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Seeds of Destruction	By : blackdiamondprincess Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 14158 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
12. Raging Apocalypse � The culmination of
madness

�Grimmjow Jaggerjack?!�

The
Arrancar grinned down at him and chuckled. �Yo, King Whimp.�

�Inoue!�
Rukia exclaimed, a wave of emotion coming over her. �Is that really you?�

Orihime
descended from her position in the sky and landed in the middle of the garden.
Her presence seemed to have a silencing effect on all the bystanders and she
felt unable to meet their piercing gazes. She was wearing black leather boots
over skin-tight black jeans, a Chinese style, short-sleeved black silken shirt
with red rimmed collar and a red corset. Her hands were clad in black leather,
fingerless gloves. Her black hair was done in an elegant neck bun with Chinese
hairpins in it. She looked dressed for war.

�Kuchiki-san! Everyone�� She fell silent as everyone only
gave her hesitant gazes. �Everyone� It�s me.�

Ichigo
looked at the others with slight incomprehension at their behaviour and stepped
up to her. �Orihime� You�ve returned��

She twirled
around and her face lit up immediately as she saw him standing there. �Ichigo!�

He took her
in his arms and held her to his chest, feeling the warmth and smelling the
scent he only associated with her and almost cried tears of sheer happiness.
�You�re safe� When you left last night I had no idea if I�d ever see you
again��

Orihime
only held him and shook her head. �I�m just glad we got here in time to stop
that Golem! I�m relieved that you�re
safe!�

Ichigo bit
his lower lip and buried his face in the crook of her neck and right shoulder.
�That was you��

�Ichigo��
she whispered, �We have important matters to discuss now that I�m here.�

�Is that
the reason why he�s here with you?�
The orange haired youth whispered scornfully with a glare towards Grimmjow.

�What?� The
blue haired Arrancar retorted, �Jealous, Shinigami?�

�Care to
come down here and repeat that, shithead?!� Ichigo
yelled back.

�I suggest
we go inside, Orihime-chan.� Urahara spoke gently,
�You may be the only one who can prevent lives from being lost in this battle.�

The silence
resonated through the now crowded tea-room, all dreading the reason for Orihime
and Grimmjow�s venue.

She kneeled
herself down at the low table, placing her intertwined hands on the smooth
surface with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

Though all were
used to see and hear Urahara joke at times like these, none blamed him for
taking on a more austere disposition towards the matter at hand.

Grimmjow
was standing against the wall behind her, almost reminding of a princess�
personal guard.

Ichigo
never failed to cast his most despising scowls his way, only amusing the teal
haired Arrancar as he did.

�Aizen will
soon realise that I am gone, so I shall keep this brief.�

Even in the
way she talked, they all felt that Orihime had changed,
no longer seeming the na�ve and cheerful girl they had all grown to appreciate.
Her appearance shed off a cool reserve, her behaviour mirroring that of a full
grown and responsible woman.� Like a warlord� Rukia thought, observing
her silently and with held back caution. Seeing Orihime in such control of herself was a bit unsettling and to a certain degree� redoubtable� both frightening and yet
awe- arousing at the same time. As she spoke, her voice now evoked respect and
admiration, her words power and elegance. Look
at you now, Inoue�

�His
research has been completed. He has found the last of them, Urahara-san.�
Orihime said softly.

�Vasto Lorde,� Toushiro spoke,
standing at the other end of the table with his arms crossed over his chest.

Yoruichi,
who had been standing in a corner right from Urahara, sat herself down on the
floor. �Defeat seems undeniable at this point.�

�Urahara-san,�
Ikkaku intervened, refusing to let the thought of defeat cross his mind, �we
know he doesn�t have the Hougyokou, so he will not be able to turn them into
Arrancars, right? We may still have a chance.�

Urahara
sighed and closed his eyes briefly as he thought of those words. That chance
Ikkaku was talking about was a infinitely slim one,
for it did not matter if those Vasto Lordes were transformed into Arrancars or not, their raw
power without the Hougyokou�s interference surpassed that of a Captain either
way. Aizen only had to find at least 5 of them and all would be lost.

He opened
his eyes and looked at Orihime again. �Has he laid his hands on it yet?�

She shook
her head, �It is the reason for my advent.�

�That�s
where we have a new problem.� Grimmjow spoke, catching everyone�s attention.

�And
another�� Ichigo murmured, rolling his eyes.

The
Arrancar ignored him and continued, �Unless we kill her, we won�t lay our hands
on the thing.�

�Say
what?!� Ichigo exclaimed.

�Ichigo!�
Orihime sternly spoke, her eyes closed and her expression now slightly
aggravated. �Please��

�What have
you done, Inoue-san?� Urahara whispered, a hint of
regret and admonish in his voice.

She opened
her eyes and gave him a resolute look. �I cannot turn back now. We either do it
the hard way or the other way.�

�Orihime-chan�� Shuhei and Rangiku whispered in unison, silently
admiring her strength of will.

�Both are
not things I would like to see you endure.� Urahara whispered, bending his head
and shaking it sadly. �But it seems you have left me with no other choice.�

She sighed
and closed her eyes again, knowing that all eyes were resting on her, patiently
waiting for an explanation. She could almost hear Ichigo�s
worried thoughts in her own mind, but she could not command herself to look at
him now, or at any other of them for that matter.

�The
Hougyokou,� she whispered, �I sealed it within myself. By denying it�s existence the first time, I had to think of a place to
send it off to. Oblivion seemed too abstract of a term for me to use at the
time, so I did what I thought would be best with the limited time I had been
given. I asked the Commander General to remove the knowledge from my soul
afterwards, so that it would never bother anyone ever again.�

�Inoue��
Rukia whispered, a tear rolling out of her right eye as she watched her friend
admitting her past actions. �You were ready to sacrifice everything��

Orihime bit
her lower lip and nodded. �Aizen sensed its presence within me, because of his
prolonged moments of symbiosis with the Pearl. Also, Hollow Hime knew of its
presence within me and didn�t fail to inform Aizen. It needs to be separated
from me in order to be destroyed, or he will come and take it from me himself.�

They did
not need a picture to understand what consequences that would ensue.

�Tessai-san!� Urahara called towards the hall.

The bulky
man soon appeared in the room�s entrance door and he bowed, �Yes, manager?�

The former
Captain began to stand, �I need object P4.7 from the complete artefacts�
closet, please bring it to me in the �other room�.�

�Yes,
manager,� and he left.

�Everyone,�
Urahara now said as he looked at the group of people standing left from him. �I
bid for all of you to go lend a hand to the Vaizards as we initially planned.
Inoue-san and me shall catch up with you afterwards.�

Toushiro
nodded, �Yes, it is time we left.� He then turned to Shuhei, �Still no contact
with Soul Society?�

He shook his
head after he had taken out his transmitter only to hear static, �None, Sir.�

�Alright,
then there�s no use in stalling this any longer.� He turned towards the garden
behind him and stepped onto the porch, �Let�s go.�

Renji
kneeled next to Rukia on the floor as Ikkaku, Rangiku and Shuhei followed after
the Captain. �Rukia, wait for me to come back.�

She closed
her eyes as she fought against the tears. �I can�t believe I�m doing this��

Renji bent
over and pressed his lips on her forehead. �I don�t care� as long as you�re
here when I come back.�

Rukia
sighed and nodded reluctantly. �I�ll kick your ass if you don�t come and get me
out of this embarrassing situation.�

He chuckled
tenderly and nodded. �Yeah��

They let
their lips meet softly and as she opened her eyes again, he was gone.

Yoruichi
stood from her sitting position in the corner and stepped towards the porch,
passing Urahara in the process. She looked back at him a last time and they
shared a smile before she too vanished.

Orihime
moved herself on her feet now as well and turned herself around, finding Ichigo
still standing right from Grimmjow. She took a shaky breath and smiled.
�They�ll need you too��

Ichigo bit
his lower lip and bent his head. �Could you please give us a few moments?� he
whispered softly.

Grimmjow
grinned disdainfully and shrugged, following Urahara who had picked up Rukia
from the floor out of the room and deeper inside the house.

�Every
time,� Ichigo began, still not looking at her, �Every time I�ve seen you after
our last night together I�ve felt this growing distance.�

�Ichigo��

He raised a
hand and shook his head to silence her. �It�s not that I don�t get the meaning
of it. I do, but it wasn�t up until now that I�ve begun to see it from your
point of view.�

Orihime
faced away from him, trying with all her might to keep the tears at bay. There
were no words she could find to say to him, his
statement seemed to have said everything.

�Orihime� I
am sorry I�ve only come to understand your feelings now.�

She glanced
his way and met his sincere eyes.

�I am
sorry,� he softly whispered, taking a few steps closer. �But I cannot let you
go through with it.�

Orihime
only stared at him, still not saying a word.

�I am not
saying this out of selfish motivation. There -has- to be a way. You do not have
to throw your life away like this. It�s not the woman I know.� He seemed to
hesitate a little before whispering; �There�s still so much for you to live
for.�

She rolled
her eyes to the floor and smiled remorsefully, �You must think I�m being selfish,
am I wrong?�

Ichigo
tilted his head to the side and stared outside, �Well, yeah.�

She
chuckled, �Of course. You two are the same after all.�

�Orihime��

�You
mustn�t think that I�m not aware of my betrayal towards you.� She gritted her
teeth and balled her hands, �I know how much it must hurt to think that you of
all people can�t help me. Yet you know why I need to do this��

He now
stood in front of her and placed the back of his right hand against her pale
and cold left cheek. �A very intelligent and wise girl once said to me that
dead people can�t protect anyone.�

She raised
her head up to that and revealed her watering eyes.

�I believe
in you, just know that you have me,� he said, looking at her beautiful face and
tracing the lines of her cheekbones with a finger lovingly. �You�ve become so
strong, Hime. I�ll always be there to lend you all the support and strength you
need, only remember that you�re not alone. I know you can beat this thing
inside of you. Like I know you believe I can beat my Hollow.�

�Ichigo��
she whispered, her lips trembling.

He took her
into his arms and held her close, shutting his eyes. �I love you.�

She broke
down in sobs at that, staring up at the ceiling as she suddenly felt her heart
grow heavy with guilt.

He took a
small step back and claimed her frigid lips with his, kissing her passionately
in an effort to make her feel that he never lost hope and that she shouldn�t
either.

�Here,�
Ichigo said, bringing his closed right hand up in between them now, �I held on
to them for you, but I like them better when you�re wearing them.�

She
discovered her hairpins lying in the palm of his opened hand and she gasped in
relief, having thought to have lost them for ever. �Oh�!�

He smiled
softly, �Let me put them back where they belong��

She let him
slide the flowers back on each side of her head and returned his smile. �Thank
you, Ichigo.� Her body felt a warmth she had thought
long gone and even after he left, she could still feel it deep within her,
preserving the last of her dreams.

A horrifying
howl echoed through the air, soon answered by a hurricane of similar cries,
tearing up the smooth tranquillity of the morning hours. Dark clouds began to
gather ominously, preparing the world for a deluge.

Only, there
was no rain to come.

The empty
water tank on top of the abandoned building exploded, its steel ripped apart by
invisible claws. Glowing red eyes appeared out of nothing, peering down at the
small group it wanted as dinner.

Shinji took
a step forward and looked up at the building, unsheathing his Zanpakuto slowly.
�Love and Rose, please take the flanks,� he said to the group standing behind
him. �Hiyori, Lisa and Mashiro, with me. Hachi, Kensei; the rear.�

All nodded
and sped off into the direction they had been ordered to.

�Keep
Hollowification as a last resort,� he continued, approaching the first Huge
Hollow to meet his sword, �this day will be long: we don�t want to tire before
its end.�

A few miles
away, two figures appeared in the air, looking at the darkening sky in the
distance.

�You know,
if I remember Rangiku-chan correctly, she�ll be
terribly upset that you didn�t say goodbye.�

Gin only
smiled in his characteristic way and shook his head, �We�ll meet upon the
battlefield eventually�� He took a breath and began walking towards the fight
ahead, �And who knows? Perhaps we won�t have to say good-bye at all.�

�A sucker
for happy endings, eh?�

�If just
once, I would like to finally have one,� Gin replied, his grin slowly
disappearing.

The other
Shinigami nodded, �Yeah��

Both men then vanished, their blurry
silhouettes re-appearing only every other mile into the direction of the
battle.

A bright
red flash hit the ground near her feet and Lisa gracefully made a handless-
cartwheel in the air before landing and parrying all ceros aimed at her with
the flat side of her blade. She swooped it to the side
defiantly as she now faced the 4 Huge Hollows standing before her, each one
uglier than its friends.

�Hello,�
she said calmly, raising her sword. �I�d tell you my name, but seen as how
you�ll be dead in a few seconds, it won�t matter.� She launched herself at them
and they quickly surrounded her only to turn into dust a couple of moments
later.

�Oww�� Mashiro whined after she watched the Hollow she had
been fighting disintegrating itself. �It�s much more fun when we put our masks
on!�

�No
complaining!� Hiyori yelled back, slapping a Hollow on its mask with her right
slipper, sending it flying, �Just keep killing them all!�

A few yards
away another building exploded and Shinji twirled around to look at the Hollow
he had been fighting, hiding in the smoke and debris of the destroyed hangar.
He dodged an attack aimed at him and easily cut off the arm with the flash of
his sword before gracefully flinging his sword in a wide circle to slash the
monster in half. He then directed his gaze up to the skies and grunted: at the
rate they were going, they wouldn�t see the end of it anytime soon. He launched
himself into the air, deciding to cut things short.

�Circle of faith, connecting shores, lord of
purgatory, ageless coveter, black hearts bind together, consumed by darkness. I
call upon the condemned. Carve thy enemies flesh and scourge their souls.�

A massive,
black, shadowy replica of his stretched out left hand appeared above a 3 miles
area containing all Hollows that had landed there.

�Vizards!� Kensei bellowed, having noticed the spell, �Everyone,
clear the premises over a distance of at least 6 miles!�

�Way of Destruction nr. 71,� Shinji
whispered after he felt his companions evacuate the danger zone his kidou would hit. �Crushing Black Palm.�

With an
eerie silence as if all noise became swallowed by its passage, the enormous
shadow of Shinji�s left hand descended upon the hundreds of Hollows gathered
underneath it, crushing each and every last one of them. Closing his hand into
a fist, Shinji then watched as the replica began to exude bright light and then
imploded, the explosion in itself soundless but soon followed by the deafening
sound of destruction the after shock wave brought along with it over an
additional distance of 2.5 miles in all directions.

�Whoa,�
Love murmured, lowering the arm he had used to shield his face with. �That
spell isn�t supposed to be this strong.�

�Of course not,
if you don�t use the incantation,� Lisa reflected, arms folded on her chest and
her skirt swaying in the wind now that the dust had cleared a little.

�Shinji was
once a Captain level Shinigami, don�t forget that fact,� Rose
spoke, standing up from his hunched position. He dusted off his jacket and
placed his hands in the pockets of his pants. �It�s only normal the destruction
was going to be of this magnitude.�

�It�s still
hard to believe that that goofball ever made it to Captain once�� Kensei
smirked, arms folded over his chest.

�The same
can be said about you,� Lisa retorted, not looking at him and beginning to walk
back towards Shinji.

�What?!�
Kensei exploded, but was hushed by one of Hiyori�s
slipping hitting him square on his face.

�Hold your
trap!� she yelled, �You had it coming and you fucking know it!�

The white
haired Vaizard shot her a deadly glare and drew his combat knife. �What the
hell is your problem, monkey chick?!�

Both Love
and Rose grabbed him by one arm each and kept him from attacking Hiyori, who
simply glared at him before walking away after Lisa.

�Get your
hands off of me!� Kensei yelled, shrugging his captors off and sheathing his
blade back into its holder. �The fuck is wrong with that kid?!�

The rest of
them all exchanged questioning glances before following the others back.

The seemingly constant flow of Hollows out of Hueco Mundo seemed to have
stopped now.

Shinji descended from his airborne position and
landed on the ground, closing his eyes. Although the spell he had used wasn�t a
particularly complicated one, it did come with its adverse effects. He looked
at his left arm and winced slightly as he looked at his slightly smoking skin
and smelled the horrid stench of burned flesh. �Well, as long as it was
effective,� he whispered, flexing and stretching his hand tentatively only to
bit his lower lip at the stinging pain.

�Hadou nr 71,
huh?�

Shinji turned his head towards the two men
standing a distance from him and smirked. �How long have you been standing
there?�

Gin shrugged, �Long enough, really. That was an
impressive little trick you did there, Hirako-san.�

�Still, I don�t remember it being that
powerful,� Isshin remarked, scratching his stubble beard absent-mindedly.

Shinji grinned a little, �Kinda
overdid it.�

�Hn,� Isshin
chuckled, looking around. �So, seems like we�ve had the first wave already.�

Shinji nodded, �I don�t believe the next will
be anytime soon. Now the battle will be on the other side.�

Gin nodded, �We�ll inform Kurosaki-san and the
others.�

�She will need all the help she can get, even
if she thinks she�ll be able to handle it,� Isshin concurred. He then sighed, �I
just hope my son won�t do anything foolish.�

�Orihime has chosen her path, he will have to
accept it, whether he likes it or not,� Shinji spoke, turning now as he saw his
companions land near him. �We�ve done our part, now it�s theirs. We�ll go on
standby.�

�Maybe you should Urahara have a look at that,�
Isshin advised, nodding at his reddened arm and hand.

�Perhaps,� Shinji smiled, �It�s been a while
since I�ve seen Kisuke.�

Isshin nodded and returned his smile. �We�ll
see you later on.�

Shinji nodded and turned, �Most definitely.�

Gin and Isshin watched the group depart and disappear.

�That ought to be a cordial reunion,� Gin noted
as he began to walk in the opposite direction. �Why didn�t you tell him?�

�That he risks to lose
his arm?� Isshin asked, walking after him.

Gin nodded and waited for Isshin to stand next
to him.

�Because I think he knows.�

Her eyes
opened.

A soothing
hand landed on the crown of her head and their gazes met.

�Is it
done?�

Grimmjow
glanced up towards Urahara standing at the other side of the narrow table,
holding a small crystal cube in his right hand fingers.

�Yeah,�
Grimmjow said, looking down at her again with a ghost of a smile, �It�s done.�

Orihime
sighed out in silent relief and nodded, feeling like an immense load had been
lifted from her shoulders. �Now there�s only the most difficult part left.�

He helped
her back on her feet and put a supporting arm around her waist. �You�re still
up to it?�

She nodded
and took a breath, feeling a dizziness mounting to her head. �There�s no
turning back.�

Grimmjow
smirked and looked away. �Tch, it�s not that I�m
taking Ichigo�s side in this, but you�ll be leaving a
lot behind.�

Orihime�s
expression hardened, �I�ve already made up my mind� I thought you were on my
side?�

He turned
his face back to hers and looked into her eyes. �I am, princess. You know I
am.�

She let out
a trembling breath and closed her eyes again, leaning against him. �I wouldn�t
be able to bear it right now if I had no one on my side� I need you.�

�You have
me,� he whispered back, pressing a gentle kiss on her pale forehead.

Urahara
pretended not to listen to their private conversation but couldn�t help but
notice the advanced stage of intimacy between Orihime and Grimmjow. He wouldn�t
say anything, for he knew that if a heartbreak was
looming on the horizon, it wasn�t his task to deliver the message. �Inoue-san,�
he said, catching her attention, �Your soul hast just
undergone a labouring procedure, it would be best if you kept from tiring it
too much for the time being.�

She nodded,
�Thank you, Urahara-san,� and slowly made her way to the door.�

Then it
happened. Her body suddenly went limp and she collapsed.

�Oi!� Grimmjow exclaimed, picking her up in his arms
in one swift movement. �What�s going on?�

�Inoue-san!� Urahara moved closer to her as well.

Orihime
moaned softly, �What�s� happening? What�s that sound?�

Grimmjow
looked around rapidly, not seeing or hearing anything out of the ordinary.
�What sound?� he asked her, seeing her clutch to her ears for dear life. �Orihime!�

�Put her
back on the table, perhaps something went wrong during the procedure,� Urahara
hurried to their side and walked them back towards the observation table. She
was trembling as they lay her down, sweat breaking out of every pore of her
body.

�What�
w-went wrong�?� she shakily whimpered, her eyes looking up at them pleadingly.
�Grimm� jow�?�

He had her
right hand in his now and he shook his head, �I don�t know�� He looked up at
the former Captain and bellowed, �What the fuck did you do to her?!�

Urahara did
not respond but only bent over her and examined her pupils and felt her pulse.
�Inoue-san,� he then whispered to her, �It�s not her. Let go.�

Grimmjow
frowned and looked at her again. �How can you be so sure?�

�Her eyes
aren�t changing,� Urahara answered.

Orihime
nodded silently, still shivering uncontrollably on the table before she
brusquely arched and went limp.

Urahara
then left the room just as sudden as Orihime had passed out, leaving the former
Espada puzzled as to what was going on.

Her eyes opened once more and she sat up, her
body now clad in a snow white, deeply cut halter-top, long dress. The familiar
surroundings of her interior world greeted her. She stood, taking in a breath;
her alter ego did not seem to be around which meant she was locked away safely
in a part of her soul. Yet, there was something quite different even though she
couldn�t exactly pinpoint what it was.

�Mother.�

Orihime turned, her now light brown hair
flailing around her as she did, and she gasped.

A few feet away, stood Ichigo. Or at least, she
thought it was Ichigo. He looked so much like him, but younger somehow.

�Mother,� he said again, and his voice seemed to echo in her mind.

She approached him cautiously, grabbing onto
her long dress as she did, a confounded expression her features. �Who are you
looking for?� she asked and somehow, the closer she got to him, the younger he
seemed to become. Where he had been a teen just a moment ago he seemed barely
ten now and she kneeled a feet or so away, smiling kindly. �Maybe I can help?�

�My mother,� he spoke to her without moving his lips, looking at her pleadingly. �I was searching for her, now she is here.�

Orihime looked around, not really
expecting to see anyone, but still doing it to perhaps put the child at ease. �She is here?�

He nodded with a grin and she had to smile at
how adorable he looked, beaming with cheer happiness. �Will you take me with you?�

Orihime cocked her head to the side with an
apologetic smile, �Where is your father?�

�My father is off
fighting monsters,� he answered with a small pout. �I want to go with you. Can I? Please?�

She frowned, finding it all harder and harder
to understand. �But, how did you get here? Do you remember?�

The boy shrugged, �I just thought of my mother and I came here and then you came here.�

She sighed and looked around helplessly.

�The time is right for
us to go now.�

A warm hand suddenly pressed against her
abdomen and she looked down in silent surprise. �What�?�

He smiled up at her and a soft glow grew from
where his hand touched her abdomen. �I
love you, mother.�

She gasped
and awoke with a start, comforting hands immediately
reaching to help her lay back calmly, her surroundings once again completely
different. She was back in Urahara�s Examination
Room.

�There�s�!
I have seen� Ichigo�we�� she breathed incoherently, looking at the faces
gathered around her.

Urahara
nodded comprehensively, �Take it easy, please��

Orihime
settled down and closed her eyes, her hands moving up to her lower abdomen. �I
had no idea�� she silently whispered, still not looking at any of them. �My
son� I have a son!�

�You generated
a child?� Grimmjow demanded, �When?�

They both
turned their heads towards Urahara and he began to explain what they discovered
during her absence.

�You are
now in the Gigai I made for your unborn child,� he
finished, �since I had sensed it wanting to communicate with you. It was the
safest way.�

�Why didn�t
anyone tell me?�

There was a
silence in which Grimmjow helped Orihime to sit up again while Urahara stepped
around the table to face both of them.

She looked
up at him and let go of the hold she had on Grimmjow�s right shoulder. �And Ichigo? How did he take it?�

�Surprisingly
well, considering,� Urahara answered, smiling encouragingly. �He�s matured, you
know, Inoue-san.�

She averted
her gaze from his at that, a reminiscent expression growing on her face. �It
was something we were both ready to accept, were it to happen one day.� She
sighed and closed her eyes. �So many things are different now.�

�Inoue-san,�
Urahara said, lowering himself on one knee in front of her, �it was necessary
to know of your unborn child now that you were still here.�

Orihime
smiled at him, and shook her head. �It has only strengthened my resolve.�

�Yes,� he
said, nodding.

�Many
things depend of me in this war,� she said, sliding off the table now. �Knowing
that this child was created during a moment of love while in chaos, is
something I will for ever be grateful for. The future we�re all fighting for
will be my gift to it, whether I�m still in it, or not.� She stepped out of the
Gigai, appearing in her war-lord attire again,
letting Urahara catch it in its fall, laying it back on the table. Her heels
now tapped on the floor as she took a few steps away, feeling her lower abdomen
which she knew was empty again. She turned a last time to her artificial body
behind her. There is still so much left
to do before I can take you with me� Grimmjow took place next to her and
she took a breath. �Thank you, Urahara-san.�

�Not a
problem, Inoue-san,� he said, touching his hat and bending his head to her.
�You�ve brought us an essential item.�

Orihime
smiled, �Hide it well, Aizen cannot suspect you holding it.�

�I shall do
my best,� he smirked.

�I will
return as soon as I have found Nell, tell Ichigo that, please.�

He nodded
and she turned �again,
stepping out of the room with Grimmjow right behind her, towards the serene
garden where the former Espada opened a portal with a mere movement of his
right hand. He let her step through first and then followed her, closing the
gate behind them.

Isshin lowered
the communicator from his mouth.

�She has
gone, it�s time.�

Gin nodded,
�The others are close now.�

�Yes, open
the gate.�

The former
Captain nodded once more and opened a portal to Hueco
Mundo.

Soon
enough, Ichigo, Renji, Rangiku, Hitsugaya, Madarame
and Hisagi appeared in the air above them and landed
seconds later.

Ichigo
walked up to his father. �Dad?! What are you doing
here?�

�Hiya sonny boy,� Isshin merrily greeted his son. �Howya doing?�

�Dad, where
is everyone?� Ichigo asked immediately.

�Someone
used an enormous spell a little while ago,� Hitsugaya interrupted. �What went
on here?�

�First
things first,� Isshin said, clapping in his hands. �See that portal over there?
We need you to go through there, help Orihime find the Arrancar Nell Tu and come back.�

Ichigo
blinked and then shook his head, his brain not following. �What? Find Nell? But
wha��

�Wait a
minute,� Renji spoke up, �Inoue has gone back?�

�Who is
this Nell?� Rangiku asked with a worried frown.

�Why would Inoue-san risk going back into Hueco
Mundo when she knows Aizen will kill her if he
gets his hands on her?� Shuhei wondered. �Is finding this Arrancar worth so
many risks?�

�She must�ve
thought it would be if she decided to do so,� Toushiro spoke thoughtfully and
then directed himself back to Isshin. �Without orders from Soul Society, no
Captain is allowed to enter Hueco Mundo
under any circumstance.�

�We know
that, and we weren�t asking you to go, Captain,� he replied, turning to his son
and Renji. �You two have been there before, you know what to expect.�

Renji
nodded with determination, but Ichigo looked rather sullen.

�My boy,�
Isshin said, taking him aside, �Do not torture yourself
like this.�

Ichigo only
stared at his father without saying a word and then looked away. It was obvious
to Isshin that he was hurting.

�Orihime has chosen this for herself.��

At that
Ichigo shrugged him off and gave him a furious glare. �Don�t speak of things
you do not understand!�

�Ichigo,�
his father sternly said, no more tender. �She has made
her choice. You cannot tell her what to do!�

�How do you
expect me to feel?!� he hollered back, his pain now clear in his brown eyes. �She
chose for him! She chose for him,
dad! For that asshole! This is not how I wanted it to be! It�s not how we were
supposed to�� he fell silent and shook his head. �She didn�t even say goodbye.�

Isshin
remained silent for a moment and then placed a hand on his son�s left shoulder.
�She knows about your child, Ichigo.�

The young
Shinigami chuckled morosely at that. �What does it matter?�

�She told Urahara
that finding out about the child you gendered gave her a new source of
motivation.� Isshin told him. �She�s fighting for the both of you. Do not let
her sacrifice be in vain.�

�Oh God�� Ichigo whispered, feeling completely lost.

�Son, she
loves you, of that I�m sure. She chose to sacrifice what she had with you in
order to protect you from herself.� Isshin took a breath and looked away, �It�s
only a matter of hours now before she completely turns and she knows, Ichigo.�

�Fuck no��
He whimpered, now on the verge of tears. He walked away from his father and let
out a howl in an effort to vent his frustration, anger and pain.

Hime� so now you found that strength you told
me you lacked, haven�t you? You�ll distance yourself from me permanently and
there�s nothing I can do to stop it, can I?

In the
darkest chamber of Las Noches castle, a sinister
laugh could be heard, echoing through the many empty halls.

�I told you� Hime. Go
back to see him again without my permission and I�d kill him. Yet seen as how
you seem to have traitorous habits lately, I guess I�ll have to deal with you
first. You�ve crossed the line one time too many.�

Thank you
for your patience and I hope you enjoyed. Please look out for the next chapter
by end May/ start June.

Upcoming
Chapter: �In the belly of the beast � The Crystal Clearance

To be
continued�

-BDP-
- 11
- 12
- 13
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Seeds of Destruction