Capítulo 24: Chapter 24: Moonlight
*This fanfic belongs to Melkor's Mercy, I don't own anything*
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Harribel, Outside of Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Harribel had been hard at work over the past few days preparing herself for the upcoming Quincy invasion. The inevitable battles to come weighed heavily upon her mind. She couldn't help but feel concerned for the safety and well-being of the other hollows and especially her own fracciones. The blonde Espada sighed heavily as several scenarios played throughout her mind.
She often wondered how well the others would all fare against the Quincies and Shinigami. The idea of losing anyone in battle was disheartening, but even she knew that it was unpreventable in war. 'I have to do everything I can to ensure nobody dies under my watch. Ichigo kept telling us that our second release is achieving true understanding of our inner selves. What does that mean for me? Who am I really?'
The woman had spent a lot of this time in self-reflection and came to a better understanding of her inner feelings. However, even despite the progress, she could not reach the true insight that was required. Shaking her head in frustration, Harribel released a massive torrent of water into the air.
The Espada sat down in the sand and sighed heavily as the water rained back on her and all around the landscape. As she watched the water fall like rain over the environment, she felt herself drifting off into deep thought.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Harribel's Inner World XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Before she knew what was happening, she found herself on what appeared to be a massive beach of some kind. Upon looking further out, she could see the water from the bay falling off the horizon. A closer examination revealed it to be a massive waterfall falling off the edge of the world.
She stared at it briefly and felt a slight amount of anxiety as it appeared to get closer. Seconds later a voice sounded from out of nowhere, "Are you afraid of the water?"
"What? Where am I?" Harribel asked aloud as she looked around shocked. Over the waterfall that seemed to fall off the edge of the world, she saw a glimmering silver light. She quickly realized it was a moon. The blonde woman could not help but stare at it for a moment as she felt an unusual sensation filling her.
Harribel was drawn from her staring as the voice spoke again, "Are you afraid to come to me?"
"Is that the moon talking to me?" the Espada wondered confused.
Her suspicion was proven true as a flashing light came from the moon and appeared in front of her in a strange form on the beach. After the light subsided and took shape, Harribel examined a very peculiar looking individual.
It was hard to accurately describe her appearance, but the newly arrived woman had an appearance that was very similar to Harribel's own. She had feral blonde hair that actually appeared longer than her own. Her arms and legs were covered in what could only be described as white, ribbed sharkskin. It was covering about three quarters of each individual limb, offering armored protection for them. Both shoulders had a similar bladed bone pauldron appearance much like Harribel's resurreccion did, but these ones appeared to have a sleeker, sharper appearance.
Off of each forearm, two fins seemed to come out. They had a bladed edge to them which made them look useful for swimming and cutting alike. A similar pair of bladed fins came from her armored legs out and up on the lateral side of each calf. The upper thighs, while exposed, had striated markings on them that went all the way up some type of armored loincloth skirt. A brief look at it quickly drew attention to what could only be described as a giant, bladed tailfin coming from her lower backside. The end of the tailfin was shaped like a bladed crescent moon.
The woman's revealing torso was somewhat exposed, but protective armor could be seen covering her chest, neck, and upper back. It almost looked like a midriff breastplate. Upon finally looking at the woman's face, Harribel realized something. This woman looked just like her. Her eyes had black sclera very similar to Ichigo's with a golden green iris color.
"You are surprisingly self-conscious and fearful for a woman who projects so much confidence and power," the woman stated.
Tia narrowed her gaze, "Who are you? What is this place?"
"Is it that difficult to figure out? See out there? The moon is beyond the edge of your inner world. You're afraid of falling off, so you never attempt to reach it. What are you afraid of? The water? The unknown in the darkness? Yourself?" the woman questioned.
Harribel immediately started to understand what was going on, "Wait...you're me then, aren't you? This is my inner world? Why is there that endless waterfall then?"
"It represents the limitations you put upon yourself. You will never achieve Segunda Etapa so long as the moon is out of your reach," her inner self said as she began to levitate off the ground.
"So I just need to go to the moon then? If it's that simple then this shouldn't be a probl-" Harribel stopped mid sentence as the edge of world appeared to be right off the edge of the beach now. Her anxiety began to rise for reasons she could not explain as she took a step closer.
"Why is it getting closer?" she said concerned as her inner world shifted.
"Are you scared?" the inner Harribel asked again.
"No! I...I'm going," she said taking a deep breath as she began to walk into the dark water towards the massive waterfall going off the edge of the world. As she got closer, the water current got stronger, and it quickly swept her away in the tide pushing her towards the edge.
Harribel immediately began to panic as she stabilized herself in the water and attempted to make her way back to the beach. Much to her horror, the beach was barely in view now. She stared into the distance confused, "How did I get this far away? What's going on?!"
Her inner self never responded as Harribel squinted her eyes and tried to judge the distance of how far away the beach was. Much to her confusion, the entire beach looked as if it had a mountain range behind it. She was now right at the edge of her inner world, and looked back and forth between the distant beach and the darkness below. Hesitating for a moment, Harribel looked at her inner self wondering what to do.
The inner Harribel shook her head, "You cannot go back...the tides of fate and the currents of change are already here. You have a choice to make...fall or rise."
The blonde could not explain this strange sense of anxiety she was getting as she remained there motionless and afraid. She truly had no idea what to do as she looked back up at the mountain range behind the beach in the distance. It was only then that something frightening caught her attention. She felt her stomach do a flip and her heart skipped a beat as she realized the "mountains" were closer now.
Her eyes went wide, "Those aren't mountains...they're waves."
Towering waves came crashing over the island beach as they came ever closer to Harribel, who found herself subconciously drifting closer towards the waterfall over the edge of her inner world.
She looked desperately at her inner self who appeared calm. The inner Harribel shook her head and began to fly into the air over the edge. There was nothing but an endless pitch black abyss over the edge of the waterfall beneath her.
Her inner self spoke calmly, "Make your choice, coward...give into the inevitable tides of fate, or take the leap of faith."
The blonde's eyebrow twitched as she felt a strange tingle of anger well up from the ultimatum. She looked over towards her inner self which had a stoic smile. Tia glared at her, "I am no coward!"
"And here I thought you were finally becoming worthy, but it appears I was mistaken. If Ichigo saw you now, he'd be ashamed. It won't be long before you're irrelevant at this rate. What more do you have to offer him? How could you possibly expect anyone to trust you if you cannot even trust yourself?" Inner Tia said calmly.
The blonde espada was now starting to get irritated by her inner self. She cracked a fist imposingly, "If you're trying to piss me off, then you've succeeded."
"Oh? And what are you going to do? Fight me?" the inner Tia countered.
"You bet I will...I'll prove to you that I'm not scared!" she said somewhat angrily.
"There's some emotion...and here I thought it was all buried down there," her inner self said coolly as she looked over the edge of the inner world. The mountainous waves were now very close.
Harribel wasted no time opening with her resurreccion as she flew after her inner self. Much to her surprise, the Inner Tia began to fly away. It wasn't long before Harribel found herself flying after her towards the moon. As she got closer, her inner world appeared to get brighter and brighter.
Before she knew it, they were now close to the moon in the sky. Her inner self stopped as they got there and turned around with a grin, "Good to see what motivates me huh?"
"What?" Harribel questioned.
She never got an explanation as her inner self manifested what appeared to be a trident made out of yellow and black spiritual energy. Tia had no time to react as the energy trident was thrown at her harpooning the woman and sending her flying down below. As she descended, she realized that she was falling over the edge of her inner world along with the massive waves. Much to her disbelief however, a rising tide of water shot from the endless abyss filling her inner world with water leveling it out. As she landed in the water, she found herself floating on top of a now peaceful ocean with the full moon directly overhead.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Harribel XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Tia found herself back in Hueco Mundo in the form of her inner self. The blonde looked around incredulously at her new form, "I...did it?"
"I achieved Segunda Etapa!" she said uncharacteristally excited as she examined her new form. Testing out her abilities, she summoned a massive energy blade similar to how her first form's blade looked and swung it around a few times. It changed shape several times as she molded it into a trident. Aiming it in the air she fired a powerful beam into the sky. Upon doing so, Harribel noticed something peculiar. The moon appeared more gibbous than it's typical crescent self.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Barragan XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The former hollow king and proud Primera was deep in the desert reflecting on his progress, 'Hmmm...all of this time I have been training and developing my powers into a more refined state. I have always been powerful...always a king by right that none could defy. Yet here I stand, unable to grow in power. What else can I possibly do to reach a greater state of being?'
The Primera shook his head as he continued to contemplate his supposedly "capped" power. Looking up at the moon, he noticed something peculiar...it was a more filled out now instead of a being the small crescent. His eyes widened as he stared at it, 'I can feel the moon...what happened to it?'
As he continued to stare at the moon in the sky, Barragan felt its gravity intensify around him forcing him into a state where he could not move. The entire world around him appeared to be compressing as he felt himself almost flying towards it.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Barragan's Inner World XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Barragan found himself in a very strange place in comparison to Hueco Mundo. The stern older man looked around cautiously as he noticed he was standing in what could only be described as a shattered field of floating rocks in a pitch black and empty space. As his gaze loomed over the horizon, he saw something unusual. It appeared to be a shattered moon. It was then that he realized that the floating rocks all around him were chunks of it that were broken off. He looked down and noticed that there was nothing beneath these shattered chunks but empty black space.
Oddly enough he saw stars and light all around him which gave Barragan the impression that he was in the cosmos. The sight of the shattered moon in the horizon was quite a disturbing image to say the least. It seemed as if half of it had been broken off and that he was on one of the floating chunks. As he looked at it, the former king wondered if it was Hueco Mundo's moon.
His thoughts were confirmed as he heard the something land behind him on an adjacent floating moon chunk. Though it was far away, he could see clearly what it was. Opposed to him stood a towering and imposing knight. The knight had silver grey bone armor from head to toe which was accentuated by a long flowing black and purple cloak. His breastplate had a bony rib cage design over it which clearly looked skeletal in nature. That as well as the hollow shaped skulls on his pauldrons, gloves, and greaves gave Barragan the impression that this was some type of skeletal knight.
Even the knight's armored head was a skull which had spikes and crown shaped extension coming from it. This "Skull Knight" had glowing purple eyes and oozed a black and purple aura of spiritual power.
Barragan being the blunt person that he was, immediately spoke his mind, "Identify yourself, Skull Knight...who are you, and where am I?"
The knight replied in a similar voice to his own, but much more resonantly as it carried a terrifying echo, "I am what you are not...but what you should be."
Glaring at this skull knight with anger, Barragan growled, "You question my sovereignty? I am a king!"
"Any man that must say so as much as you do is no true king...you cling to titles, but like the chunks of the moon in this place, your claim is fleeting and broken. Like sand falling from a grasped hand, your desperation to hold power has been futile," the skull knight replied.
The Primera grunted in disapproval but chose to not speak as he simply awaited for the knight to make his point.
After a brief silence, the knight spoke again, "You have learned patience, trust, and humility quite recently...you realize it is better to listen than to argue and question what is happening right now."
Barragan simply remained silent as he let the knight continue talking.
"I am not one for wasting time on meaningly exchanges. Deep in your heart, you know what this place is, and who I am. You have come here for your Segunda Etapa. That power can certainly be found here," the knight explained.
"Then tell me...what must I do to get this power?" Barragan asked.
"The moon must be whole...and so must you," the Skull Knight answered.
Barragan looked at the drifting mountains of moonrock floating all around them and shook his head, "How?"
"What holds all things in place? What makes a rock fall when dropped?" the Knight responded with a riddle like question.
"Force? Pressure? Gravity?" Barragan tried to answer as he looked around at the massive chunks of the moon.
"Yes...only gravity can keep the moon held together," the Skull Knight nodded.
"But I have no such power...my power is over time and decay," Barragan said shaking his head.
"Time Dilation is a side effect of gravity...time moves slower in stronger gravity in comparison to things around it. You know this...it is why your own powers do not affect you. Time and Space are relative and they are dictated by gravity. Your powers go far beyond what you think they can do. Hacha de Singularidad!" the Skull Knight said resoundingly.
Barragan's eyes widened with shock as he saw the Skull Knight conjure an axe very similar to his own. It was pitch black, crescent moon shaped, and the weapon seemed to glow with light. It almost looked like an eclipse given the white glow around the pitch black weapon. As the knight held it overhead, the weapon began to draw all nearby light into it. Moments later, Barragan felt his current moon chunk moving closer towards the Skull Knight's.
At the center of the axe between its two crescent head blades, was a pitch black hole. Barragan could sense the greatest amount of power coming from this hole as an event horizon of light surrounded it. Everything around it almost seemed to distort much to his amazement.
"Do you know what a singularity is, Barragan?" The knight asked as Barragan's moon chunk began to rip apart by pieces. The closer the chunks got to it, the more stretched and contorted they became.
Lifting his Singularity Axe above his head, the Skull Knight stared Barragan down with intensity, "This is your true power, Barragan...Quasar Cero!"
Barragan could only watch with complete disbelief as the knight swung his arm forward causing an almighty force to push everything away. The force pulling everything towards the Skull Knight's axe immediately reversed with a powerful beam of light and energy.
True to its name, the Quasar Cero shot from the black hole in the Skull Knight's axe towards the moon completely destroying it and causing trillions of rocks, and clouds of dust to litter the cosmos of this inner world.
For reasons he could not explain, Barragan felt genuine hopelessness at seeing the moon completely destroyed. As it exploded he could only watch with despair as the the Skull Knight's rocky platform came closer to his own.
He gawked at the knight with genuine disbelief, "Why would you do that?! How am I supposed to make the moon whole if you destroyed it?!"
"You cannot build upon a broken foundation. Everything you know is built upon fragments and broken understanding. In order to truly make the moon whole, you must start from the beginning," his inner self explained.
"Then tell me what I must do! I haven't the time for these riddles and games! Give me my Segunda Etapa!" Barragan demanded.
"Come and get it then," the knight replied with a calm arrogance as he looked down at him stoically from his higher floating rock.
Barragan immediately went into his resurreccion form and drew his own axe, "Very well..."
Flying towards the knight with intent to battle, Barragan swung hard and fast as he attempted to cut the armored skull knight down.
His attack was easily blocked by the knight's own axe. As the two axes collided, a strange force sent all the nearby rocks flying in every direction. Time seemed to slow down around them as Barragan and his inner self clashed. He felt an overwhelming pressure as the gravity began to draw in all of the surrounding rocks and dust.
It was then that Barragan realized something, 'His axe controls the gravity all around us. If I took it from him, I could possibly use that power.'
As this thought crossed his mind, the Skull Knight stopped mid swing. "Are you beginning to understand, Barragan?"
Desperate to seize the weapon from his opponent's grasp, Barragan made several aggressive attempts to take it. All of them were met with failure as the Skull Knight took Barragan's own axe and threw it into the distance. Now weaponless, the former hollow king backed away cautiously as the knight advanced.
Expecting the knight to swing at him, Barragan poised himself for a defensive opportunity. Much to his shock however, the knight held up his hand and gave Barragan his axe.
The Skull Knight spoke one last time as he handed the weapon over, "Do it...if you think you can."
Right as the Skull Knight finished his statement, Barragan saw him disappear completely.
"Where are you?!" Barragan demanded as he looked around confused. His question was never answered as he looked down at the extremely heavy weapon in his hand. As he stared at it, he felt a wave of understanding come over him. This revelation of power and knowledge filled his body.
Out of nowhere, he manifested a spectral shadow of power. It quickly took shape and soon he saw a spectral horse appear in front of him. It appeared mostly purple and black but was ethereal and made out of his spiritual energy. Its legs seemed to have smoking shadows coming off of them. Its body had a skeletal look to it, and it had purple glowing eyes just like the Skull Knight's.
As he mounted the steed, Barragan was surprised to see it take off the ground and fly through the empty space. As the steed flew away, he motioned for it to turn back around and face the direction where the moon had just been destroyed.
Holding up the Skull Knight's Singularity Axe, Barragan pointed it forward and focused on a center point of where the moon's core used to be. He watched with fascination as a small black and purple orb left his axe and flew into the distance where he was focusing.
All of the nearby rocks, dust, and other debris immediately began to reverse directions as they focused and condensed back towards the small orb. Channeling every bit of spiritual power that he could Barragan watched with amazement as the pieces of the moon condensed and collapsed and eventually formed into a colossal sphere. It only continued to grow in size, and before he knew it, there was a new moon forming in front of him.
He could barely believe his eyes as he looked down at the axe in his hands. Completely unbeknownst to him until just now, he finally noticed his appearance had changed. He was now armored exactly like the Skull Knight was. He looked over his new appearance with genuine amazement, "It all makes sense..."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Barragan, Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As he left his inner world, Barragan found himself in his Segunda Etapa form. Sitting upon his spectral steed, he looked into the sky as he noticed the moon brighten. The moon was half full now.
Barragan was drawn from his thoughts when he heard a nearby voice, "Barragan!? What is this power?!"
He turned around and saw Nnoitra and several other arrancars standing there with widened eyes. Among them included several members of his fraccion. Barragan chuckled as he looked back into the sky, "The power of Moon...the power of Hueco Mundo! Gather the others and await our High King's return. Assemble the other Espada as well! I can tell them how to achieve Segunda Etapa!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Starrk and Lilynette, Hueco Mundo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Perched out in the middle of the desert sat none other than Coyote Starrk and his trusted fraccion Lilynette. The duo sat in silence as Starrk lazily lounged about lost in thought. Lilynette let out an annoyed grunt at his inaction, "Starrk! C'mon...we've been sitting here for like an hour! When are you going to get back to training?!"
Just then the Espada's eyes went wide as he looked at the moonlight in the sky getting brighter. Sitting up fully, he examined it's now half full appearance, "Look at the moon...what's going on?"
Lilynette glanced up and stared wide eyed at it as well, "It's getting fuller! What's causing that?!"
"I don't know, but I can sense great spiritual energy coming from it. I have to say...it feels almost familiar. Almost like Harribel's or Barragan's...or even Ulquiorra's," Starrk said as he reflected on this bit of information.
His thoughts were weighing heavily on this detail as he stared at the moon, "It just doesn't make sense..."
"Forget that, you need to get up and do something! We're never going to achieve Segunda Etapa with you lounging around all day!" Lilynette chided him.
The man shook his head, "This isn't something that has anything to do with training...it's like Ichigo said. To achieve Segunda Etapa, we must understand our inner selves."
"How is that supposed to work with us?" Lilynette wondered.
Starrk focused his gaze on her for a moment and thought about that question. The two stared into each other's eyes for a long moment before eventually Starrk felt himself drift into a blank state of mind. Lilynette experienced a very similar situation and before Starrk knew it he was somewhere else entirely.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Starrk's Inner World XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Starrk looked around confused as he felt awareness return to his senses. He found himself in a completely unknown location much to his disbelief, but luckily Lilynette was still there. She was quick to regain her senses as she sat up and looked around confused, "Where are we Starrk?"
It was a desert mountain range like Hueco Mundo, but it was dark and mostly covered in forests and streams. These badlands were certainly not the most ideal location, but nothing about it really seemed unusual to him until he looked into the distance. There he saw what could only be described as the largest mirror he had ever seen. It was probably more accurate to call it a gateway of some kind. It appeared to be reflecting the moon's light towards them which made it extremely noticeable.
True to his theory of it being a gateway, a ripple crossed the mirror, and from it a figure came forth. This was greatly alarming to Starrk and Lilynette, but they chose to say nothing as they took in this new arrival's appearance. It was hard to distinguish exactly what they were looking at. Starrk's face was no longer blank, as he stared at the individual.
"Who is that?" Lilynette wondered as she stared at the figure. He had a great resemblance to both of them in many ways. Physically he looked a great deal like Starrk, but there were notable differences. His wolf-like, anthropomorphic features most notably distinguished him.
His feet were clawed paws that were lined with fur all the way up his legs. Silver armored plates could be seen covering most of them. A similar theme could be seen from his arms, but his hands were still human looking with long claws. As he examined the wolf-like limbs closer, he even noticed a tail.
Further up the man's body, his chest and back were bare of the white fur, but over it a bandolier shaped plate harness was present. Strapped to his back was probably the largest pair of rifles Starrk could imagine. They were both crossed with their barrels aiming upward. The weapons appeared to have a very similar appearance to automatic rifles and they had a radiant blue glow coming from their bayonets which were made out of spiritual energy. Blue moon shaped patterns also decorated his body, and they seemed to glow with energy.
The man's face was like Starrk's, but his eyes were blue within black and had a feral look to them. Fangs were present as well as what looked like wolf ears. He had horns much like Lilynette's and brown hair exactly like Starrk's...the only difference was the addition of white streaks.
"Hey Starrk...that guy looks a lot like you," Lilynette stated the obvious.
The man having remembered Ichigo's explanation about Segunda Etapa nodded as he spoke, "That's because he is me...my inner self I'm guessing."
"That would be incorrect of you to assume, Starrk...I am not your inner self. I am not a part of you. It is the other way around. You two are a part of me," the man stated.
His eyes widened as he looked over the man's form again, "How does that work? This is our inner world isn't it? Wouldn't that make you my Zanpakuto spirit?"
"For a normal arrancar that would be the case, but you two are anything but normal. I am the combined power, aspiration, and mind of you two. I am the original version...before the split. You are actually my inner selves," he answered.
"Before the split huh? So you're our original form..." Starrk reiterated to himself as he looked between Lilynette and the mysterious progenitor.
"He just said that, Starrk!" Lilynette sassed with a hint of annoyance.
The man looked at the true version of himself curiously, "So if we're here, then that means you have what we seek...our Segunda Etapa."
"Yes and no...there is no way for you to achieve Segunda Etapa with a split soul. Therefore only one solution exists..." the true Starrk said slowly.
Starrk and Lilynette immediately picked up on what he was referring to and traded shocked looks with one another. Both seemed extremely hesitant and distraught by the very concept of such a thing.
"I know such a request is difficult to accept, but it is the only way for you to achieve what you're after. In order to become the truest version of yourself, you must cast away this separation of mind, body, and soul," the inner Starrk explained.
Starrk got uncharacteristically mad at the suggestion and immediately voiced his objection, "No! If what you say is true, then that would mean Lilynette would...she would disappear!"
"Starrk..." Lilynette said his name slowly as she thought of what to say. She could not find words and simply looked down for a moment.
"No price is worth throwing away Lilynette's life," Starrk said resoundingly as he gave his inner self a strong glare.
"My life isn't the only one at risk here, Starrk...he said we're both a part of him. You would disappear too..." Lilynette said sadly.
The man shook his head in refusal, "I won't accept that...you can go to hell whoever you are! You're not us! If you were, then you would know that we could never do such a thing!" Starrk said in a low growl.
"I know that already...which is why I'm giving the choice to stay forever separated, or to become one once again," the inner Starrk said calmly.
"I already told you that it's not going to hap-" Starrk protested, but was interrupted as Lilynette stepped forward.
She spoke calmly, "What would we have to do?"
"Lilynette, we can't..." Starrk said dishearteningly, "I can't let you sacrifice yourself just for the sake of making us more powerful. That price isn't worth it," the man said strongly.
"I've never seen you so emotional before, Starrk...there's no reason to be afraid," Lilynette said with a sad smile.
"I can't...be alone again," the man said as he looked down with a distraught expression.
Lilynette shook her head, "You won't be...we won't be. We have all of the others now...and something really important worth fighting for. I'd say that's worth sacrificing for, wouldn't you?"
"This is not what I wanted for you...for us. You're my best friend Lilynette...you're the best part of me." Starrk said sadly.
She frowned, "There is no other way."
The inner Starrk looked back and saw the large mirror in the inner world begin to ripple. Several cracks covered it now.
"I accept," Lilynette spoke softly to the Inner Starrk. Upon doing so, he dissipated and Lilynette began to as well. Starrk then found himself all alone in this inner world. He looked around desperately and full of despair.
"Lilynette!? Lilynette where are you?!" the man shouted as he jerked his head around frantically.
A brief silence passed before Starrk came to the counclusion that he was alone. The man looked around hopelessly, "I'm alone..."
"Not quite..." the voice of his inner self sounded from behind.
Starrk glared at him, "Why?! Why did you make her destroy herself?!"
"It was her choice...she cared greatly for you, and for your dreams. She didn't destroy herself however," his inner self explained.
"I'm going to kill you bastard..." Starrk said with a low angry growl.
The inner Starrk sighed, "If you insist on it...have your Resurreccion."
Starrk immediately found himself in his resurreccion form despite Lilynette not being there. He looked at his pistol curiously and wondered if she would talk to him. There was no voice.
Upon looking up he saw his inner self draw a large, curved, and moon-shaped blade which looked a lot like Lilynette's.
His inner self began to change form much to the man's confusion and before he could even fathom what was happening, the Inner Starrk now resembled Lilynette. She was taller and more mature looking, and had the same wolf like features of the former form. Both rifles were still strapped on the back as well.
"What the?!" Starrk gawked at the adult-looking Lilynette version of his inner self.
"If you want to fight me, Starrk...you'll have to fight the real me," the Inner Lilynette said in a more stoic, but similar way that Lilynette would speak.
The man backed away disbelievingly, "Lilynette?!"
"Wrong...I'm Lilynette de los Lobos...your real Zanpakuto. Los Lobos is only a fraction of our true power," she said calmly.
Starrk looked at her incredulously, "You're...Lilynette?"
"No duh, you lazy idiot," she sassed in a characteristic manner. Her disposition was much calmer and more mature than Lilynette's would be, but this adult version of her was definitely Lilynette in a sense.
"I don't understand..." the man said shaking his head in confusion, "I thought you were gone."
"I'm a part of you...I'll never go away. Sorry to say, but you're stuck with me whether you like it or not. There's nothing to be afraid of Starrk...even as one we're always together right? Ichigo and the others are depending on us to be at full strength. Just trust me," she said.
The man lowered his guard as she approached and let Lilynette embrace him. As she did so, the mirror in the inner world shattered into pieces and a bright light overcame both of them.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Starrk XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Upon returning to reality Starrk now found himself back in Hueco Mundo. The Espada looked around incredulously as he tried to gain his bearings. Unsuprisingly Lilynette was not there, and he himself was now in his Segunda Etapa form.
The strange part however was he felt like he was still the same person. He even looked like his his true self from his inner world.
"Lilynette..." was all Starrk could say as he stood there brooding in silence.
"What Starrk?" he heard from behind him.
The Espada jerked around and looked shocked at the sight of Lilynette in an adult like form similar to the one he saw in his inner world. He looked at her confused, "H-how are you...like that? I thought you disappeared when I achieved this form."
"I'm not sure..." Lilynette replied disbelievingly.
"We mirror each other in appearance...you look just like I do," he remarked.
"I'm...big now? Is this Segunda Etapa? Why are we still in two bodies?" she said shocked.
Starrk shook his head, "I-I don't know. Try going back to normal."
Doing as instructed, Lilynette attempted to return to normal along with Starrk. Their forms quickly dissipated and returned to normal, only with one notable exception...Lilynette was still adult-sized now.
Despite her increase in height and added curves of maturity, Lilynette was still quite lithe. Her clothes looked entirely too small for her now which caused Starrk to immediately look away, "You...should probably put something on. Here, take my coat."
Lilynette took his coat with a somewhat embarrassed expression, "What the hell happened? I don't understand any of this,"
"Neither do I...but I'm just glad you're still here. C'mon Lilynette, let's go back to Las Noches," Starrk said as he began to take his leave.
The older looking Lilynette looked at him incredulously, "How are we going to explain this everyone?!"
"We'll just say it's a side effect of Segunda Etapa. I won't pretend to understand what happened, but we achieved what we set out to do. Now we need to regroup with the others," he said in a responsible way.
Lilynette couldn't help but grin, "You're in a good mood! I never see you this anxious to do anything. Wait for me!"
The lime haired woman now chased after Starrk and the two of them were soon on their way back to the palace. Lilynette looked up at the sky again with an amazed face, "Look Starrk, the moon's almost full now!"
He turned his gaze skyward and looked wide-eyed, "You're right...only a sliver remains. I wonder what's happening."
Starrk looked at Lilynette for a moment trying to process how she was still there, 'I thought my inner self absorbed her. Why did she become like this? Well...I guess I can't complain. At least she's still here.'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ichigo and Company, The Abyssal Scar XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ichigo and his new entourage of followers were nearly across the Abyssal Scar now. They had been traveling nonstop for the past day at high speeds, and were nearing the outskirts of the Menos Highlands. As they flew over the back of the Pit Dweller Betas, Ichigo focused his attention on the moon which began to fill out even more into a gibbous and nearly full state.
"The moon's light is returning to it. It's almost full," Ichigo remarked as he looked at it with amazement.
Ulquiorra turned towards it as well and had a surprisingly expressive look on his face, "I can sense the others from it. Harribel, Barrigan, Starrk and Lilynette."
"Lunaryu's light has awakwened within them," Eclipse remarked with a joyful voice.
"It has? What does that mean? Have they achieved Segunda Etapa?!" Ichigo wondered.
"Why isn't it full yet then?" Athena asked as she examined the nearly full moon.
"Only the King can fully reawaken Lunaryu's light," Eclipse said as she looked over at Ichigo.
The Hollow king noticed Athena, Yin, Yang, and many of the others give him unusual looks. Athena herself had an unusual expression that Ichigo could not fully discern.
She was clearly experiencing a strong emotion for him, but appeared sad in a way. Ichigo thought about it as he made eye contact with the former primera, 'She loved Zangetsu...this must mean a lot to her. But...she's sad. Is it because I told her that I'm not the same Zangetsu she cared so much about?'
"How can Ichigo do that? He has already achieved Segunda Etapa." Ulquiorra said to the supreme alpha.
Eclipse looked back at him and quickly answered, "When Lunaryu reunites, the King will know what to do."
"So...Ichigo is your real name, King White?" Yin asked as the beta she was riding on flew closer towards the hollow king's ride.
Ichigo looked over at the blue haired arrancar, "Yes it is. Haven't you been listening?"
"Well of course I have...but I just wanted to ask you something. Why does everyone call you White if Ichigo is your actual name? You neglected to mention much on that part when you told us a bunch of stuff earlier," Yin explained.
Athena, Yang, and Soifon all stared at the orange haired hollow king as they found the question very interesting. The pit dwellers appeared less curious, but were also paying him glances in anticipation for his answer.
The cero espada thought for a moment, "Well, I didn't know my actual name until I was a Vasto Lorde. By then most of Hueco Mundo already knew me as White."
"How come they didn't call you Orange? If they were going to name you after a color, then I would say that would be more appropriate." Yang joined into the conversation as she stared at Ichigo's hair.
Ichigo shrugged, "I don't know. Why don't they call you two Red and Blue?"
"Uhh...fair point I guess," Yang said feeling somewhat embarrassed.
After a moment of silence, Ichigo answered them, "I think it was because my adjuchas form was a giant white dragon. I was also a white gillian back when I first gained sentience as a hollow. The name has always stuck I suppose."
Athena stared at Ichigo surprised, "Your adjuchas form was actually a white dragon?"
"Yeah, what's so weird about that?" Ichigo asked.
Soifon spoke up for the first time in hours, "Didn't you say Zangetsu was the only dragon hollow that ever existed, Athena?"
The lavender haired beauty nodded, "Yes...I did. You truly are Zangetsu reborn, Ichigo."
"It would seem so," Ichigo said with thoughtful look on his face.
"So, what's Las Noches like?" Yin changed the subject after a brief silence.
Ichigo shrugged, "Well it's not what it used to be, but I intend to build it back up once we're done with this war. Las Noches is a very large palace filled with thousands of hollows. More become arrancars each and every day, so it hasn't been looking as empty lately. Eventually I want to build a city around it like the old kingdom had."
"Forgive me for being blunt, but what will become of us there? How will you incorporate me into your hierarchy? I was the Primera. Do you intend to make me join your Espada or would you prefer that I stay an independant ally?" Athena asked carefully.
"That's a good question. Is she going to join the Espada, Ichigo? She is certainly powerful enough to be a member considering she has a second release and she was the former Primera," Ulquiorra noted.
Ichigo glanced at Athena uncertainly, "I'm not sure how well recieved that would be by the others. Barragan in particular would definitely take offense at you trying to take his rank from him. Granted he did think highly of Arturo, so it's entirely possible that Barragan might actually accept you."
"Arturo?! Your current Primera knew Arturo?!" Athena gawked at him with widened eyes.
"Apparently Arturo survived the first war with the Shinigami. He left Las Noches to Barragan before leaving. Barragan had a high opinion on your brother and of the old empire. I've never met Arturo personally, but I have had dreams about him and some of the others," Ichigo replied.
"T-the others?! Y-you remember them?! Which ones?" Athena slightly stuttered as she tried to maintain her composure.
"Other than you and your brother, I had a vision of Miho, Taima, and Yuvha. They all seemed like good companions," Ichigo remarked.
Yin, Yang, and Soifon all looked shocked that Ichigo would mention those names having recently seen the dead Espada as Togabitos. They all glanced over at Athena with concerned looks only to find that the lavender haired arrancar was caught off guard.
Athena's face showed a noticeable amount of shame as she looked down into the darkness of the Abyssal Scar, "They were very kind and noble hollows. They had great reverence for you. I miss them dearly."
'I wonder why? In my vision of Athena, I distinctally remember her mentioning that the other arrancars did not like her and Arturo. I doubt she was very close to arrancars like Miho. Is she just trying to honor their memory by pretending like she was close with them? Or maybe she did care about them in the grand scheme and that vision was only a brief look into a deeper relationship? Why does she look so...ashamed? Does she carry the weight of their deaths on her conscious for not being able to save them?' Ichigo brainstormed as he did his best to figure out Athena's reaction.
Soifon was quiet, but her gaze was affixed on Athena, 'Miho, Taima, and Yuvha? Weren't those the names of the hollows we saw come out of the hell gate?! Oh damn, I'll bet Athena's nervous about him finding out about them. I wonder why she neglected to mention it to him? She does not seem to have any intent of plotting against him, but she definitely doesn't want them in the picture..how strange.'
Yin and Yang both had a similar thought process as Soifon on the matter, but knew it best to stay quiet about the situation. They had no idea why Athena kept the Togabitos a secret, but figured it wasn't their place to ask why.
Athena finally decided to change the subject to avoid anymore awkward silence and staring, "So what is to become of me then? Am I to be one of your Espada, or am I to assume another role?"
"Well, the outcome mostly just depends on what you want. Do you want to be a part of my Espada, Athena?" Ichigo replied.
Athena looked away doubtfully, "I don't know...it isn't my intention to bring conflict or petty rank disputes into your Kingdom. I do want to help you though."
"Perhaps a special position could be made for her?" Yin suggested.
"That's a great idea. Lady Athena could be made High Priestess of Hueco Mundo or something," Yang added enthusiastically.
Ichigo looked at the former primera curiously, "What do you want, Athena Plateado? Before I decide on anything, I would at least like to know if you have a preference?"
"From what it sounds like, you already have enough problems to deal with and I would not want to burden you further. From an objective and logical standpoint I am probably better off not being one of your Espada," Athena replied.
"But from a personal standpoint you want to be?" Ulquiorra cut in.
The lavender haired beauty looked away, "I would feel more comfortable meeting your Espada before accepting a place within their ranks. It's only worth it to me, if they do not take offense."
"Their opinions carry a great deal of weight to me, but ultimately I get the final call on whether or not you get to be an Espada. I'll see how they react to you before making any decrees though," Ichigo said thoughtfully.
The lavender haired arrancar nodded with understanding, "That is a fair answer, Ichigo. I will respect whatever decision you make."
"It's like night and day with you two. Just yesterday you were mortal enemies fighting to the death. It's funny watching how submissive the arrancar woman has become," Umbra interrupted their conversation with a slight chuckle.
"Submissive is the wrong word to use here, Umbra. She is simply showing respect towards Ichigo as he is technically, Zangetsu the rightful lord of all hollows. She has no reason to bear him ill will." Eclipse spoke up.
"So I have a question then. Did Zangetsu have a queen?" Soifon asked Athena in the hopes that she could unravel her feelings a bit more.
"No, Zangetsu had no queen...though there were many that coveted the idea of such a position existing," Athena replied as stoically as she could.
"I'm suprised you weren't his Queen since you were like the second strongest hollow, and a woman." Soifon noted.
Athena immediately dodged Ichigo's gaze as she attempted to maintain her passive demeanor, "I certainly would have accepted had he ever offered, but Zangetsu never chose a queen. No doubt it was to keep the peace. The only reason most accepted my brother and I into the ranks of the Espada was because we as the strongest sun hollows swore fealty to their king. From a political standpoint, me being Zangetsu's queen would have caused strife. Not to mention, he had greater goals and dreams that really prevented him from ever properly addressing the issue."
"I see," Soifon said blankly, not really sure how to react.
Ichigo glanced at Eclipse after a brief moment, "What do you know about Zangetsu's connection to the moon?"
"Considering how beautiful and powerful Lunaryu was, I can only speculate that his...your connection to the moon is somewhat divine in nature," Eclipse replied.
"Divine? As in heavenly?" Ichigo wondered.
"Yes...though the true nature of such things are unknown even to me," Eclipse said sadly.
Soifon's eyes lit up for a moment, 'Divine? How could he be divine unless he had a connection to gods...or maybe even the Soul Palace itself. Ichigo does want to destroy the Soul King, and I'm pretty sure Zangetsu might have had the same goal. Is there a connection?!'
'That Oken thing that Zangetsu was obsessed with...those visions of the hell butterflies...there's a connection. Isn't the oken a key to the Soul Palace? Why would Zangetsu have had one before becoming a hollow unless he had some connection to it?!' Ichigo realized.
"Say, Athena...what do you know about Zangetsu's Oken?" Ichigo asked the purple haired arrancar.
She looked at him solemnly, "You...I mean Zangetsu gave it to my brother to hold on to. I have no idea what became of it, or what it even was. All I remember is that you were obsessed with it for some reason."
"An Oken is a key to the Soul Palace...why would Zangetsu have had one of those?!" Soifon gawked in disbelief.
Everyone's eyes went wide as various reactions of shock swept among them. Nobody spoke for a long moment as they all tried to understand the gravity of the situation.
Finally Athena spoke up, "A key to the Soul Palace...I wonder if Zangetsu knew what it was? If he did, it wouldn't explain why he gave it to Arturo to hold during the war. Although I'm pretty sure there were secrets between the two of them about it."
"If your brother had it, then where is that oken at now?" Yin wondered.
Athena shook her head, "I don't know...I don't even know how Arturo died. It's still surprising to hear that he survived the great purge."
"I have no doubts that he took it to the Soul Society with him when he left Barragan to watch Las Noches. I guarantee that it's back in their hands unfortunately," Ichigo said shaking his head.
"We're almost across the Abyssal Scar now," Dusk spoke up for the first time since they left.
"Will the other pit dwellers be able to cross far into the Menos Highlands?" Athena asked curiously.
Eclipse nodded, "On this side they can. Moonlight does not bother the colonies like sunlight does."
"The journey's still a long way once we get over the Abyssal Scar. Though if we're flying the whole way we can probably get there within the day," Ulquiorra noted.
"Onward then," Eclipse spoke causing all of the pit dwellers to fly faster.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Seireitei Squad One Barracks XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
At the heart of the Soul Society in the squad one barracks, another captain's meeting was underway. Gathered currently were all active captains, lieutenants, and visoreds. Pure tension filled the room as its inhabitants stood in anxious silence staring at the newest arrivals to the meeting.
Kisuke Urahara along with Yoruichi, Kukaku, and Isshin all walked into the room with serious expressions.
Yamamoto was quick to address them, "You had better have a good reason for requesting a Captain's meeting on such short notice, Captain Urahara. I assume you have something relevant to share with us?"
"Of course, Captain-Commander Yamamoto," Kisuke nodded, "I have news from the Zero Squad."
Everyone in the room perked up disbelievingly at his statement and broke into an uproar of various comments.
"What?! The Zero Squad has new for us?!" Ukitake gawked.
Toshiro's eyes were wide with amazement, "The Zero Squad?!"
"Tell me they're going to help us...things have been looking grim as of late," Komamurua added with a heavy sigh.
"This is indeed relevant. How did you receive a message from them?" Unohana asked seriously.
Urahara looked around at the room's shocked inhabitants and answered, "Yoruichi, myself, and Kukaku Shiba here all went to the Soul Palace and contacted them directly. I informed the Zero Squad of our current state of affairs and warned them of the Quincies and of the Hollows. They were very much concerned about both enemies."
"You used the Shiba Clan to reach the Soul Palace then..." Unohana noted as she looked at Isshin and Kukaku.
"You contacted the Zero Squad without my express authority?!" Yamamoto asked dangerously.
Kisuke nodded his head calmly, "Yes sir I did."
"You bring shame upon the Gotei 13 by admitting our failures to the elite royal guards! We have the enemies under control! You had no reason to go over my head and beg them for help!" Yamamoto bellowed angrily.
"With all due respect Captain-Commander, our pride should not be worth more than the safety of the Soul Society. We all know how powerful White is...based on what we learned from Captain Soifon, he's got his own arrancar army. It's probably growing larger by the day. Even if we were to quell their numbers, we still have this Quincy threat according to Captain Shiba. It may be shameful to get help, but I'd rather suffer a bit of shame and see the Soul Society safe than have the Zero Squad intervene after all of us have died. I think I speak for many of us in this room when I say that we have the deck stacked against us. We asked the Zero Squad to help us and they have agreed," Yoruichi ranted.
Yamamoto rose a brow disbelievingly, "They have!? The Zero Squad's duty does not extend to the Gotei 13. They are not allowed to leave the Soul Palace under any circumstance."
"Well you might want to might want to look outside sir because they said they would come down here to speak with us directly at the Sokyoku Hill," Urahara explained.
"That's preposterous! You expect us to believe the Zero Squad is going to come down here right now!?" Chojiro interrupted with a doubtful glare.
Unohana traded a serious look with Yamamoto before speaking, "What did they say about the hollows?"
"You can ask them yourself when they arrive. We should probably get to Sokyoku Hill before they land," Urahara explained.
Kyouraku shook his head confused, "Wait, so let me get this straight...you four all got the Soul Palace to acknowledge our problems down here? How the hell did you convince them to intervene?"
"It's a long story, Captain Kyouraku...just come along. I'm sure we'll explain everything once they get here," Yoruichi added.
"Everyone assemble at Sokyoku Hill...we will speak with them," Yamamoto commanded as he began to make his way for the exit. Everyone quickly followed behind him.
As they walked out of the meeting room, Karin and Rukia were standing nearby awaiting them. Without delay they followed behind the captains and lieutenants towards Sokyoku Hill.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society, Sokyoku Hill XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Upon arriving to Sokyoku Hill, the various captains, lieutenants, and other Shinigami all gathered around in anticipation for the arrival of the zero squad. They weren't waiting long thankfully as their timing appeared nearly perfect.
Falling from the sky, at blazing speed, a pillar shaped object came into view. It descended with incredible precision and landed directly in front of the gathered company of Shinigami. Many of the younger members looked extremely anxious as they were practically holding their breath.
The older captains looked calm and stoic as the pillar like object opened up revealing five figures. "Figures they'd come with Tenchuuren," Unohana said shaking her head.
From the pillar, the five figures stepped forward. Every Shinigami present minus some of the captains gawked at them in both amazement and surprise. They were not quite what some were expecting, but looked quite prominent nonetheless.
Their group consisted of three men and two women. The front and middle man was bald with a large beard and a huge beaded necklace. He was a very bulky man and had the look of a monk of some kind. His face was warm and inviting which was somewhat surprising.
Another one of the males was very tall, lean, and somewhat scary looking. He had black hair fashioned into a somewhat ridiculous looking pompadour hairstyle. He had a stick in his mouth for some reason and his bare chest was exposed beneath his open white coat.
The third male was shorter and looked surprisingly out of place. He wore sunglasses and had poofy black hair with the sides of his head shaved. His attire looked like he was trying to be a rockstar in Karin's opinion.
Of the two women, one had long purple hair and turquoise-colored eyes. She was remarkably beautiful with a slender but curvy figure. She wore dark lipstick, had two curved markings below her eyes, and possessed a bust that put even Rangiku to shame. She wore a standard looking Shinigami attire with a white Zero Squad coat, but shared a fair amount of cleavage with her shihakusho.
The other woman was shaped in a tall, slender figure with a much more appropriate attire. She had long black hair that was mostly put up in the back into some type of golden headpiece. The headpiece greatly resembled a crescent moon oddly enough with many golden lines extending out of it. Her haori had extra long sleeves where her arms could be seen folded in front of her chest. Behind her back six skeletal arms extended out from behind her. The woman's face was beautiful and graceful and was accentuated by red lipstick, dark eye makeup, and purple eyes.
After a brief and awkward moment of staring, the Shinigami were drawn from their thoughts by the tall male with the ridiculous hair stepping forward. He shook his head at them, "The badass zero squad is finally here!"
Several people present deadpanned at his comical introduction. A brief silence passed as everyone looked towards Yamamoto expecting him to say something.
"Well don't just stare at us you bunch of noobs!" the tall dark-haired zero squad man said as he looked through the crowd.
As soon as his eyes met Unohana's, he immediately walked up to her, "Well well well...if it isn't Unohana! You still trying to be the best medic in the Soul Society? From what it sounds like you're sucking badly! Didn't you learn anything from me?"
She gave him a blank stare, "I see you have not changed much, Kirinji..."
"Is that you, Shinji!? And Hiyori too?!" the purple haired woman exclaimed excitedly as she ran over to them.
Hiyori uncharacteristically ran to meet the woman in an embrace, "Kirio! It's so great to see you again!"
"We can save all of this banter for later. I think it's imperative that we get straight to business," Yamamoto cut everyone's conversations short.
The bald zero squad man that resembled a monk approached Yamamoto with a somewhat serious face, "I see you are just as serious as ever, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto."
"Ichibe Hyosube...it has been too long my old friend. It shames me that you must come here under these circumstances," Yamamoto spoke respectfully to the large and burly bald man.
Ichibe sighed as he met Yamamoto's stalwart gaze, "Yes...I know we promised you that we would never come down here unless you died, but the situation certainly calls for our intervention."
"What exactly have our people told you and the rest of the Royal Guard?" Yamamoto asked seriously.
Everyone turned to watch them speak as they all stood there in silence.
Kirinji spoke up after a brief silence, "Everything. Captain Urahara here informed us that you guys are in need of help against the hollows. That's some serious weakness if you ask me. The Soul Society has never been threatened by hollows before. You guys are soft as hell!"
"If they've told you everything, then you should probably know that the hollow leader is a serious problem. He's not like any hollow we've ever faced before. He's a powerful arrancar and is building an army of arrancars which he intends to invade the Soul Society with! He wishes to slay the Soul King too! He even destroyed the Sekkiseki stone barrier! You have no idea how powerful he is!" Toshiro interrupted boldly.
Kirinji looked like he was about to say something, but stopped when the dark haired zero squad woman stepped forward.
She looked at Toshiro condescendingly, "This little runt is a captain? Standards have certainly fallen since I was a captain..."
"What did you just say?!" Toshiro said angrily, but was quickly knocked down a peg as Kirinji slapped him with a paddle lightly knocking him down.
"He's definitely not fast or tough. No wonder you guys are scared of a few arrancars, when you have captains like this...is this what the Gotei 13 has been reduced to, Unohana?" Kirinji said half-disgusted as he looked over towards the former Kenpachi.
"Hey listen asshole! It's not like we're dealing with a few hollows here! Several captains betrayed us and they have this thing called the Hog-" Hiyori tried to speak up.
"Hogyoku...we know. Urahara has told us everything. Y'all need to relax and just listen for a minute," the man with sunglasses interrupted.
"Nimaiya is right. We know all about the arrancars and the Quincy threats that are looming on the horizon. That brings us to why we're here. We cannot directly help you in fighting them as our duty is to defend the Soul Palace...however, we can train some of you to be better equipped in dealing with the threat," Ichibe explained.
Yamamoto gave them curious looks, "You intend to train members of the Gotei 13?"
"No offense Captain-Commander, but you are definitely in need of help with this pathetic lot of captains and lieutenants beneath you. Other than yourself, Unohana, and some of the older captains, none of these weak officers are a match for the elite hollows and quincies," the dark haired woman explained.
Kenpachi Zaraki who had been surprisingly quiet the entire time finally spoke up with disapproval, "I must be hearing things...but it sounds like you don't think I'm strong."
"And who are you?" the dark haired woman asked.
"Kenpachi Zaraki...Captain of the Eleventh! Do you need me to prove my strength?" the brutal man spoke with a bloodthirsty glare.
"I wouldn't do that, you lumbering oaf...that's Senjumaru Shutara," Mayuri said to Kenpachi shaking his head.
The eleventh captain growled, "I don't care who she is...if she's strong I'll fight her!"
"Stand down Captain Zaraki! You will do no such thing!" Yamamoto shouted commandingly.
The spiky haired warrior sighed as he stepped back, "Fine..."
Yamamoto stared at Ichibe seriously, "I take it you are going to train them at the Soul Palace?"
"Yes, Captain-Commander...we would like to take some of your younger captains and lieutenants," the bald royal guard replied.
Everyone was silent for a moment as they examined Yamamoto's reaction. The old man huffed in disapproval but finally nodded in acceptance, "Very well...take those you wish and train them."
"We have no need to bring him, him, him, or him," Senjumaru said pointing at Kyouraku, Ukitake, Kurotsuchi, and Isshin.
She glanced over at Urahara and Yoruichi, "We don't need these two either...those six are you more competant captains. Based on Urahara's recommendations, we will be taking, four captains and four lieutenants with us."
"You intend to take that many Shinigami officers away from the Seireitei?! What if we're attacked?!" Shinji said shaking his head.
"You will be fine...that's why we're taking younger officers to train," Senjumaru explained.
"Who will they be? Do they have a choice?" Unohana asked curiously.
"Not if they know what's good for them..." Kirinji scoffed.
Ichibe looked around at the crowd and immediately pointed people out, "Captains Zaraki, Hitsugaya, Komamura, and Kuchiki will all be coming to train with us. Vice-captains Kuchiki, Matsumoto, Abarai, and Hinamori are coming as well."
Kenpachi couldn't help but chuckle, "You want to train with me? I'll show you how strong I am if you're serious about fighting with me."
"I've been chosen to go to the Soul Palace? I don't know what to say..." Toshiro said disbelievingly.
"This is hardly approrpriate...I refuse to go. I have no need of your training," Byakuya said stoically.
"Is it approrpriate for me to leave my division like this?" Komamura said concerned.
The lieutenants that were chosen weren't faring much better at the notion of being chosen.
Renji seemed to be the only one who looked excited as a smile crossed his face. Being an eager hothead ready to prove himself, he did not need any convincing.
Rukia on the other hand was torn. She looked at Ichibe surprised, "Why was I chosen?"
"You and Captain Kuchiki both have tremendous potential," Ichibe replied kindly as he pat Rukia on the head.
Momo looked horrified by the notion, "W-why me? The Zero Squad seriously wants to train me?"
"You look like you could use it the most if you ask me," Tenjiro Kirinji laughed.
Rangiku seemed somewhat thrilled after her intial shock and immediately ran over to Toshiro, "You hear that, Captain?! The two of us get to go together!"
"Who will watch the 10th division then if we're both gone?" Hitsugaya wondered.
"I can do that," Isshin spoke up catching their attention.
"Enough, all of you! You do not get a choice. The eight chosen will leave with the royal guard to train immediately," Yamamoto declared authoritatively.
"Wait, I want to go!" Hiyori said annoyed, "Kirio, tell them to take me too!"
"Sorry, Hiyori...no can do," Kirio said as the selected eight walked over towards the zero squad.
"Is there any way I could go?" Karin asked as she stepped forward looking over the various Zero Squad members.
They all gave her curious looks. Kirinji was the first to voice his disapproval, "You're a kid...we've already got enough babysittin to do up there with the white haired kid."
Toshiro looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it.
"Karin, you can't go to the Soul Palace!" Isshin immediately protested. Urahara looked a bit surprised by her asking, but Yoruichi didn't.
Senjumaru looked at Karin for a moment, "She seems promising...but untrained. She can come."
"Shutara are we seriously bringing another one? I don't have time to train an assembly line of people," Kirinji said disapprovingly.
Nimaiya looked at her for a moment, "She's a Shiba...she can come too."
"Pfft...whatever then. Another brat for boot camp," Kirinji sighed.
Isshin looked at them surprised, "You're serious about taking her?"
"Yeah...if your worried about your little daughter's safety, then the Soul Palace is probably the safest place for her. We'll take her if you have no problems with that Captain Shiba," Senjumaru said slowly.
The man nodded in acceptance, "Very well...if that's what she wants."
"Are you kidding me? Captain Shiba's daughter gets to go with them? What about me or Yumichika? We need training too! Besides, who's going to keep Captain Zaraki company?" Ikkaku interrupted.
Nimaiya looked at them, "You have already have bankais and you're not even lieutenants yet. You're fine."
Ikkaku deadpanned, "W-what?! How did you know that?!"
Kenpachi looked at them and laughed, "You two have bankais? Haha."
'Damn it! Now the captain knows!' Ikkaku thought frustrated.
"We can't afford to spend much more time here, but we will have these nine for an indeterminate amount of time. If things get rough down here, tell the Shibas to send us a message and we'll send them back to help you. That's all we can really do," Ichibe explained to the remaining Gotei 13 leadership.
"Before you go, tell me one thing...what does the Soul King think of recent happenings?" Unohana asked seriously.
Ichibe frowned, "It is not my place to say. Farewell."
Everyone watched in silence as the Zero Squad took their nine trainees and departed back into the large pillar.
After they left, Yamamoto looked around at everyone seriously, "Everyone get back to your divisions! Captain Shihoin you are to assume the rank of 2nd Captain immediately. Special Captain Shiba will take command of the 10th division in the absence of its leadership. Captain Urahara, I expect you to find out more about the arrancars! You have my authority to use any means at your disposal to learn of their plots. We will be ready for the wars to come! Dismissed!" Yamamoto shouted causing everyone to disperse.
As everyone went on their way, Unohana approached Yamamoto with a serious expression, "The Soul King allowing this kind of intervention is not normal..."
"No it is not," the old man replied strongly as he looked at the former Kenpachi.
"It's probably just my imagination, but do you think there's any connection between White and Zangetsu?" Unohana asked the Captain-Commander quietly.
He glared at her, "Zangetsu is dead...do not let the memory of that fiend haunt you. Just because another arrancar rules Hueco Mundo, doesn't mean it's the same hollow. Besides, they are nothing alike in most regards other than the horns."
"You're right...it's just me being paranoid I suppose. Still, White is starting to sound and act more and more like Zangetsu everytime we hear about him. Even the royal guards are concerned...he even wants to kill the Soul King as well." Unohana remarked.
"He may very well have gotten that idea from Captain Aizen. The hollow abomination is only strong because it has Captain Shiba's powers. There is nothing special about it beyond that. Do not concern yourself over it, Captain Unohana. Every hollow can be slain...even if you and I are the only two survivors, this hollow king and his army of arrancars will all die just as their ancestors did before them," the old man stated strongly.
"You're right as always, Captain-Commander," she bowed before taking her leave.
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