjow annoyed.
"Tch, Grimmjow!" snapped Mila-rose with a hint of warning on her eyes. "That's the first thing you have to say?!"
"As usual, there's nothing but war, fighting and battles in that muscle headed brain of his" said Sung-sun nodding her head.
"It's not like we'll be involved with battles all the time, so what's having her here going to change? In fact, it might be better to have her here with us than out there where we'll be forced to fight her if the Soul Society does make her fight for them" explained Nel. "Unless you're telling me that her presence is seriously hamper your abilities. Don't tell me you're that weak, Grimmjow"
"Guys, guys, please let's all calm down" said Ruby, trying to soothe the situation. "While I think he could've said it better" glared Ruby at Grimmjow. "I don't think he's completely wrong"
"Onee-chan….?"
She then looked at Yuzu, her eyes serious. "Yuzu, I already told you before. You guys aren't strong enough. WE aren't strong enough, and if you cant even hold up against us, then you might as well forget about getting involved in a battle that even we aren't sure we'll be coming out of in one piece"
"Hmph, speak for yourself, Ruby. I'd rather lick Aizen's boots before letting a bunch of puny soul reapers get the better of me" growled the blue jaguar.
"Urgh, did you HAVE to put it that way?! Sometimes, I'm surprised that someone can be even less tactful than monkey here" grimaced Sung-sun with a disgusted expression.
"Well, considering that Aizen, a soul reaper, was able to take over Hueco Mundo AND keep arrancars in check all by himself does speak volumes for itself. But surely you could call him an exception? After all, those beside him aren't worth a fraction of what he is" asked Starrk.
"Come on, you gotta be joking, right? I mean, you cant seriously believe that some soul reapers could be stronger than Master Nel, right?" asked Pesche.
"Arent you worrying too much, little one?" asked Tier. But the rose huntress shook her head.
"Not at all big-sis, if we consider a few things. Sure, those besides Aizen aren't really that strong compared to us. But there ARE other soul reapers who're already much more powerful than him and by extension, us. The head captain for one, and then Unohana-san. I would assume that Kyouraku-san and Ukitake-san have become powerful soul reapers in their own right as well. They were only children back during the days of the Quincy war, but that also means that they've also had all that time to hone their abilities. Back then, the soul reapers were one of the most feared group of entities to ever grace this place. Even if things have changed in 1000 years since my mom was there, some of those soul reapers still exist today. There's no doubt that the head captain and the other captains I mentioned will join in against us. Even if Isshin-san, Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san leave us be, there's no way the other soul reapers will"
"So it's that bad huh….? For even you to be this worried about, Ru-chan?" asked Lily. Ruby nodded her head. She then looked at Yuzu.
"When I saw that they were already getting involved with them, I was distraught. I didn't know whether to stay back and look after them or leave them once more as I did back then. Both options were bleak to say the least, and in the end, I still ended up running away, even if it was temporary" said Ruby. "As much as it feels weird to say this, I'm glad you're here. Maybe…..just maybe, I can make up for all those years I wasn't there"
"What do you have in mind?" asked Nel.
"I was thinking….that I could train her. Essentially, it would be looking after her and it WAS part of my promise with Mom. Not here, but outside Las Noches. This place just isnt good enough if I want to toughen her up" said Ruby.
"That's fine and all, and considering how you've helped us train, I'd say the twerp couldn't ask for a better teacher but….how do you plan to handle Aizen if he asks you about her?" asked Mila-Rose.
"Oh that? You can leave that to me. I hardly think he'd mind, but in the event that he does, I can take care of him" assured Summer. "After all, I've managed so far"
"I'd rather you just finish him off, that would be way more convenient" sighed Lily deadpanned.
"Hey, come now. I may be super-mom, but even I have my limits you know, ahahaha!"
"Well, in any case, I think I'll be going away for a few days" said Ruby, grabbing Yuzu's hand gently. "You don't need me to say it since I know it'll be fine. But take care and don't hesitate to let me know if something-"
"We'll let you know if something happens. But then again, I suppose Aizen wouldnt leave you in the dark to begin with" said Nel almost as if that was something that Ruby neednt even ask.
"But we can take over your duties while you're gone. Atleast that way, we can assure that you have some time to spend with her" said Tier.
"And we can keep the rest in check while you arent here" said Starrk.
"You're all lifesavers, Nel, big-sis, Starrk" said Ruby with a grateful smile. She then turned the Tres Bestias. "Please try not to cause too much trouble you guys" she requested with an awkward sigh.
"Yeesh, just get going will ya, you already make us sound like we're going to screw up something the moment you leave" said Apacci, nodding her head and pushing Ruby towards Yuzu. Finally, she turned to Grimmjow.
"Somehow, you're the one I'm most worried about and yet the one I'm least worried about" sighed Ruby, nodding her head. "Still, try not to go to wild, ya? Just because I'm not there, doesnt mean you get to go around getting into beefs with Aizen or anyone else for that matter, 'k?"
"Oh for the love of-"
"Understand?" Ruby once more, with a dangerous smile on her face. The contrast between her expression and the aura coming off of her face was stunning. Grimmjow said nothing, but merely turned away in submission of her request.
"Hu hu, at times like this, you can be kinda adorable, you know that?" said Ruby with a giggle, fist-bumping his chest. The blue jaguar only turned away from her even more. Whether it was out of embarrassment or annoyance, only Ruby could tell.
And soon enough, before Yuzu knew it, she was pit to fend for herself against a few Gillians as a beginner's test while having to work under the derogatory atmosphere of Hueco Mundo constantly exerting its pressure on her.
"I never thought you'd be the one to suggest training Yuzu this way" remarked Summer internally. "Considering how much you told those kids to stay as far away from any fighting that came by"
"Yeah…..actually, I still feel terrible for that too. After all, I was younger than Ichi when I started out first at Signal Academy…..ah, those times feel so long past now" remarked Ruby.
"Sweetie…that might sound like a good argument, but our world is vastly different than this one. In our world, we had no choice. Plagued constantly by the Grimm, we did what we needed to survive. It isn't the same here. Nothing's constantly threatening the world here, and we don't have Mommy Salami here who's out to end humanity or something like that after all"
"Hmm….you're right. Still, 'Mommy Salami'? Pffft, somehow when you call an immortal evil witch that way I cant take her seriously" said Ruby, still keeping a watchful eye on Yuzu. She wouldn't interfere and she made sure to keep a distance from her, but was ready to jump in should the situation become sticky. After all, she didn't want Yuzu to become comfortable knowing that her sister was always there to make sure nothing would befall her. It wouldn't serve any purpose. Yuzu needed to undergo this by herself.
"Isn't this…..how Captain Reiji trained you?" asked Summer. Ruby nodded.
"It's nowhere near the level of training Master put me through, but this is what I could think of considering where we are. It was hell, literally and figuratively but I'll be forever grateful to Master for everything he taught me. Looking at Yuzu…..I'm reminded of myself when I met master sometimes. Its funny…..I never thought I'd be in the same position as master one day" she said, reminiscing.
"And who is this 'Master' you speak of?" came a voice from behind.
"Ulquiorra" greeted Ruby with a small smile. "It's rude to listen in on other's conversations, you know?"
"You never stated you weren't addressing me specifically" replied the 4th Espada simply.
"You know, there's something called common courtesy…sometimes I don't understand if you're actually that dense or if you're just pulling my leg" sighed Summer deadpanned. "Chuck it, it's too much of a pain to be arguing over something like that"
"You still haven't answered my question" insisted Ulquiorra.
"There's nothing really to say. Master is just master. Just someone I trained with. Leave that Ulquiorra, how come you're here?"
"You never showed up to report to Lord Aizen after your mission in the World of the Living. So I'm here to find out what you've been doing meanwhile" informed the nihilistic Arrancar. "Only to find you indulging in something this pointless"
"Alright, I'm going to stop you right there" said Ruby "First off, that wasn't a mission. I went to see my siblings it had nothing to do with any 'orders' or Aizen for that matter. So I don't see the need to report anything. And next, this isn't pointless"
"While I can see that Lord Aizen has nothing to be concerned off regarding you" replied Ulquiorra. " Is still don't see the meaning behind watching over your 'sister'. Even if I can somehow comprehend that you, an Arrancar, consider that human girl your sibling, you should know that she is weak. Far weaker than I imagined her to be for someone connected to you, Ruby Rose. In Hueco Mundo, strength is all that matters. And yet, I find it incomprehensible that you would take such measures to ensure her survival. Why do you go to such lengths?" he asked. Normally, while Ruby would've gotten pissed at this point, she didn't for the simple fact that his tone was not condescending. The only thing Ruby sensed from the Espada, was simple curiosity and a genuine desire to try to understand the unknown and the incomprehensible.
"The strong surviving doesn't mean that the weak need to be trampled over. Joining together and coexisting together doesn't make us weak either. My big-sis and I are the best examples of that. And secondly, she isn't weak" replied Ruby. "True, if you compared her as she was now, she may appear that way to you and I even told her the same. Even so, she has the potential to become stronger than you can imagine. Much stronger than some of us Espada even. That applies for anyone really. You really should change your tendency of looking down at humans the moment you sense their reiatsu you know. I know that amongst the Espada, you're still one of the most reasonable ones. Even so, that's a bad habit of yours. When pushed into a corner, humans can do even the impossible"
"Is that so?" asked Ulquiorra, looking back at the wheat haired girl still struggling against a few Adjuchas. "In that case, if I were to put that girl in such a situation, would I get to see it? This potential you speak of?"
"No, you're not doing that, not in front of me" said Ruby firmly, stopping him. "I'm not about to let you try to kill my sister just to sate your curiosity" she said once more, a sharp glint in her eyes.
".…..You may rest assured. I have no intention of causing harm to her. Lord Aizen has forbidden all acts that would lead to needless conflict between the Espada. I have other ways" he said, approaching the girl and raising his reiatsu.
BGM: Light and Darkness - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
One second, the wheat haired girl was backing away, firing off arrows at the Adjuchas's face and the next, said Adjuchas runs away, as if scared by something approaching. There was a sudden chill in the air, something foreboding. Something unusually calm. And then, she felt it. The air itself…..seemed to be dyed. Dyed with the presence of this thing approaching her. Her body creaked, as if it was barely keeping itself together under the pressure that hit her. Her eyes went wide, pupils dilating and shaking. She could barely hold Mangetsu, and the shining bow disappeared. She fell to her knees, gasping and struggling to even breathe. Her instincts were screaming at her. Screaming to get away, to run way, do ANYTHING it could to be as far away from the thing approaching her. She could barely make out the thing approaching her to be humanoid in shape, with cold, empty green eyes and white everywhere else she could see.
"How disappointing" said the figure with a voice so cold, so inhuman, that she feared looking at this thing, this man, whatever it/he was for too long in fear of losing her sanity. "Even under the fear of death, I don't see any difference. So in the end, is this all there is to human potential?" he spoke again, raising his hand, pointing it at her.
I'm going to die, she thought frantically. Out here, in the vast reaches of nowhere, I'm going to die, she thought again. How? She asked herself. How did this happen? Things were fine up until a moment ago. True, she was still in danger of being killed but this, this was just…too unfair. Too sudden. Her body was screaming, to do anything, but to no avail. His inhuman, ice cold empty eyes were still looking at her, the promise of erasure coming off from them as clear as daylight. Her mind was already turning blank. The only thing registering in her brain, was that his raised hand was poised, slowly making its way towards her.
She didn't know why, but this feeling was both terrifying and familiar. She could see a few images flash in her mind. A pale moon illuminating a broken house. A white mask. Glowing yellow eyes. Karin. Her brother Ichigo. Her father Isshin and…the scene disappeared, only to be replaced with a visage of her sister, Ruby. But there was someone else. Someone along with her. A woman with long, wheat colored hair and the most loving smile she'd ever seen on someone. Her soft brown eyes were a stark contrast to the bestial green ones staring at her.
End BGM
"!"
The nihilistic Arrancar stopped his hand in his tracks when the spiritual pressure of the girl standing in front of him suddenly spiked, many times more than what it was before, more than the Adjuchas she was facing off before, more than the Numeros, more than the Fraccione, and more than some of the lower level Espada. The girl simply stood there, her eyes wide open and staring off into space with an expression of shock and horror.
"Ma…..ma….." she uttered, a single tear falling off her eye before the spike in her reiatsu was gone as quickly as it had come. Her figure slumped and before Ulquiorra could make anything of what he witnessed, a red blur sped past him and was already by Yuzu's side. After making sure that she was merely shaken up, Ruby heaved a sigh of relief.
"Well….? What did I tell you?" asked Ruby with a serious expression.
".…."
A mere human girl, one so weak, that even battling mere Adjuchas took so much of a toll on her, managed to surprise even him. And….that look he saw on that girl. It was not one befitting someone who was about to have their existence wiped away.
"You have no reason to be looking at me that way. I'm sure you could tell I had no intention of actually harming her" explained Ulquiorra.
"I know….and it's not too bad for her to know what it feels like to face a strong spiritual pressure such as yours. I'm more worried about what she said in the end" informed Ruby, before asking Yuzu.
"Yuzu…you alright?" asked Ruby.
"Onee-chan…..? Yeah….I…I'l be fine" assured the wheat haired girl. "I just…I think I just saw….mama…" she said, clutching her head. Ruby stiffened.
".….is that so? What did you see?" asked Ruby gently.
"I could remember seeing her face and….I could remember this warmth. As if everything would be fine. But I also remembered feeling incredibly sad…." she replied. Ruby rustled Yuzu's hair.
"You can take it easy for a while if you'd like…" she offered, but Yuzu shook her head.
"It's fine Onee-chan….I just need a small breather. I can still continue…" she replied. Then, she looked at Ulquiorra, shirking away behind Ruby.
"Who's…"
"Him? Ah right, he's Ulquiorra, and as you can tell, he's an Arrancar as well. But he's above me in rank" said Ruby. "Don't worry, he had no intention of killing you. I wont let something like that happen to you"
Yuzu continued to spare hesitant glances at the Arrancar in question. The one standing before him looked so different to the distorted image she remembered seeing. The only indication that it was the same person she was looking at were the lifeless green eyes looking at her.
"I've seen enough" was Ulquiorra's only response before he turned to leave the duo. "I'll let Lord Aizen know that he has nothing to be worried about"
Though neither said anything to each other, their thoughts would continue to be occupied about the other for quite a while. Though both had vastly different opinions about the other, there was no doubt that both were curious about the kind of being the other was. Little did they know, that this would only be the first of their many meetings.
FLASHBACK END
Why oh why had he expected things to be any different? He asked himself. AS always, he rushed out at the first sign of a hollow, only for his hands to start trembling again. As always, he would flail his sword with no real focus, only to carelessly get himself injured. And as always, he voice would be there, taunting him, cajoling him, calling out to him, asking him to give in. And as always, he'd let Tatsuki or Orihime or Chad cover for him in class and in battle, finishing off the hollow for him while he would be sent to his knees, clutching his head and trying to suppress the voice inside him. And, like always, Tatsuki stood beside him with looks of pity and concern. For him.
How long would this go on? Just how long would he have to endure this nightmare? Was this his fate? To be shackled by his own fears, by him?
But today, Tatsuki Arisawa had enough. She'd tolerated enough of her childhood friend's antics. Today she'd have Ichigo come clean about everything he'd brushed off whenever she asked him anything.
"Oy Ichigo! What the hell was that about?! I keep asking you everyday and yet I you always dodge the question! Well, not today buster! I'm just about sick and tired of watching you look this pathetic! You have no idea how much I've had to talk to Orihime to convince her you were going to be alright, but now even I'm getting fed up!" called out Tatsuki, shaking her fist.
"…..I'll be fine, we should hurry to class" he replied, but it was clear that his mind was elsewhere.
"Screw that! It's obvious it's been eating you from the inside for a few days now and yet, why the hell done you get that it's affecting the rest of us too?!" retorted the raven haired tomboy, going up to the orange haired soul reaper. "Well?! I'm waiting!"
"It's really nothing, I was just distracted for a second. You really needn't have come" replied Ichigo once more.
"Distracted my ass! I've seen kids fight better than how you've been using that thing the past few days! And you're telling me I should just be a good girl and go back to class?! Enough with the BS, Ichigo!" she roared, grabbing his shoulder.
"I SAID I'M FINE!"
"A…ah….!"
The blade was mere inches away from her neck. It had been swung at her so swiftly, so abruptly, that Tatsuki had no time to process it. But that wasn't what frightened her so. No, it was the look on her childhood friend's face that did. Even more so than the blade that was still aimed at her neck. No longer was she staring at his soft brown eyes that reminded her of Masaki. They were instead replaced by the fiendish yellow eyes of a hollow, the black sclera surrounding them further accentuating them.
"Ichi…..go…..!?" called out Tatsuki.
And then, they were gone, the soft brown eyes back in their rightful place. Ichigo's expression shifted from one of anger to one of apprehension, as he realized what had transpired. The expression her face remained there in place, frozen. Zangetsu fell from his hand with a thunk. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to run away. Far, far away from her. The thing he'd always wanted to avoid had nearly come to pass. His feet were already poised in the other direction, ready to take off at a moment's notice upon the slightest disturbance. The only thing keeping him there was the unbearable silence that still filled the space around them.
"I'm gone for just a few days only to come back and find you in this state? You really are hopeless without me, aren't you?" asked a voice.
If it was anybody else but her, he would've bolted from the spot. But that fact that it was her voice, and that she was neither condescending nor pitying him was probably what made him stay. Or perhaps because it was the voice of someone he didn't expect to see here but at the same time, was not as surprised to see either. The voice of someone who'd been with him ever since his journey had begun. The voice of the one who BEGAN his journey. It was her who was there for him at those times, times when Ruby hadn't. And so, it appeared as if fate had sent her to him once more just as things were beginning to fall apart for him.
Standing there, besides the shocked Tatsuki and an equally shocked and relieved Ichigo, was Rukia Kuchiki.
"Oh dear me, it appears that we really have no choice".
Aizen Sosuke was in a conundrum. But one that was completely within his expectations. Even so, it didn't stop him from feeling mildly annoyed that he couldn't do something about the issue at hand by himself. Held in the palm of his hand was a swirling indigo colored sphere, encased in a transparent shell. Though the hogyoku he stole from Kisuke Urahara readily absorbed the one that he possessed, he had hoped such an action would remove the barrier Urahara put in place to encase his sphere. But that wasn't the case and no matter what he tried; he couldn't remove it.
"As expected of him" was Aizen's only thought. "Respect must be given where it is due. But he is sorely mistaken if he thinks this will be enough to stop me from using the Hogyoku"
"What do you have in mind, Captain Aizen?" asked Gin, looking at the curious sphere.
"It's a bit too soon, but we do have a plan, Gin. There is one who can fix this conundrum. One with the power to bend the very laws that make up our world. You could even say that this one has the power of the gods themselves" said Aizen.
"You wouldn't happen to be talking about Ruby Rose, now would you Lord Aizen?" asked Tosen.
"No. Not her. But also allow me to say that you aren't completely wrong. She WAS able to escape from the bowels of Hell itself after all. It's not completely unreasonable to think that she possesses a power like that. After all, Summer Rose's silver eyes were a mystery even back then. It really is too bad Ruby Rose destroyed Szayelaporro's research. I still find it hard to forgive. But in return, I did get some valuable information about Hell, so I let bygones be bygones"
"You really are too lenient with that woman, Lord Aizen" said Momo, irritated. "I can't believe she continues to be that disrespectful to you for everything you've done for her and her friends"
"Momo….you still fail to see beyond meager emotions and annoyances and at what lies beneath her seemingly carefree and rebellious persona" said Aizen softly. "In fact, I think you should try to spend more time with her to improve your skills. There could be no better teacher for your kido skills than her. In all of the Soul Society, there are only a handful who are as proficient at Bakudo as she is. As Unohana Yachiru's lieutenant, there's no better person to learn from. And I believe she would be more than happy to try to understand and spend time with you. After all, she's always been that kind of person"
"Learn…..from Summer-san….?" Asked Momo uncertainly. "I….I find that hard to believe"
"You mean you find it hard to tolerate her personality" corrected Aizen. "Listen well, and keep this in mind, Momo. If one let's their emotions talk and make decisions for them, one will miss opportunities to climb greater heights all because of some profound and misguided sense of pride. I suggest you reflect on that before it's too late. As you are now, your skills are nowhere near enough to be effective for my strategies. But that is something I have fully accounted for and am fully willing to accept. However, there is nothing I can do about your way of thinking" he advised.
"I…I'll try, Lord Aizen" she assured. Aizen only gave a satisfied smile in return.
"Having said that, the person of interest for our particular problem isn't her. This one doesn't even know she has such an incredible power at her disposal. Such a shame, and such wasted potential. If she so willed it, there is little she cant achieve. And to think she's just a human" remarked Aizen to himself.
"Wait…..you couldn't possibly mean…"
"Indeed. With Orihime Inoue's power, breaking the seal on the Hogyoku is but a simple task. And at this point, I believe there is naught else for us to do but bring her here. I was skeptical at first, since this would mean initiating the opening move against the Soul Society. However, at this point, it hardly matters. This takes precedence over that"
"Orihime….? You mean that girl that can heal and use shields?" asked Momo.
"Indeed. But that isn't what she's actually doing. When I first observed her at the Soul Society, I'll admit I couldn't believe what I was seeing. But then, I was sure, and I knew that she would be a vital part of my plans should I fail to undo the seal on the Hogyoku" said the leader of the Espada.
"So who're the lucky one's that get to go?" asked Gin with a mischievous smile.
"Normally, I would just send some Arrancars since they should be more than enough to deal with the soul reapers who've been stationed there. It's a good thing I left reishi monitoring devices all over Karakura Town, at times like these, it really pays off. Kaname" he called out.
"Yes, Lord Aizen?"
"I would like for you to summon Grimmjow, The Tres Bestias and Nelliel and her Fraccione here"
It wasn't long before the aforementioned Espada and fraccione were standing in front of Aizen, each with their own set of expressions. Grimmjow, as usual looked annoyed to even be there. Nelliel was simply having a practiced smile on her face with a look of professionalism and the Tres Bestias tried their best not to look nervous. Pesche and Dondochaka maintained a neutral expression while standing behind Nel. It WAS their first time receiving orders directly from the man himself rather than from Tier or Nel.
"Grimmjow. Nelliel. Apacci. Mila-Rose. Sung-sun. Pesche. Dondochaka. I thank you for coming on such short notice" greeted Aizen.
"Do we have new orders, Lord Aizen?" asked Nel, with a light bow.
"Always straight to the point and no room for pleasantries I see. Even after all this time you've served under me, Nelliel. But that is fine with me. This is an especially important mission, one that can only be carried out by you all. I would like for you to go to the World of the Living and retrieve Orihime Inoue and bring her here. You may not kill her or harm her gravely. I leave the means to you" he said.
"Understood, Lord Aizen" said Nel, with her expression unchanged. However, though her external appearance masked her internal thoughts, they didn't quite align with them. She knew that name sounded familiar. Though she didn't exactly remember who she was, she was fairly certain that this girl that she'd been tasked to retrieve was an ally of Ichigo.
"Is something the matter, Nelliel?" asked Aizen.
"Not in particular" she replied. "However, if I may ask, why would you need us to bring a single human girl here? And I couldn't help but notice that you were sending two of us Espada for such a thing"
"You dare question your Lord's-!" began Kaname, but Aizen stopped him.
"Come now Kaname, there's no need to get so worked up over this. She has been with us for so long, surely you can overlook such trivialities? And besides, it would help them optimize their mission better if they know the 'whys' and 'hows' " he said. "This girl is instrumental to our future plans. You have no need to worry. As I mentioned, I don't plan on harming her. Quite the opposite in fact. I just need her to use her abilities for undoing the seal. After that, I'll even let you decide what to do with her. Until then, she'll be treated as an honored guest. As for sending you and Grimmjow, it's because I trust you to complete this mission. Will that suffice?" he asked.
".…understood. When would you like to leave, Lord Aizen?" asked Nel.
"Whenever you deem yourselves ready. However, I have but a few instructions for you all" he said. "First off, I should inform you that some soul reapers have been stationed where your mission is. There is no doubt that Orihime Inoue will be surrounded by Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends and allies. I leave it up to you to handle them as you see fit. You are to refrain from killing Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue and Karin Kurosaki. I don't really care about the rest. Remember, this is not an operation to engage in open conflict, but an escort and retrieve operation. How you engage the mission is up to you. However, Momo here will still maintain contact with you once you reach the World of the Living. That is all. Dismissed" he said, waving them off. Grimmjow scoffed, Nel gave a courteous bow and the Tres Bestias followed suit before heading out. Once they were out of sight, Aizen noticed the anticipatory looks he got from all three of his soul reaper subordinates.
"You all look like you have something to ask" he said merely tilting his head.
"I must say Lord Aizen, that was quite…nice of you?" asked Gin. "You literally called out the most pacifistic ones of the lot. Well, I wouldnt say Grimmjow would fit the bill there, but you get my point. And such powerful Arrancars too…..as always, I can never figure you out" sighed Gin.
"It's quite simple once you think about it Gin" chuckled Aizen lightly. "I quite look forward to see how this goes actually. Because the conclusion of this will tell me quite a lot of things. First off, the mentality of the enemy will be out there for me to see. If we were dealing with the soul reapers of 1000 years ago, there's no doubt I would've sent some of our more….eager subordinates, willing to engage in combat for no apparent reason. However, those days are long past and none of them carry around the spirit of the soul reapers of 1000 from years ago today. They've become soft and weak. And so, I sent those that shared their notions. Surely you can see where I'm going with this? I have no doubt that Nelliel will take very passive measures to ensure this mission's completion. The soul reapers will be surprised, no doubt. Enemies that they think exist only for killing are now no better than they are, beings that have the capability to show compassion. I'm also certain there will be no casualties, further adding to their uncertainties. How do you fight and hate an enemy that has no intention to take your life and simply wants to avoid conflict? This will no doubt create disorder and confusion amongst them, making them lower their guard"
"Aha~~you really are quite crafty, Lord Aizen" remarked Gin with a smile. "I imagine that's why you sent Grand Fisher when Ruby-chan went to the World of the Living. You knew that she wouldn't harm Ichigo Kurosaki but would make mince meat out of Grand Fisher. Something that the lot back in the Soul Society will think as an Arrancar protecting another human being. But knowing you, would I be wrong if there was another purpose?"
"You know me well, Gin. Because I gave them the freedom to pursue this as they pleased, I can monitor how they think and act for themselves. Also, I wanted to check the effectiveness of maintaining active communication using Bakudo 77. Passing information and communication is vital for any kind of warfare. That is also why I plan to have Momo here act as our means of communication for relaying orders for missions. Also a way for her to improve her skills"
"I see…this is truly marvelous, Lord Aizen" complimented Tosen.
".….."
"You seem very silent, Momo" asked Aizen, looking at her. "Were you worried about him?" asked Aizen.
".…..Is it alright if I can speak my mind for a bit, Lord Aizen?" she asked meekly.
"But of course, Momo. I would have it no other way" he said in a reassuring tone.
"To be honest, I know you asked me to sort out my feelings towards them and steel my resolve. I've tried my best, I really have. But I can't help but wonder what would happen should I actually meet them the next time. Even though I saw it with my own eyes, I still…my mind still aches when I think about Shiro-chan getting killed" she finished, barely averting her eyes from Aizen. "Maybe….just maybe, some part of me hoped that….that's why, I was glad, if only a little, that it was Nel who went to face them and not someone else"
"Momo, you still…!"
"Kaname" interrupted Aizen. Once there was silence, he continued "Momo, you seem to have a very wrong impression. I do not revel in unnecessary conflict and violence when they do nothing to further my ambitions. Why would I engage in unnecessary conflicts that would further delay my ambitions? All this is happening because there is no choice. The difference in our opinions are simply too vast for me to put aside and try to work towards a common directive. The same can be said for you. All I ever meant is that you should try to come to peace with the conflicts within you. You decided on your own accord, to work with me and join me in pursuing our goals. The decision to leave them was also your own. Therefore, why don't you do the same here as well? The decision has always been yours. Whether it be to spare them or kill them, it has always been yours. Personally, I don't mind as long as they don't become hindrances to our plans. All I asked is that you steel yourself to do what you want to do without any apprehensions or regrets. Whatever decision you take, it is up to you. However, should they come to me, challenge me of their own accord when I have not engage them openly, I hope you understand that I will be left with no choice but to retaliate" said Aizen.
"Yes, you've been very insightful Lord Aizen. Thank you" she replied with a grateful smile and with a much more confident and resolute tone than before.
"Now then, I really look forward to see how this goes" he remarked to no one in particular.
Ichigo, Karin and Tatsuki were already reeling in from the fact that Rukia had just appeared out of nowhere, during an particularly tense moment and literally dragged the bewildered orange haired soul reaper back to his home. Along the way, Tatsuki, having no choice, took the day off from school while Ichigo and Karin left it to Kon and another soul candy spirit to attend school in their wake. Rukia said nothing the whole way, merely bringing the boy with her all the way to his house.
But as soon as they entered, they could immediately tell that something was different.
"Uwaah! So this is the house captain lived in! It's so small and comfy!" came a particularly cheery and mature voice of a woman. One they recognized quite well.
"Wait….that voice…." started Tatsuki deadpanned.
"Matsumoto! What have I told you about your manners?!" came a reprimanding voice from what appeared to be a young boy.
"Yup…..there's no doubt…." said Karin deadpanned. "What are they…."
"Still…it's strange that the entrance to your house is in Ichigo's bedroom captain….I didn't know the people here had a custom like that" said Renji's voice.
"Wait, they what?!" Exclaimed Ichigo.
"Idiot! That's obviously not the case! Tell that to your dumbass that thought it was a good idea to break through the roof to enter captain's house!" came Ikkaku's voice.
"THEY DID WHAT NOW?!" shouted Ichigo and Karin in unison.
"You guys need to relax, the captain's been looking grumpy for quite a while now" said Yumichika's voice.
"That's only because you keep addressing me as 'captain' when I keep asking you not to do that" sighed Isshin.
".…Those idiots…." sighed Rukia, shaking her head. But the Kurosaki siblings had heard enough. Without waiting anymore, the pair dashed towards Ichigo's bedroom while Rukia and Tatsuki hurriedly followed behind.
Whatever conversation that the soul reapers were having was cut short when they saw the siblings rush headfirst inside the room.
"Ara~~! It's been so long since we last saw each other! I've missed you both!" cooed Rangiku, practically jumping at them and pulling them both to her chest.
"Gu…wah…Ran..giku…san…!" cried out Ichigo with stifled breaths in between, struggling to breathe as he his head was engulfed in her breasts. The same could be said for Karin.
"Dam…mit, don't try to…knock me out and try to...seduce Ichi-nii...with those knockers….!" she breathed out.
"Matsumoto!" snapped Toshiro angrily, which caused the orange haired beauty to release them with a disappointed whine.
"Ehh.. but captain…I just want to spend some quality time with captain's kids! Especially since they left without staying in the Soul Society!" she cooed.
"Like I said, don't call me captain" sighed Isshin.
"Wait wait wait…..hold on a sec….why are all of you…" asked Tatsuki.
"They're all wearing our school uniforms too…now that I look closely" observed Karin.
"Now that you both are here, we can finally start" said Toshiro.
"That's all fine and good, but do we HAVE to do it in Ichi-nii's room? It's cramped enough here as it is. Couldn't we just go to Mr. Hat and Clog's place?" asked Karin.
"Fair enough. We DID plan to go there from the beginning since we need him in our conversations but dropped by here to bring the three of you along" said Toshiro.
"You do have a point. But we really should go to Kisuke Urahara's base. It is getting quite cramped here" said Yumichika.
And so, before any serious discussion could be started, both parties agreed it would be to their mutual benefit to have a change of location first, so that any discussion that came thereafter could be conducted with peace of mind.
They were soon seated in the underground training ground, as usual, in a round table fashion. The difference being that this time, there was also what appeared to be a large screen in front of them, and there, they could see Head Captain, Ukitake, Kyoraku and Unohana in a large room somewhere inside the Soul Society.
"Wait…..don't tell me we're really doing a video call with the Soul Society…." questioned Tatsuki.
"Video call…..? What's that….?" asked Rangiku curiously.
"It's a lot like what we're doing here, except the humans use other devices to do the same. I actually was inspired by what they use to create this, I hope it's to your liking" said Urahara.
"My, who would've thought we'd be able to talk and watch each other as if we were standing right beside each other!" remarked Ukitake from beyond the screen. "You've really outdone yourself this time, Urahara-dono!"
"Boys, don't get too distracted now" reminded Unohana in her gentle voice. "Let's try and focus on the task at hand, shall we? I'm sure we'll have all the time later to marvel at Urahara-san's inventions" she said, adding a subtle hint of danger. Things went silent after that. It was Toshiro who then later on broke the silence.
"There's really a LOT of things we'd like to ask you, but before that, let's update you all from our side. After your departure, we tried to formulate a plan for the upcoming conflict against Sosuke Aizen. Naturally, the first thing we needed to ascertain was his objectives. While some of us worked on that, the rest of us continued to take measures to prepare for the actual combat. That's when we detected the presence of an Arrancar in Karakura town but were surprised to see that the signal vanished almost as soon as it was detected. Head captain decided to send an advance team of soul reapers to keep watch and report back to the Soul Society as and when developments happen" said Toshiro.
"And that's why we're here. Since I'm familiar with the way things work here, I was sent first. And then Renji wanted to come along as well. But then seeing that Ikkaku and Yumichika said they wouldn't want to miss anything exciting and so then joined in. After that Captain Hitsugaya was sent in as well since Head Captain thought it would be a good idea to have atleast one captain class soul reaper here. Seeing that, Rangiku thought she should come along too. And that is how we're all here" explained Rukia.
".….Now I feel even more stupid for asking" said Karin, deadpanned. "This almost feels less strategic and more like 'I'll do whatever the heck I please'"
"Even so…considering that we already have so many captain class shinigami here…you still felt it was necessary to send in this many soul reapers…?" asked Tatsuki.
"True. Normally, it wouldn't have been necessary. But the arrancar that first appeared was stronger than soul reaper lieutenants and that one was only a regular hollow turned into an Arrancar" informed Kyoraku. "Even so, nothing too complicated for a captain to handle"
"Yeah, that was Grand Fisher" said Ichigo. "But…."
"The problem was what happened afterwards. Soon after this presence disappeared, we detected another, even more stupendously powerful Arrancar appear. What's worse, this one had reishi far worse and far eviler than the Arrancar that first appeared. When a reishi analysis was conducted, there was no doubt that this one was a Vasto Lorde class Arrancar. You can tell why this got us into action, sending in a team to conduct and investigation and also to prepare for threats that might appear later. We WERE actually hoping that you would file in a detailed report on whatever information you have, Urahara-dono" informed Ukitake. Everybody save for the soul reapers from the Soul Society flinched when the white haired soul reaper captain finished. Because they knew exactly whom they were talking about.
"Kisuke….how do you plan to handle this…?" asked Yoruichi to herself, looking at Kisuke.
"They're definitely talking about Ruby-nee…." said Karin to herself.
"But if we tell them about Aneki…..they'll definitely hunt her down…"
"Even if Nee-san is….that strong….could she really go up against…"
"Wait a moment, what do you mean by 'Vasto Lorde arrancar'?" asked Karin. Whether it was to dodge the topic or if she genuinely wanted to know they couldn't tell. But it was clear that Kisuke, Isshin and Yoruichi now had enough time to formulate an appropriate response regarding Ruby.
"Ah yes, I suppose you wouldn't know" started Toshiro. "Normally, what we call a Menos isn't one single being but a class of beings. It starts with the Gillians…."
And he explained in short detail about the different types of Menos and how they were well known and allocated according to their various characteristics and strength. When he was done, the realization that their sister was way stronger than they thought was just beginning to sink in.
"No way….so you're telling me that Ruby-nee was probably stronger than most captains as a Vasto Lorde and now as an Arrancar she's…..!" exclaimed Karin.
"Aneki…!"
".…..Nee-san…." said Ichigo to himself, his spirits sinking even further. "Ha….ahahahahah…..no wonder I looked weak in nee-san's eyes…"
"Now you see? In fact, even the task force we have now might not be sufficient" said Toshiro. "But still, this isnt what we expected of a place that was just visited by a Vasto Lorde class Arrancar. None of you look remotely injured and things look too peaceful. What's going on, Captain?" asked Toshiro, looking at Isshin. But it was Kisuke who answered.
"Actually, you'd be surprised to learn that that arrancar simply killed Grand Fisher and left, asking us to stay out of their battles and that she would rather not have to fight if she could avoid it"
"Do you mean to tell me that you encountered the enemy and didn't even fight back?" asked a surprised Yamamoto, tapping his cane. "Still, this is a most unusual development. I never wouldve expected that one of Aizen's pawns wouldnt even engage in combat and would actually turn against one of its own"
"Aha….so that's how you're handling it. Nice one, Kisuke!" smiled Yoruichi in relief. "If the Soul Society learnt that she was Ichigo's sister, they would no doubt try to use him and Karin to try and kill Ruby. It's best if they remain in the dark about her for as long as it can be helped"
"Maybe avoiding conflict was the best option, Yamaji. After all, we need everyone to be at full strength for whatever's to come and I don't expect any of us can expect to get away unscathed after fighting something like that" theorized Kyouraku.
"True. However, with this we know that our enemy is quite formidable. A soul reaper powerful enough to keep the likes of such a powerful arrancar…..that itself speaks volumes about Sosuke Aizen's strength" remarked Unohana.
"And that's why we thought we should take measures against his plans. Starting with forming a team here and getting your co-operation" said Toshiro.
"Naturally, we're also talking about Yuzu-chan's rescue from Aizen's grasp" said Kyouraku. "Amongst other things. To begin with, how would you like to be part of the Gotei 13 again, Urahara-san? Yoruichi-san? We were also thinking that we should get in touch with the Vizards, but they simply refused our invitation. I was hoping that you could…?"
Kyouraku's stopped short when he noticed that the participants of the meeting on the other side were suddenly distracted, looking towards the sky instead of at the screen. It appeared as if something was going on on the other side.
"Th…this reatsu…!" exclaimed Ikkaku.
"No way….Arrancars….?!" said Renji with a shocked expression.
"Wait wait, did I just hear you say Arrancars…?!" asked Kyoraku.
"Dammit, why now of all times…?!" asked Rangiku, frantically reaching for her soul candy.
"Just calm down, all of you and explain the situation!" demanded Yamamoto tapping his cane once more. But his efforts were for naught. Urahara then followed up to them while the others were scrambling around for their soul candies and return to shinigami form.
"We just detected a few massive spiritual pressures appear out of nowhere. The nature of the reishi leads me to believe that they're Arrancars. Just by judging their strength….I'd say they're about at the same level as adjuchas level arrancars" said Urahara.
"So he's made his move…" observed Kyouraku.
"What shall we do, Head Captain?" asked Toshiro, now in soul reaper form.
"Hmm….this is a bit…" said Ukitake.
"We still don't know their exact objectives. If you ask me, we should scatter and try to see what they're really up to. Because we still cant pinpoint the exact number that appeared" suggested Isshin. "However, we'll be sitting ducks if we all huddle together in one place and if their objectives happen to be completely elsewhere"
"No, that wont be necessary. Aizen already knows about Soul Society's current fighting strength, but same cant be said exactly for you all" pointed out Kyoraku. "Yamaji, I believe the best thing to do for now would be to have Captain Hitsugaya and his team investigate the arrancars from a distance, avoiding confrontation unless it becomes absolutely necessary. Information about the enemy is as crucial as fighting strength. Considering that we're almost close to discovering what Aizen had been up to in the Soul Society's reishi archives, I believe we should not proactively engage until all unknown factors are cleared and instead try to gain as much information as we can before we act" advised Kyoraku.
"Hmm…a sound strategy indeed! Very well! Captain Hitsugaya, this is an order! Just as Captain Kyouraki suggested, you are to investigate the arrancars that have arrived at Karakura Town while the rest of you are to remain at Kisuke Urahara's base until the situation has been dealt with!" he boomed. "Following which, I want you to make a full report of your findings!"
"Roger!" replied the entirety of the advance team in unison.
"And to add to what Kyoraku-san said, communication is as important as information gathering. That's why, I'd liked for all of you to wear these" said Kisuke, handing out what appeared to be small buds. "Place them in your ear like this, and press that button. You can then hear each other no matter where you are. It does have a range of a few hundred meters, so I'd advice you all not to stray too far from each other. And also, it only works within the same realm, so if one of you were to leave the World of the Living and return to the Soul Society, it wouldn't work. It's not as ideal as using Bakudo 77, but as long as its within a small enclosed space, there should be no better means of communicating with each other. Plus, since there isnt a single persong maintaining a Bakudo spell to act as a hub, even if one of you gets take out, you can still maintain communication and it practically consumes no reishi"
"This is quite handy! Thanks, Urahara!" said Rukia, putting on one of the buds. The rest of them followed suit, testing and marvelling at each other when their voices could be heard from within the device.
However, what they noticed a bit too late was the fact that three of them had long since disappeared after the initial spiritual pressure from the Arrancars hit them.
"Wait a minute….I don't see Ichigo, Karin and Tatsuki around…!" alerted Rukia.
"Oh dear….they must've left the moment that spiritual pressure hit them" remarked Kisuke.
"Those fools…!" shouted Rukia to herself, getting ready to go after them.
Elsewhere, atop the skies of Karakura town, six figures stood tall, looking around them and observing their surroundings.
"Hmm…so this is the place Ruby stayed for a whole year? I must say, this is quite different from what I imagined" remarked Sung-sun.
"Whoa...they have all different kinds of buildings here!" remarked Pesche, his eyes gleaming.
"We arent here for sightseeing so if you five are done wasting time…" growled Grimmjow.
"Dont be such a stick in the mud, it's not like we'll get chances to visit here often" retorted Apacci.
"And besides, I find it strange that I don't see a single soul reaper appear in response to our spiritual pressures" said Mila-rose.
"Tch, the cowards much be hiding" spat Grimmjow.
"I wonder if Ichigo will come…" wondered Sung-sun.
"Let's hope not. After all, I don't think I could look Ruby straight in the eye if I was forced to fight the brat" sighed Mila-rose.
"Hello...! Can you hear me...?" called out Momo's voice within their heads.
"Whoa...it's like she's talking in my head...how weird!" remarked Dondochaka.
"Ah I see that it works! Anyways, I can detect nine spiritual pressures heading out from a single place. You can use your Pesquisa to locate them at any point. I'll maintain communication in silence. Please let me know should something happen. You can do that by focusing reishi on your arrancar tattoo and speaking out" said Momo before her voice went silent. It was pretty apparent that she wasnt used to this sort of role and was trying her best not to falter.
"Tch...damn, stuck up lapdog" snarled Grimmjow. "Who does she think she is, to order me around?"
"I don't really care about all that but you really should watch your mouth. It'll reflect badly on Harribel-sama and Nel if your trash talking got us all in to trouble" repreminded Mila-rose.
"Anyways, we really should split up now before they start heading here. Nel's gonna get pissed if we screw this up" reminded Apacci.
"You don't have to tell me twice" retorted Sung-sun, before using sonido to dart away from where they stood.
"Hmph, try not to get killed 'right?" taunted Apacci before heading off on her own.
"Tch, as insufferable as always" said Mila-rose with a vein popping in her head and disappearing off with her own sonido, leaving Grimmjow by himself. A few moments later, he felt a few presences approaching him. The blue jaguar grinned.
"Alright, that's more like it! Come on then, show me what you've got, soul reapers!"
That's it for this week! Thanks as always for reading! Before you ask, no, Yuzu and Ulquiorra are NOT a pairing. This would be way too weird to me. Plus, I dont plan to focus on romance too much as you already know. A bond between two characters neednt always be about romance. All of Ruby's bonds with her friends and family show that. This is something similar.
Actually, there's something I've been wanting to find ask. I've always planned to write about Summer's past and story up until the point she finds herself trapped in Hell beginning from the part where she finds herself in bleachverse. A prequel to this fic of sorts. I always thought I would write that as a separate series as opposed to writing it as part of this fic. I also thought if I should put out a few chapters of Summer's past before I continue with the main story here. What do you guys think? I should also let you know that I will likely explore a bit of Summer's life in Remmant, before she found Salem. Just a bit, since cannon really doesnt tell us much about her.
Should I write her story separately or in this fic? And would you like to see more of her past now or later? Do let me know!
Response to reviews:
Spellflame: Maybe. I think of maiden powers as a sort of special ability anyways. Like those of fullbringers. I still havent thought too much about it, but if a character with maiden powers does later on come to bleachverse, it would behave akin to a Zanpakuto's special ability or like a fullbring.
Argorok: Thank you so much!
AnimeA55Kicker: Ahahaha yeah...and funily enough, that's exactly what's going to happen next.
Kragh: Thanks a lot and glad you liked it!
slyer243: Not really. It was explained right? The only one brought here was herself and Summer by the mysterious being.
Robbie2413: Wait...Bankai Removal Service...? What's that? As for Crescent Rose, it's understandable right? I mean, she wants to hide the origin of her Hell reiatsu. It would do no good if she showcased her daughter who's literally a cystallization of that. Dont worry though, Ichigo and the others will shortly meet Crescent, but in a different scenario.
Zacatac: I agree with what you say. My intention was always to show character development. And to do that, I had her start off that way and slowly, over the course of time that she spends in Hueco Mundo, she becomes a tougher person. What you're seeing is just her at her initial stages. I can't completely guarantee that I can do complete justice to her character, but I'll definitely try my best to write her well as well as the others.
Vedahzii: Well, now you know why she's going to be there. As for Crescent Rose, she's not really Ruby's resurreccion. Summer is. Crescent Rose is the crystallization of her Hell reishi.
L4 of the West: Thanks a lot! Close, but I do have this idea of putting forward Summer's past as an arc. We'll see.
firewyrm2: As far as I remember, Renji only appeared with Byakuya when they come to investigate Rukia. Dont remember any soul reaper appearing during the mod soul arc. As for the rest of the things, they will happen. For sure. Eventually. Regarding Crescent, well, it makes sense right? Crescent is literally her hell reishi given form. If she wants to hide her origins of hell reishi, why would she showcase Crescent? But worry not, Crescent will meet with Ichigo and co very soon.
As for Aizen, its more so that Aizen is far stronger than Ruby in terms of pure strength. Plain and simple. His reishi is much, much more than hers, his proficiency with kido and swordfighting is far superior to hers and his intellect is too. Ruby can only get around a few 'gimmicks' of Aizen. But otherwise, she's pretty much outclassed. It's just that Aizen is interested in how far Ruby can reach, just like Ichigo.
Guest: When she does go to remnant, let's just say that her cheetah traits WILL show up. How different will it look is for when that arc begins. And yeah. When Ruby goes back, pity for those that decide to mess with her.
Lucian Naruto: Well, Ruby is such a wild card that Aizen is probably interested in their relationship all the same. He's like "Amusing. I wonder how two arrancars with such feelings fight together as opposed to fighting separetely". And yeah, Yamamoto is probably like "You fools! Dont you know that being part of the Gotei 13 is an honor by itself?! And you dare demand wages?!"
Jokes aside, who knows ahahaha!
Zifryt: True. They will learn of her origins though, eventually. It will be a major point in the story actually.
shieldbro: No, she's not a clone or anything. It's just that since Ruby was the one that made Crescent Rose and that Crescent Rose became part of Ruby as a manifestation of her Hell reiatsu, Ruby thinks of Crescent Rose as her own daughter. And Crescent Rose thinks of Ruby like a mother.
: Always glad to read your thorough reviews and feedback.
True. She was more of an engineer who was quite knowledgable about mechanics and working of weapons than anything. But it's not so strange to think that a weapons maniac like her would also learn to analyze spiritual weapons and take interest in the same after having seen so many, many of them in Hell and the Zanpakutos of her friends and family and her own. Plus, she can sense emotions. Something that helps too.
As for the mock battle, its kinda similar to what you mentioned. But mainly, she just wanted to see with her own eyes how they were when they fought. To her, a fight can tell a lot about a person, even more so than mere words. And yeah, as you saw, it was more of a play fight than anything.
True, you're right in saying that they might be teenagers and that their reactions could've been a lot more...calmer? Definitely something that I couldve done better.
Yeah I remember. I just came up with honeybun on the spot. Basically, it kinda just spontaneously popped up in my head when I imagined Summer being motherly. And now, it just grew on me.
Hmm the child soldiers part. True, Ruby herself was technically into the fighting for an organization shthick. Something that is also mentioned in this chapter.
Overall, thanks once more for the elaborate run through as always!
Crimsongear: They were when she told them about Summer during the one year she spent with them. During one of their training sessions. This comes up soon enough in the upcoming chapter.
ccl1995: Me too. I will get to that part, very soon. Unohana will meet her best friend too for sure. Eventually.
Heavyarms150: That was my intention ever since I wrote the Soul Society arc. I'm glad that it's seen!
Spartastic 4: Yeah you're right. In a sense, Ruby is also like a parent as much as she's like a sibling to them. Their age gap is also another thing that adds to that. Thanks a lot and yes I'm doing well now!
Fregreg: Most likely but Mayuri would definitely be the cause of it himself. He would get all curious, wanting to test and experiment on her and even boast about it loudly. Pretty sure that's already asking for death from Ruby should she see him.
NEGATARO: Yeah definitely, the Vizards are coming, but I dont plan on focusing too much on them. Instead it'll be more about Ichigo's inner spirits and Ichigo's interactions with old man Zangetsu and his inner hollow. Thanks once more!