Chapter 12: Kurosaki

*This fanfic belongs to Melkor's Mercy, I don't own anything*

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Karakura Town XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Standing close to the Karakura Town graveyard, two individuals traded concerned expressions as they witnessed Yuzu and Uryu leaving with the mysterious white garbed strangers. One of them was a fairly tall blonde man adorned in a button down shirt and dress pants. To his side stood a much shorter blonde haired girl with a red track suit on.

She stared at the sight incredulously, "Shinji…should we do something about that? Who are those people anyway?"

The blonde man frowned, "That wouldn't be wise, Hiyori…I've seen a few of those guys poking around this city. We know almost nothing about them…plus, it might be dangerous if things get ugly and the Soul Society finds out we're here."

"We can't just hide forever though!" She protested in annoyance.

Shinji sighed, "I know…but Urahara told us to keep a low profile. We shouldn't rush into things blindly. Plus, they're not Shinigami, so they don't really concern us."

"Pfft…where is that good for nothing bastard, Urahara, anyway? We should see if he knows anything about these people," she suggested.

Before he could reply, a third person landed behind them. They both turned around and noticed Love who seemed a bit more serious than usual. He was quick to state his reason for arriving, "Guys…all of the Shinigami in this city just got recalled back into the Soul Society. Apparently there's been an attack!"

"What?!" Shinji asked surprised, "by who?!"

"I don't know, possibly Aizen…" Love said morbidly.

"Aizen's involved?!" Shinji gritted his teeth angrily.

Hiyori seemed concerned, "We need to see Urahara right away then. Maybe he knows what's going on."

Love nodded, "The others are already on the way…Urahara will explain everything once we're all there."

"Let's go then!" Shinji said as he left without even waiting.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Urahara Shop XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beneath the former captain's shop, the Visored were all gathered as they stood around Kisuke. Shinji, Hiyori, and Love arrived just in time to witness an opening Senkaimon and watched it curiously.

"Urahara, what's going on?!" Shinji demanded.

"Shinji, Hiyori…about time you guys showed up," Kensei sighed.

"We came as fast as we could…" Shinji stated.

"Who's coming from the Soul Society?" Hiyori asked immediately as she watched the opening doorway confused.

Lisa had her arms crossed and stared at the Senkaimon, "Did you already send word to them? I was under the impression this was going to be between us, Urahara."

"Who is coming through the Senkaimon?" Hachi wondered aloud.

Kisuke glanced back and shrugged, "Hey now, relax guys. I don't know who it is…but if they're coming directly under the shop, then I'd assume it's Isshin. If so, then you got here just in time. Perfect timing actually. Maybe now we can find out what's going on."

"Maybe he has news about what happened then," Lisa said hopefully.

Before Kisuke could say anything else, Isshin came out of the Senkaimon with Rukia at his side. Shinji stared at Isshin surprised, "Captain Shiba? So they did reinstate you?"

Many of the Visoreds recognized Isshin and stared intently waiting for him to give the news. Isshin looked around surprised, "Kisuke? What are they all doing here?"

"Ah, I heard about the recall of the Soul Society's Forces, so I figured I'd gather them in case you guys needed back up," Urahara said coolly.

"Is that why you called us all here? Why do I get the feeling, you knew he was going to come back?" Kensei frowned.

Hiyori glared at Urahara seriously, "You seriously expect we would fight for the Soul Society?!"

"Not exactly…but I knew that the Soul Society calling back all its captains was a serious deal. I've caught some passing rumors, Isshin…but what happened exactly?" Urahara questioned.

"White attacked the Soul Society with the help of Captains Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen. He brought two other hollows in the attack as well. Also…White is Ichigo," Isshin explained.

Kisuke seemed genuinely surprised for the first time in his life, "What? Really? As in your dead son, Ichigo? Hmm…how did you find out?"

"He fought the Captain Commander on top of Sokyoku Hill…and gathered us all there. Then when we thought we had him cornered, Aizen stole your Hogyoku from Lieutenant Kuchiki here…and declared himself our enemy. Ichigo was an Arrancar. He…his mask dissipated and I saw his face. His eyes were just like that hollow from over twenty ago. They've fused souls," Isshin said morbidly.

The Visoreds stared horrified by the news. Hiyori deadpanned, "A hollow fought the Captain Commander?!"

"Hmm…well if that hollow is your son, then I'm sure you've already figured out what that means," Urahara replied seriously, "He's part Quincy too…It's remarkable that he managed to evolve into an Arrancar in such a short time. I had my suspicions…but I never imagined such an evolution was possible."

"I know what you're thinking, Kisuke…" Isshin sighed, "I should have seen it coming…it's just hard to imagine. As if that wasn't bad enough…Sosuke Aizen chose today to betray us as well. The Seireitei is still recovering from the chaos."

'So Aizen was involved with White. Interesting…' Urahara thought.

"It seems Aizen finally showed the Soul Society his true colors…" Shinji said seriously.

Isshin nodded, "Yeah…by the way Kisuke…the Captain Commander pardoned you. Aizen has the Hogyoku now, and they need to know what we're up against. They need your expertise."

"They do huh?" Kisuke frowned, "yeah I'll go talk to them then. I mean so long as I'm pardoned and all. By the way, did he say they were pardoned too?" The man pointed at the former captains and lieutenants.

"I don't know…but considering the chaos we're dealing with right now, I doubt the Soul Society is in any position to turn away help," the dark haired captain stated.

"What makes you think we want to go back anyway?! They condemned us for something that wasn't our fault!" Hiyori growled.

Shinji was quick to silence her, "We'll go talk to the old man…somehow the idea of telling him 'I told you so' is sounding pretty good right about now."

"Who are all of these people anyway?" Rukia spoke up for the first time.

"Ah…I'd rather not tell the whole story twice. Just wait until we all get back to the Soul Society," Kisuke replied.

"Before we go, Kisuke…how's Yuzu? Has she been doing alright?" Isshin asked.

Kisuke shrugged, "As much I've seen, yeah…but she's almost never here these days. I saw her earlier this morning, and she seemed alright. She's been spending time with some guy from what Ururu said."

"A guy? Do you know who?" he asked seriously.

Urahara nodded, "Yeah Ryuken's son, Uryu."

"You didn't think that was worth mentioning?! Has anything strange happened with her recently? Why would she be around him?" Isshin asked.

"Well I went ahead and asked him about it…and he said she was in good hands. So I've just been giving her space," Kisuke said as he fanned his face.

Isshin narrowed his gaze, "Do you think it's possible that…"

The other man nodded, "Definitely a possibility…but Ryuken didn't say anything about it. You might want to ask him yourself."

"Go back to the Soul Society without me…I need to investigate this. Yuzu's safety is my number one priority right now," Isshin explained.

"Sure thing…c'mon guys, let's go see the old guy," Urahara waved as he walked towards the Senkaimon.

Rukia stared at Urahara suspiciously, "Why was that Hogyoku thing in my body?"

"Oh that…well I'll explain the whole story once we get there," Kisuke said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Wandenreich Palace, Shadow Realm XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yuzu and Uryu both followed Haschwalth up a large set of stairs. Their journey to this new and unusual destination was not very pleasant. Neither one had any idea where it even was or how they got there. Candice strutted behind them bored.

Yuzu would occasionally glance back and notice the woman stare at her smugly. 'What's she staring at?' the girl thought intimidated.

Uryu on the other hand was examining every detail of their surroundings with hyper analytical awareness. Upon entering the large, and terrifying ice palace, they followed Jugram down a large hallway and before long found themselves in what appeared to be a massive assembly chamber.

They walked down the middle of some kind of formation with Quincies on either side. Everyone there was dressed in white, and faced forward, ignoring the newcomers. Sitting atop a floating throne near the front, was a black robed man with dark hair and what Yuzu thought were evil looking mutton chops. He had a middle aged appearance and was beyond intimidating. He looked down at the two of them as if they were ants.

"Jugram…I thought I asked for Uryu. Yet you brought me a girl as well?" the man on the throne said.

Haschwalth nodded casually, "Yes your majesty…she was with him at the time. She is a Quincy as I'm sure you've noticed by now. I believed you would find an appropriate solution for her life."

"Indeed…" Yhwach smiled evilly as he levitated down from his throne and stood across from the blonde man. He made his way over to a stage like area and looked over the countless Quincies below.

Near the front, many Sternritters were present in the room. Uryu looked around cautiously and could barely describe the vast array of the diverse, powerful Quincies. There was easily over twenty of the Sternritters present. They were lined up in the front row ahead of the normal troops and all had mixed expressions.

'Is this some kind of assembly or something? It looks as if he was waiting for us to arrive…' Uryu thought curiously. His thoughts were immediately confirmed when somebody spoke up. One man with a reddish pink Mohawk had an annoyed look on his face, "Was this why we had to gather up here? Who the hell are these people?"

Nobody said anything in response to his comment, likely out of fear of Yhwach. Haschwalth glanced over at the man stoically, "You should be silent in formation…Bazz B."

The man immediately nodded at Jugram much to Uryu's surprise. Pushing his observations out of mind, he stepped forward, towards Haschwalth's side, "What did you want to speak to us about?"

The Quincy Emperor motioned for Uryu to come forward, "Come up here, Uryu…I have been keeping my eyes on you for quite some time. You possess great power and I would like to offer you a place in the Wandenreich."

"I appreciate the offer, your majesty, but what good am I to you exactly?" Uryu replied respectful but curiously.

"You are the last Quincy to survive in this world…you possess a power capable of surpassing even my own. It is because of this, that I not only offer you a place in the Wandenreich, but I name you as my successor," Yhwach announced.

"Wait!" Bazz B outburst, but before he could say or do anything, Haschwalth stopped him. The blonde turned and stared at him seriously, "Keep your objections to yourself."

"Is there a problem?" Yhwach asked.

"No your majesty," the blonde man shook his head, "please continue."

The Quincy Emperor grinned, "You will all see Uryu Ishida's power for yourselves when the time comes. Until then, pay him your utmost respect. The time is drawing near for our purge of the Shinigami."

There was an eerily uneasy tension in the air as everyone stared at Uryu incredulously. It was clearly evident that they were probably wondering what made him so special in the eyes of their emperor. This guy that just showed up moments ago was immediately named their lord's successor.

Seeing the position he was in, Uryu bowed his head briefly, "I can't say no to something like that. Thank you…"

Yuzu eyed him surprised, 'Why's Uryu-kun not turning them down? What's going on here?'

The almighty Quincy focused his gaze down towards Yuzu now, and brought a hand to his chin, "As for you, girl…state your name to the Wandenreich."

"Umm…Y-Yuzu Kurosaki," she said timidly. The intense stares from the terrifying strangers was enough to incite a near panic. She remained calm on the outside, but inwardly, Yuzu was trembling.

Yhwach grinned, "I find you most curious. You are a new Quincy…somewhat similar to Uryu here. I sense you have great power as well. You are also welcome to join the Wandenreich…"

"W-well…I just want to go home," Yuzu found the courage to say. She immediately regretted her comment as many Sternritters focused serious glares on her.

Yhwach chuckled at her comment and waved off the intensity from his Sternritters, "Ah, but my dear sweet girl…you are home. Jugram…see to it that she receives the proper care. I would like the girl to be trained."

"She's already under my tutelage," Uryu tried to ease Yuzu's panicked mood, "and I can look after her."

"The girl is not to be harmed…those of you that care to spare your time, should initiate her. Now you are all dismissed," Yhwach waved them off.

The formation of Quincies all saluted him before dispersing. The Almighty emperor himself departed for his personal chambers leaving Uryu and Yuzu alone and surrounded by the Sternritters.

"Uryu…go to his Majesty's chamber. Yuzu will be under my care from here on," Haschwalth dismissed him.

The Kurosaki girl shot a worried look over at her friend who had no choice but to obey the command. He gave Yuzu a comforting nod, "I'll come back to check on you…"

"Okay…" she said somewhat nervously.

As Uryu left, Haschwalth glanced down at her curiously, "I'm surprised the master had such an interest in you…though I'm sure it is not unfounded. Come with me, and I will show you to your room."

Before Haschwalth and Yuzu could depart, they heard two loud women come barreling up the stairs. Candice looked over with widened eyes, "Bambietta?! Wha-what happened to your uniform?"

The remaining Sternritters in the room stared at the bloody Giselle and burnt Bambietta confused. Candice put her hands on her hips, "Where's your hat?"

"What the hell happened to you sluts?" Bazz B questioned immediately.

Bambietta scoffed at him, "Fuck off…we ran into some trouble."

"I'll say, you missed the big assembly…" Candice smirked.

Another Sternritter with shorter blonde hair and a hood interrupted their conversation, "How was your trip to Hueco Mundo? You find any Arrancars?"

"Shut up, Gremmy…yeah we did," she hissed.

The young man had a smug look of amusement, "Didn't bring them back I see…I didn't realize you two would have such a hard time with hollows. Maybe Haschwalth should have sent somebody more competent."

"Did you do anything relevant while you were there?" one of the other Sternritters asked. He resembled a mad scientist.

"We met Hueco Mundo's king!" Giselle spoke up excitedly.

Every Sternritter in the room piped up interested. Bazz B stared at Giselle seriously, "What? Their King? Hollows have a King?"

"Yeah…he's this super powerful Arrancar. He showed up out of nowhere before we could abduct this pack…" Bambietta explained.

Jugram narrowed his gaze, "Does he have a name?"

"He said he was called White…but his name is Ichigo Kurosaki," Bambietta stated.

Yuzu's eyes lit up with disbelief, "Ichigo?!"

Bamibetta shot a glare towards Yuzu, "Who the hell is the girl, anyway?"

"She's our new recruit…Yuzu Kurosaki," Haschwalth confirmed.

"Wait a minute…Ichigo Kurosaki?!" Candice gasped. The lime blonde shot her gaze towards Yuzu immediately, "Isn't that your dead brother's name?"

"Wait…what?!" Bazz B half choked.

Haschwalth stared at Yuzu seriously, "Your brother is a hollow? Quincies aren't capable of turning into hollows."

"If Ichigo-sama's a Quincy then that might be why my blood didn't affect him…he was immune to it," Giselle interrupted. She had an eagerly excited face at the revelation as her eyes bored into Yuzu. The confirmation behind her comment was shocking.

Haschwalth cocked his head, "A hollow Quincy…that is unheard of."

Bambietta locked gazes with Yuzu angrily, "So she's his sister?! Start talking!"

"Back off Bambietta…his majesty has ordered that nobody touch her," Candice interrupted.

The dark haired Quincy grinned sadistically, "Hmph…you and me are going to have a little talk here in a bit, Yuzu Kurosaki..."

"Ichigo…is White?" Yuzu shook her head confused, "that's impossible though."

Bambietta gave her an incredulous look, "What? You didn't know your brother was a hollow?"

"N-no…" Yuzu said quietly as she avoided the intimidating woman's gaze.

"Well he had pretty orange hair and these yellow black eyes. So cute…" Giselle said as if day-dreaming about him.

Bambietta rolled her eyes, "Screw that bastard…"

"I'm surprised you didn't…" Gremmy commented with a smug grin.

Ignoring his comment, Bambietta turned towards Jugram, "What are we going to do about this, Haschwalth?! That hollow sent us back to bring a message to the Wandenreich. He challenged us! He mocked our power!"

"Maybe your power…" Bazz B muttered under his breath.

"Watch your tone, Bambietta…I will inform Yhwach and see what he decides. I've heard rumors about a powerful hollow called White…if he's actually the King of Hueco Mundo then we might have to delay our plans," Jugram replied calmly.

"Screw that! We need to get our army and conquer that place ASAP!" Bambietta protested.

Giselle was quick to notice Haschwalth's patience fading and interjected nervously, "Aha…maybe we should get cleaned up Bambi-chan,"

"C'mon…I can't be the only person who thinks we should take Hueco Mundo right now?!" Bambietta ignored her companion.

Gremmy laughed at her, "You seem so eager to go back and get your ass handed to you again."

"I haven't seen Bambietta this worked up in a while," Bazz B said.

Yuzu tuned out the majority of their following arguments as tears fell down her face. She stood there frozen in disbelief, 'Onii-chan…is King of the Hollows?! B-but…how?'

Noticing her crying, Candice wrapped an arm around her, "Hey you mind if I get her a uniform, Haschwalth?"

He jerked his head, "No…but mind yourself." It was clear to him that Candice wanted to get Yuzu away from the arguing Sternritters for some reason. Likely because Bambietta was mouthing off death threats. The young Kurosaki teen looked at Candice uncertainly as the blonde led her away.

After leaving the large area, they found themselves in a hallway walking together in silence. Candice looked down at her somewhat empathetically, "Why are you crying?"

"Onii-chan…is alive," Yuzu smiled weakly. Her expression was a mixture of happiness and sadness. On one hand she was thankful that Ichigo was alive in some way, but on the other it was still a terrible shocker to learn that he was the King of the Hollows. Yuzu looked down, 'Papa, doesn't know…it's going to break his heart if he learns Ichigo is White. What would Karin-chan say too?'

Candice sighed, "Yeah…I guess so huh? I don't know what they have planned for him, but if he's a Quincy like you, then I'm sure Yhwach might want to recruit him. We're already trying to recruit Arrancars for the Wandenreich anyway."

"What are Arrancars?" Yuzu asked weakly between sobs.

"They're hollows with broken masks…they're practically human, and are pretty powerful according to our estimates. The higher ups seem to think they would make good soldiers," Candice explained.

"So then…Ichigo is himself?" Yuzu wondered.

The lime blonde shrugged, "I don't know…but if I was you, I wouldn't feel too upset about it. If he's really the Hollow King, then the rest of the Sternritters would love to capture him. I've heard all sorts of things about White…the Shinigami are terrified of him. Having him on our side would be like putting the final nail in their coffins."

'But Papa and Karin-chan are Shinigami though…' Yuzu thought conflicted. Despite Candice's attempt to calm her down, she still felt terrible that her family all stood on opposing sides now. 'What am I going to do?'

The rest of their walk was spent in silence as Candice led Yuzu into a room, "This is one of the spare chambers…I assume it's the one Haschwalth was going to put you in anyways. It was my old room. Here let's find something appropriate for you to wear."

Yuzu took time to examine her new room as Candice went digging through a wardrobe. It was rather large, and well-furnished with pretty much anything somebody could ask for. She couldn't help but wonder if it was a standard room, "Umm…is everyone's room like this?"

Pulling out several outfits, Candice stopped momentarily and gave her an amused laugh, "What? Hell no…the regular people don't get quarters these nice. Though since you're in the same boat as Ishida, I'm assuming they'll give you Sternritter status."

"Sternritter status…but why?" she questioned.

Candice stood up and carried over the selected uniform towards Yuzu, "Who knows…but if that's the case, then I'll help train you if you'd like. Here try this on…it should fit you perfectly."

Yuzu stared at the uniform wide-eyed, "I…have to wear this?"

"Ah come on…it'll look good on you!" Candice licked her lips as if excited about dressing Yuzu up, "You can wear my old uniform. You can be like my little sister here."

"Why are you being nice to me?" Yuzu asked.

Candice was surprised by her blunt question, "Because we're both Quincies…and you need somebody to look after you. It's not easy being a girl around here, so you should stick with the rest of us. Jugram's good for training and probably has your best interest at heart, but I wouldn't spend time around anyone else until you've picked up the basics on being a Sternritter Girl from me."

Yuzu looked away skittishly, "I-I don't see why you would think I am capable of becoming a Sternritter…I'm not that strong."

"Please…if the high and mighty Ishida felt you were worth his time, then you definitely are. Now put your new uniform on!" Candice grinned sticking out her tongue.

After putting on the selected outfit, Yuzu blushed with embarrassment as she examined herself in one of the room's mirrors. "I feel a bit…exposed," Yuzu spoke up uncertainly as she looked over her uniform.

Candice gave her a similar outfit to her own, much to Yuzu's dislike. She wore short white shorts, long boots, and a mid top uniform shirt. Thankfully, it didn't expose her chest, like Candice's, but Yuzu still felt a bit uncomfortable in it.

The lime blonde beamed proudly, "My old uniform looks good on you."

'Why is she doing this…I don't get it,' Yuzu thought suspiciously. She smiled weakly at Candice, "Umm…you don't think it looks a bit…"

"Slutty? Shit…don't let Candice dress you up. Hey girl, come here, I'll get you a much more appropriate uniform," a voice sounded from the doorway.

The Mohawk man from earlier strolled into the room and gave Candice a disapproving look, "You bitches need to leave her alone. Bambietta's got enough whores in her posse. I'm not gonna let you corrupt some innocent girl."

"Bazz B…you should just mind your own business. The girl doesn't concern you at all," Candice crossed her arms.

He cocked his head, "She's the Hollow King's sister…I think she does. Kurosaki here doesn't need you dumb sluts trying to doll her up. You don't have to listen to her, Kurosaki…I'll get you an actual uniform, if you'd prefer."

Before Yuzu could agree to the man's suggestion, Candice spoke up first, "She's quite content in her current uniform…so get lost Bazz B. By the way, nice outburst at the assembly earlier…you made yourself look like an idiot."

Bazz B glared at her, "Well call me crazy for wondering why some guy we've never met is going to be his majesty's successor!"

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else? Yuzu is under my tutelage and I have nothing left to say to you," Candice dismissed him.

The man gave Yuzu a calm stare, "If they start making you do weird shit, just come and tell me. Also whenever you get bored of Candy Tits, you can always come to me for training if you want. I'd hate to see a nice girl like you end up being in Bambi's skank brigade."

"You done…go away now," Candice said annoyed.

Despite Bazz B's fiery attitude, Yuzu actually felt relieved that somebody other than Candice wanted to train her. 'I don't know what's going to happen. Ichigo, I wish you would just come and save me like you always used to.'

"Yeah yeah…I got a bone to pick with the boss anyways," Bazz B said annoyed as he made his way for the exit.

Before he left, Candice spoke up, "Hey, what did they decide on Hueco Mundo?"

Bazz B glanced back and shrugged, "Fuck if I know…Bambietta supposedly has a recording of White, that she took as they fled. Apparently everyone's watching it right now."

"What?! I want to see!" Candice ran to the door and pushed past him, "C'mon Yuzu let's go see what your brother looks like."

Somehow the idea seemed simultaneously amazing yet morbid to Yuzu. She quickly followed Candice past Bazz B, who simply rolled his eyes, "Damn bitch…"

After a quick run back into the main room, Candice and Yuzu noticed all the Sternritters standing around a large display monitor. Gremmy shook his head and laughed as he hit the replay, "Wow…so you had enough time to record him, but not to fight back huh?"

Yuzu glanced up at the screen and saw it replay. It started with Ichigo standing over another broken masked hollow. She could only assume it was an Arrancar. The image zoomed in briefly and caught Ichigo's face. Bambietta spoke in the video, "You haven't seen the last of us…I'll get you back for this, mark my words."

Gremmy burst into laughing at the comment, "Bahaha! He probably thought you were a joke…you sound so corny saying that."

He paused the video directly over Ichigo's face and looked at it curiously, "So this guy's the hollow king?"

"Why did you have a recording device anyway?" one of the other Sternritters asked. He had black hair and a noticeably suave appearance. His nonchalant expression radiated a calm vibe.

"Who cares…the fact that she failed to bring him back is what's sad…" Gremmy said amused.

"Shut up! He's the Hollow King…it's not like I got beat by some regular Arrancar. I wonder how well you'd fare against him?!" she hissed.

"Well, in her defense, at least we know what this guy looks like now," the black haired Quincy said approvingly.

"Askin is right…" a man with glasses and a moustache interjected, "at least she took the initiative to bring this back."

Gremmy shrugged, "I'll make sure Haschwalth sends me next time…"

Askin noticed Yuzu and Candice back in the room and quickly waved them over, "Hey new girl…does White look like your brother?"

Yuzu walked over in front of several of the Sternritters and stared at the image of Ichigo intently. There was no doubt in her mind it was Ichigo. His face looked, aged, but seeing it with his long orange hair, she nodded in acceptance, "Yes…onii-chan is White."

"Wow, you say that like it's such a terrible thing," Giselle said cheerily, "I'd kill to have an Onii-chan like that."

"I'll bet you would…" Askin shook his head amused.

"Giselle was right though. He is quite attractive…for a hollow. I'm surprised a hollow that pretty is their king." a busty woman added. she had long dark pink hair, and a tall, slender physique.

"Pretty?! What the hell are you saying? Define 'pretty.'" Bambietta scowled.

The woman sighed in response, "Well, I don't know…he's pleasant looking. Not something you'd expect to see from a hollow of that caliber."

"Are we really going to stand around and comment on the aesthetics of a hollow's face? This is hardly relevant…" Askin said with a casual sigh.

Giselle grinned at the man, "Nobody mentioned his aesthetics, but you're definitely right about that, Askin! So you like him too?!"

The suave Sternritter chuckled, "I don't even know the guy and I like him more than you...that much is true."

"But do you like like him Askin? That might explain your immunity to my charms," Giselle laughed suggestively.

The man's mouth hung open for a moment as he looked at Giselle perplexed. "You must be a genius, Giselle...truly I am in awe of your awareness."

His tone was so obviously sarcastic that it caused the other Sternritter to frown. She stuck her tongue out at him, "Awww, you're no fun anymore Askin! Don't even act like you would say no!"

"To who? Him or you?" the man checked cautiously.

"Both...at the same time," Giselle winked. Dead silence followed her comment.

Askin gawked at Giselle for a moment before looking away, "That's some imagination you've got…but I would prefer if you kept me out of your twisted fantasies. I'm just going to pretend that this awkward conversation didn't happen."

"Somehow I wouldn't doubt her logic is unfounded…I mean if anybody could tell it'd be her," Gremmy snickered.

"Now I see why you two aren't partnered together anymore…" the evil scientist Sternritter said seriously.

Askin put his hands behind his head and stretched, "Yeah whatever, Quilge…nobody asked you anyways. Shouldn't you be dissecting people right now? I'm surprised you two aren't best friends..."

"You're so mean to me, Askin…you didn't used to be," Giselle pouted.

"Yeah that was before I learned you were crazy." he dismissed.

"You two must have had a lot of fun working together," Quilge smiled evilly as he adjusted his glasses.

"If you say so…" the man replied carelessly.

"What do you think, about White, Candice? You're usually never quiet about this sort of thing?" the pink haired Sternritter spoke up, shifting the room's attention.

Candice glanced over at her embarrassed, "Hey now, it doesn't matter what I think about him, Meninas."

Meninas raised a brow, "That's a first…"

"For the first time in her life, Candice is speechless," another woman cut in. Well to Yuzu she appeared less a woman and more a girl. She had short blonde hair and was noticeably short and flat.

Candice forcibly laughed to hide her embarrassment, "As if…I was just curious about what White looked like."

"Evidently…you came running back here fast enough, didn't you?" Meninas laughed.

"Well, as entertaining as this girl talk has been…I'm going to go check on Jugram…" Askin shrugged as he took his leave. Several other Sternritters followed his example left without saying a word, leaving only a few behind.

Right before Askin left the grand chamber, Giselle waved at him, "You're welcome to join us whenever you want Askin!"

The man visibly shuddered at the comment, "I'll pass…" He immediately left following his remark.

Bambietta sent a sharp glare towards Yuzu and then Candice, "You dressed her up already?"

"Yeah, doesn't she look cute?" Candice grinned.

The dark haired woman eyed Yuzu intently, "Come with me, new girl…I wanna talk to you."

"Oh jeez…not another one," Gremmy shook his head. As he took his leave, Gremmy noticed one of his fellow Sternritters staring at the image of Ichigo still.

He had a smile etched across his face. Gremmy glanced up at him curiously, "What's up Gerard? You look worked up."

The other Quincy in question was a large, muscular man with blonde hair and a headpiece like mask greatly resembling a Nordic helmet. He gave Gremmy a brief look, "Those are some intense eyes…I hope I get to fight him."

"As if you'd get near him, before I finished the job," Gremmy shook his head as he walked past the large warrior.

Gerard didn't even acknowledge Gremmy's comment, as the young blonde walked away. Gremmy stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the larger Sternritter with a murderous grin, "You can't deny that I am the strongest Sternritter…"

The Nordic like Sternritter turned his head briefly and smiled, "Keep telling yourself that…"

"Whatever…I'll show you one day, just how vast the difference in our power is," Gremmy got the final word in before departing. After he left the muscular Sternritter turned back to look at the screen.

A masked man standing next to Gerard nudged him curiously, "So Haschwalth has postponed the invasion? What do you think about all of this?"

"It would seem so…" Gerard Valkyrie replied casually, "I wouldn't worry about it Mask. We'll see Hueco Mundo very soon. As if White wasn't legendary enough, he's part Quincy too. There will be a lot of glory in battling him. I can't wait…"

The other man in question resembled a masked wrestler of some kind. He gave Gerard an uncertain look, "What do you think about the emperor's new successor, and the new girl?"

"We'll see how the new guy proves himself when the time comes…until then, I trust in his Majesty's decision. As for the girl…she's somebody else's problem," the large warrior noted.

"Let's get out of here…new girl come with us," Bambietta gestured as she began to leave. Yuzu was dragged along with a large band of the Sternritter women shortly after. Bambietta strutted with a furious pep in her step as they exited the large room.

Candice quickly caught up with the dark haired woman, leaving Yuzu in the back with the other women. The short blonde one looked Yuzu over curiously, "So…you're name was Yuzu Kurosaki right? Hi, I'm Liltotto Lamperd."

"I'm Meninas McAllen," the pink haired woman followed. Yuzu couldn't help but like her uniform. She had a heart shaped belt over what appeared to be an almost nurse like coat. It greatly reminded her of the one she used to wear when helping her father at the clininc. 'Why can't I wear something like that instead?' Yuzu thought in admiration. The distracting thoughts were one of the few things keeping her from freaking out at the moment.

Giselle, who was still covered in dried blood, grabbed Yuzu's hand and held it as they walked, "I'm Giselle Gewelle…Bambi-chan's favorite girl."

Yuzu immediately tried to pull her hand away not feeling comfortable with Giselle's demeanor. It proved to be futile, unfortunately, which simply led her to ignore the situation. The Kurosaki teen eyed Giselle nervously, 'She seemed pretty interested in onii-chan…gosh I hope she doesn't mean…romantically?!'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Outside Yhwach's Chambers XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bazz B came charging down the hallway, but was immediately stopped as Haschwalth blocked his path, "Where are you going, Bazz B?"

"C'mon Haschwalth…are you really going to accept what just happened with this guy? What makes him worthy to be the successor. I thought it would have been you at least!" Bazz B complained.

The blonde man shook his head, "You needn't concern yourself with his majesty's choice. His will is the only thing that truly matters. I accept that and so should you."

"You're a damn coward! If you're not going to do something about this, then I will! Maybe you don't want to be the successor…fine, but I'll sooner take the throne myself before I let some stranger do it!" Bazz B said angrily.

"Calm yourself…and do what you're told," Haschwalth replied passively.

Bazz B glared, "Get a grip, Jugram!"

"Bazz B is calm, can't you tell?" a third voice sounded. Coming down the hallway, they noticed Askin with an amused look on his face.

"What are you getting at, Askin?!" Bazz B demanded.

The newcomer shrugged, "You guys should really learn how to shut up about things…questioning Yhwach's decision is not in your best interest. I say let it go…it's obvious he chose that guy for a reason."

"Whatever…I'm out of here. Where's the new girl at anyways?" Bazz B questioned.

Jugram eyed Bazz B curiously, "Why do you ask?"

"I'm going to save her from the Tramp squad…" he said before walking off with an angry look on his face.

Askin glanced over at Jugram curiously, "What's with his sudden interest in the girl?"

The blonde man shrugged, "I don't know…but at least it's something to occupy him while he cools off."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Bambietta's Room XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It didn't take long for them to get to where they were going thankfully. After a short walk, they finally arrived at a large room, where Yuzu was dragged inside. Bambietta immediately threw off several articles of burnt clothing, but stopped as she watched Yuzu for a moment.

"You're that hollow's sister…and you're one of us? Hmph…talk about strange," Bambietta sighed.

Yuzu was quick to conclude that this dark haired woman was not going to be as friendly as the others. "Still…Jugram and Yhwach both seem to be fine with you being here. Whatever…do you know why I wanted to talk to you, Yuzu-chan? You don't mind if I call you that do you?"

The Kurosaki girl said nothing in response, but a shiver ran down her spine as Giselle pushed her closer towards Bambietta. The Sternritter woman grabbed Yuzu's chin and turned her face on both sides as if examining the girl. She reached up and grabbed a handful of Yuzu's hair while doing so, "I'll bet you'd make good leverage if I wanted to capture your brother…I wonder just how loyal you really are."

"Bambietta…don't do that," Candice cut in, "you're not allowed to hurt her."

The sadistic woman smiled at Candice, "Hurt her? Don't be ridiculous…I'm not hurting you am I sweetheart?"

"N-no…" Yuzu replied nervously.

After a brief silence, Bambietta trailed her hand down over Yuzu's uniform and gave her a quick slap on the butt, "You're a cute girl…I'll make sure you're well taken care of around here. So long as you know your place, and do what you're told…"

Yuzu half yelped but let out the deep breath she was holding as Bambietta eyed her uniform up and down, "Stick with me, Yuzu-chan, and I'll make sure none of the guys around here do anything to you."

"Err…thanks," she said with a forced smile. Inwardly she was terrified of this woman. 'I'd rather take my chances with them…' Yuzu thought worried.

"So…Yuzu-chan, before I get myself cleaned up, I was wondering what you could tell me about your big brother," Bambietta inquired. Her tone seemed less threatening and more curious now.

"Ichigo died a few years ago…I honestly haven't seen him since he was alive," Yuzu answered honestly.

Liltotto eased the tension as she joined the conversation, "Don't mind Bambietta…she's probably just scoping him out if you know what I mean."

Candice crossed her arms and grinned smugly, "Looks like she's got a new target now…at least it'll keep her from killing all the studs around here like some kind of praying mantis."

Bambietta sent the lime blonde a disapproving look, "Maybe you should worry less about what I choose to do with my free time, Candice…plus it's not like you're a saint."

"It's just such a waste though…you're like some kind of predator, Bambi. I don't know who's worse…you or Giselle," Candice said shaking her head.

"There's still plenty of guys left around here. Candy-chan, you're such a horny slut " Giselle said amusedly.

Candice rolled her eyes, "That's not the point, Giselle…and you're more promiscuous than anyone here, so I don't want to hear it. "

"Coming from Giselle, that's hilarious…" Liltotto shook her head at the other Quincy.

"You girls should really be more conservative…guys like that better," Meninas interjected shaking her head.

The blonde crossed her arms, "You act like I don't have standards…I don't do that stuff with just anybody."

There was an awkward silence after her statement as everyone looked away. The Sternritter began to get flustered, "Oh come on! It's been ages since I've done anything…"

"Don't worry Candy-chan, I'll share Ichigo-sama with you," Giselle said with a peppy smile.

Yuzu's eyes widened as she examined Candice's reaction. The lime blonde looked away, avoiding Yuzu's gaze, "Umm, I doubt that would ever happen…"

"I thought I already told you, Gigi…that guy's not interested in you. Plus, there won't be anything left of him, once I'm through with him," Bambietta said with a sadistic grin.

"Aww, Bambi-chan, please share him!" Giselle pouted.

Candice seemed annoyed by the comment, "Maybe you two forgot…but he is the King of Hueco Mundo. I highly doubt any of us will be facing off against him. Plus, even if you could get your hands on him…what makes you think you could do anything? He obviously didn't have trouble throwing you two hustlers around."

"Maybe that's why she's so into this…" Meninas giggled.

Liltotto nodded in approval, "Regardless…Candice is right. A hollow who's part Quincy is not something Yhwach will overlook. Considering he's the King of Hueco Mundo, I doubt any of us will be fighting him personally. Even once we do beat him, it seems more than likely that his majesty will simply capture Ichigo. So really you can't touch him, Bambietta…"

"Yeah, I doubt you'll get the kind of payback you're thinking of…unless you had something else in mind." Meninas added with a smirk.

Bambietta scowled at them but soon noticed Yuzu's uncomfortable expression. It was obvious that the teenager was not used to the profane way they were talking. The fact that it involved Ichigo made the subject matter ten times worse. Examining her curiously, Bambietta smiled, "Hey Yuzu-chan…what makes your brother tick anyway? What kind of a guy is he?"

"W-what do you mean?" she questioned uncertainly.

The dark haired Sternritter took off more of her clothes and fell back on her bed, "Ah you know…what's he like and dislike? What kinds of girls does he go for?"

There was a very awkward silence as Yuzu blushed uncontrollably, "I-I don't know…Onii-chan didn't really care about that kind of stuff, from what I remember. Why do you ask?"

"Hmm…even better. I'll get my payback…" the dark haired woman grinned malevolently as she ignored Yuzu's question.

Giselle smiled at her, "I know that look, Bambi-chan…"

"Umm, anyways," Candice tried to change the subject since it was clearly not something Yuzu wanted to talk about, "how do you girls like Yuzu's uniform? Doesn't she look like a younger version of me?"

"If by younger, you mean a better, less trashy version of you, then yeah…" Meninas said jokingly.

Candice shot her a sharp look, "Hey now…I didn't have these when I was her age. Plus who are you calling trashy? I look good…why not show myself off?"

Yuzu looked away embarrassed as Candice grabbed her chest and stuck her tongue out towards the other woman. Bambietta stared at Yuzu during this and smiled wickedly at the girl's innocent expression.

"How do you think Ichigo would react to seeing his cute little sister wearing that uniform?" Bambietta teased.

"Bambietta, leave her alone…you're embarrassing her," Candice said disapprovingly.

"Hey whatever…I know a girl with a brother complex when I see one," Bambietta shrugged.

"Eh?!" Yuzu shrieked, "w-w-what are you saying? What's that?"

Bambietta stood up and wrapped her arms around Yuzu before whispering in her ear. Yuzu face quickly turned pink as she gasped.

Giselle giggled at her reaction, "Bambi-chan, you're so dirty!"

"Hey sluts, get away from her…" A voice came from the door. All of the women looked over shocked when they noticed a man standing at the door. It was none other than Bazz B.

"Bazz B?! What do you want?! Bambietta demanded as she immediately let go of Yuzu and covered parts of herself.

"C'mon Kurosaki…you don't have to waste your time with these dirty bitches," Bazz B directed towards Yuzu.

The girl was shocked by his arrival, but not as much as the others were. "Hey, we're not done talking to her, and Yuzu-chan is with us! Got that?! What the hell is she to you anyways?!" Bambietta countered.

The man bit his tongue and took a deep breath. It was obvious he was trying not to get angry. He cracked a fist at Bambietta, but ignored her as he tried to remain calm in front of Yuzu, "You coming, girl?"

Yuzu immediately took her opportunity to get away from the Sternritter girls. Giselle and Bambietta in particular, frightened her. Before she could make it all the way, Candice quickly cut her off and got between Yuzu and Bazz B.

"Bazz B, I thought I told you to get lost! I'm the one who's going to train Yuzu," Candice huffed.

"Hey, why don't we let her decide who she'd rather be around…me, or your tramp squad?" the man said imposingly as he got closer.

"Get out of my room, Bazz B!" Bambietta shouted.

"Or what? You'll kill me? Hahaha…I'm not like the pencil neck grunts you chop up around here, Bambietta. Try to stop me…" Bazz B threatened.

"You're not going to touch her, Bazz B…Yuzu's with me," Candice said angrily as she pushed him back.

Before the man could retaliate, Yuzu immediately walked past Candice, "It's okay…I'll go with him."

"Yuzu, you don't have to do what he says!" Candice protested, but shut up as the girl now stood behind Bazz B. The man shook his head at the women in the room, "See ya later, girls…C'mon Kurosaki."

Without another word, the duo left. They only made it halfway down the hallway, before Candice came charging after them. The blonde tackled Bazz B into a wall and grabbed him by the collar, "You can't do this!"

The man immediately pushed her back and reversed their situation as he grabbed her by the throat, "Watch me, skank!"

"Enough, you two…" a third voice sounded. Yuzu, as well as the two Sternritters gawked in surprise when they noticed Haschwalth standing there.

The Mohawk man immediately let go of Candice and directed a fiery gaze at the blonde man, "I'll train the girl, Jugram…I don't trust her alone with Bambietta or Giselle."

"Neither do I, Bazz B…that's why I'm the one watching her," Candice clarified.

Jugram looked between them for a moment and sighed, "Since you're both so adamant about this, you're both responsible for the girl. If anything happens to her, I'll kill you both. Is that clear?"

Both Quincies went dead silent and traded grudging looks with one another. Finally they both nodded in acceptance.

Before Haschwalth turned to leave, Yuzu quickly caught his attention, "Haschwalth-sama…umm, what are you guys going to do to my brother?"

The blonde gave her a stoic look, "Assimilate him…or kill him. Nothing will stand in Yhwach's way."

Yuzu paled at the news, 'Ichigo…'

"Am I a hostage?" Yuzu asked softly causing the three Sternritters to react differently.

"No…but your loyalty will be tested if your brother fails to bend his knee to Yhwach. Keep that in mind," Jugram explained.

After the blonde man left, Bazz B and Candice traded looks again. The woman sighed, "Alright…well I guess we're both training her then. You want to split it up by days or shifts? Personally, I'd rather you not be in the picture when I'm training her."

"Likewise…" he countered with a glare.

"You can have her for the rest of the day…and I'll grab Yuzu tomorrow," Candice concluded.

"Fine…see ya later," Bazz B dismissed. Without another word, the blonde took her leave and headed back for Bambietta's room. After she left, the Mohawk Quincy looked down at Yuzu and sighed, "Well, now that we're finally free, let's see what you can do."

"Thanks for saving me…from those women," Yuzu said courteously.

The man said nothing as he gestured for the girl to follow him. Despite his demeanor, Yuzu already favored him over Bambietta's crew. Yuzu looked down concerned, 'They were saying a lot of weird stuff back there about Ichigo…what is she going to do to him?'

The girl's mind trailed off that thought as she tried to rationalize the other parts of their conversations, 'How am I supposed to survive here with those scary women around? That Bambietta was a monster…'

Back in said woman's room, Bambietta gave Candice a scowl, "What's with you being some big damn hero all of a sudden? I was just messing with her. Now Bazz B's got her?"

"I hate that guy…who does he think he is coming in here like that?" Candice sighed.

Bambietta scoffed, "Not like it really matters anyways…she'll be around. I'm not done talking to her about her onii-chan,"

"I wonder how she would feel about me marrying her brother?" Giselle said out of nowhere.

Everyone in the room shot her a disbelieving glance. Bambietta huffed in annoyance, "I thought I already told you Gigi…that ship won't sail! I'd sink it myself if I had to!"

"You're so dramatic, Bambi-chan." Giselle giggled.

"I just want to go back and fight that arrogant bastard again…we could take Hueco Mundo right now! Why are we waiting?" Bambietta sighed.

Meninas cocked her head at Bambietta, "I don't think taking Hueco Mundo is that simple. If they have an actual king, then we will need a considerable force to conquer them. Plus, it's not like we can steal a hollow's Resurreccion…and Yhwach can't leave this place for very long. So us running in blindly isn't something we should attempt. If they have an army then we should wait and see what his Majesty's plan is. I'm sure Yhwach will give the word whenever he feels it necessary to capture Hueco Mundo."

"Hmph…if it were up to me, I'd lure White out with his little sister," Bambietta said as her mind went off on a diabolical imagination.

"You seem pretty obsessed about this guy…maybe more than Giselle is," Meninas laughed.

"Don't even say that! I'm not obsessed, I'm pissed off!" Bambietta growled.

"That's a pretty fine line when it comes to you…" Liltotto noted.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Inside Yhwach's Chambers XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Why would you choose me to be your successor?" Uryu asked uncertainly, "it seemed unfounded considering my lack of experience here."

"Do you find that strange, Uryu?" the Quincy Emperor asked.

Uryu adjusted his glasses, "It will certainly cause discord amongst the ranks…"

"You seem capable of understanding without my help. Though let me ask you something…why are you alive right now?" Yhwach questioned.

The Quincy teenager shook his head and remained silent. It was obvious he had no clue what the Quincy leader was referring to.

"You are the only surviving Gemischt Quincy of the Auswahlen…the only one in history to survive it. That makes you the last Quincy to survive in this world. That right there is a power that allows you to surpass even me. It is because of this, that you will be my eventual successor," the emperor clarified.

Uryu's eyes widened surprised, "I see…so then what about Yuzu? What are your plans for her?"

"She is an anomaly much like yourself. One with a great potential to become powerful. She will make a fine Sternritter one day," Yhwach nodded.

Uryu frowned and looked away for a brief moment, "Is she allowed to leave?"

"No…she knows about us now, which makes her one of us. There is no going back for either you or Yuzu Kurosaki. Both of you will be great assets in the war to come. She'll learn to appreciate her position of honor here…and so will you," Yhwach explained.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Hueco Mundo, Ichigo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After a short recovery, Ichigo and Neliel had the other three Arrancars up and walking. They were especially fearful to see Ichigo again, but after hearing about his rescue, they calmed down.

Dordoni let out an over-exaggerated sigh of relief, as Nel finished the story. The man turned towards Ichigo and nodded respectfully, "You have my thanks, White…it is good to know that you are looking out for Arrancars."

"Sorry if we were a bit…rude, the last time we met," Gantenbainne exclaimed.

Ichigo shook his head, "Don't worry about it…a lot has happened since then."

"Hey White…umm, when did you become an Arrancar if you don't mind me asking?" Cirucci seemed curious.

The hollow king noticed all four arrancars staring in anticipation. Nel seemed the most eager to know, "Yeah, you said you would tell me about all the stuff that's happened since then…"

"Alright, well after I parted ways with you guys…" Ichigo said almost apologetically, "My three adjucha followers and I just wandered the desert hunting and training. After they took down a dangerous Adjucha named Yammy, we all came across another Vasto Lorde, called Harribel. She had two adjucha followers of her own. Well, I don't remember how it happened exactly, but we ended up joining forces. I traveled with her for a while, and continued training the Adjuchas. Eventually, we came across others and I decided that I had to confront Barragan. He called everyone to Las Noches so that we could battle for the throne of Hueco Mundo," Ichigo narrated the recent events.

Dordoni and Gantenbaine seemed speechless that he would challenge Barragan. Cirucci jaw-dropped, and Nel's eyes widened. The sea-green haired woman nodded, "I get it now…so Barragan heard about you gathering allies, and he thought you were going to challenge him for the throne?"

"I was going to challenge him…I would have a lot sooner if I hadn't met so many different hollows along the way. Well, moving on…when I confronted Barragan, another Vasto Lorde showed up and fought us as well. His name is Grimmjow…and he was that panther I spared the first time you saw me, Nel."

"Really? That's unfortunate…" she frowned.

Ichigo noticed her saddened expression and smiled, "Don't worry…I didn't kill him or Barragan. After I won, I spared them both, and rallied Hueco Mundo under my rule. I became an Arrancar shortly after that…with the help of a friend."

"A friend? Oh…" Nel said distantly.

"Well, that aside…I met this traitor Shinigami captain who told me about a mystical relic that can turn regular hollows into Arrancars. It's called the Hogyoku…and I just returned from the Soul Society with it," Ichigo explained the good news.

The arrancars looked ecstatic by the news, but Nel seemed doubtful, "How is that possible? Are you sure it can really do that?"

"Well…I'm about to find out once I return to Las Noches. It seems like I ran into you guys just in time. You're all welcome to live in Las Noches with the rest of us."

"So you're really the King of Hueco Mundo now?" Cirucci shook her head as if the idea was surreal.

Ichigo nodded, "Yes…and so long as I'm king, hollows will stand united against Shinigami and Quiny alike."

"Wow, you're not so bad, White…but I'm still terrified of you," Gantenbainne chuckled.

The hollow king grinned at his remark, "C'mon guys…let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Las Noches XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With Nel and the other Arrancars at his side, Ichigo finally arrived back at Las Noches. Just in time too it seemed since Barragan was having a stand off with Aizen.

"Shinigami, Where is High King White?! It has been too long!" Barragan demanded imposingly. To his sides stood most of his followers as well as Grimmjow.

The blue haired beast growled, "Got a bit bloodied up did you?! What happened, Shinigami?!"

Gin and Kaname were both there as well as several other important authority figures in Las Noches. Right now it seemed Ulquiorra was the only thing keeping them from attacking the Shinigami captains.

Ichigo quickly made his presence known as he landed between Aizen and Barragan, "I'm back!"

"Just in time, too…these two were about to start a fight.," Ulquiorra explained as he ignored Grimmjow and Barragan's angry remarks.

"I saw this one return without you…bleeding! You can understand my concern," Barragan told Ichigo as he pointed at Aizen.

Ichigo nodded his head, "Yes, I sent him ahead…there was a battle in the outskirts of Hueco Mundo. I went to investigate, and brought back the Arrancars involved. As for Aizen's blood…don't worry about it."

Grimmjow and Barragan both seemed to understand it as they examined Aizen's wound. It was clear to them now that Ichigo had to assert himself over the Shinigami Captain.

"Arrancars? Hmph…what were you all fighting out there anyway?" Grimmjow asked curiously. His gaze was focused on Nel, Dordoni, Cirucci, and Gantenbainne. They were all very quiet, much to the Vasto Lorde's interest.

Nel quickly spoke for herself as she explained the situation, "We were attacked by these strange humans called Quincies. They were talking about abducting Arrancars. Ichigo showed up just in time to stop them."

"Quincies?!" Barragan hissed, "disgusting!"

Aizen had a somewhat troubled face as he looked at Ichigo. The hollow king nodded, "They're part of some organization called the Wandenreich. They want to conquer Hueco Mundo."

"Never!" Barragan hissed furiously.

Ichigo nodded in agreement, "That's right…it will never happen so long as we live. We managed to retrieve the Hogyoku…so let's start building our army."

"Yes!" Grimmjow exclaimed in approval.

Ichigo couldn't help but notice that Aizen, Gin, and Tousen were all troubled by the news of the Quincies. Aizen in particular seemed deep in thought.

"This Hogyoku better work, otherwise these Shinigami will die…" Barragan added.

"My my…isn't he the charming fellow?" Gin smart mouthed. Tousen remained silent on the other hand.

Aizen nodded, "I assure you it will…"

"Let's go to the tower throne room and test it then," Barragan said darkly.

"Ulquiorra, send word for Harribel and Wonderweiss. Gin, Kaname, Sosuke…come with me," Ichigo announced.

Barragan glanced over at Ggio, "Gather up the strongest hollows."

"Yes my king…" Ggio nodded before leaping off.

Everyone else dispersed or fell in line as they all made their way towards the main throne room. They didn't make it far before an excited pack of Adjuchas caught up with them.

"Ichigo!" Apacci pranced cheerfully as she ran up behind him. As the hollow turned around, she was surprised to see his fragmented mask and face.

Menoly traded a shocked look with Loly, "Ichigo's mask…it's broken?"

"Hey girls…good to see you again. I'm an arrancar now."

"You look so…well less scary than you used to," Apacci said approvingly.

Ichigo nodded, "Good…how would you girls like to become arrancars too?"

"How?" Loly cut in excitedly as the group continued forward. Glancing over at Aizen, Ichigo answered, "Just come with us…I'll explain everything."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gathered within the open ceiling throne room atop one of Las Noches' towers was every one of Hueco Mundo's most powerful or established hollows. After hearing Ichigo's story about the invasion of the Soul Society and his skirmish with the Quincies, they were all fired up.

"I say we kill every last one of those pathetic creatures! They dare to proclaim themselves capable of conquering Hueco Mundo?!" Barragan spat.

Grimmjow grinned aggressively, "Shinigami and Quincies…I can't wait to slaughter them all!"

Harribel stared at Ichigo seriously, "If you sent a message like that to both of these factions, then we will likely be in the crossfire of a three way war."

"I know…but that's what it is going to take for them to understand our power. Hueco Mundo needs to be united now…more than ever. The Shinigami I recruited into our ranks are traitors. They seek to bring about the Soul Society's destruction. Whether you like it or not, you will all work with them. They answer only to me…is that understood?" Ichigo stated sternly.

Most of the room's inhabitants offered their various signs of acknowledgement. Ichigo nodded before focusing his gaze on Aizen, "Sosuke…bring the Hogyoku here. I want to test if it really can turn hollows into Arrancars."

Everyone in the room stared at the man curiously as he brought a tiny glowing gem out of his outfit. Aizen placed it on a pedestal and looked over the crowd of hollows, "Do I have any volunteers that want to go first?"

"I'll do it…" Harribel said calmly as she walked up first. Aizen grinned at her in his suave way, and nodded, "Good…by the way, I went ahead and took the liberty of securing all of you clothes."

"That was rather nice of you Aizen-sama," Gin chuckled.

Some of the Vasto Lordes gave Aizen curious looks, but Ichigo was quick to approve, "Good thinking…each of you will definitely understand once your transformation is over."

Harribel looked between Ichigo and Aizen for a moment uncertainly, "So how does this work exactly?"

"Place your hand on the pedestal…" Aizen instructed, as he caused the strange orb to emanate a bright light. Slowly, the blonde Vasto Lorde reached forward and touched it.

Everyone watched in anticipation as it quickly surrounded her in some kind of energy-like substance. After a massive surge of yellow energy erupted into the sky, she fell to the ground. Her appearance was shocking to many of the hollows present.

Her white, armor like skin was now darker and soft looking. She appeared absent of any noticeable hollow features other than part of her mask's mouthpiece and two chest pieces that extended partially over her exposed chest. Aizen handed her one of the white uniforms and smiled, "It would seem the process was a success."

"Did it work?" the blonde asked as she took the clothes and looked around at everyone's expressions. The adjuchas in particular seemed amazed by it. The mouth fragment of her hollow mask opened for a moment as she looked at Ichigo. He could see her human mouth beneath it and nodded approvingly, "She's definitely an Arrancar now."

"How does it look?" the woman asked as she looked over herself. It was then she noticed the sword nearby.

"You look amazing as always, Mistress Harribel!" Sung-sun commented in amazement. Many of the other Adjuchas offered various remarks.

Nnoitra couldn't help but mention her flesh, "You look so softer than before…and exposed."

"I feel stronger," Harribel stated.

Nel looked at Aizen approvingly, "This is amazing…every hollow in Las Noches can be an Arrancar now."

"That's the plan…" Ichigo nodded.

Apacci walked up to Ichigo's side and nudged him with her head, "Hey, Ichigo…promise me you won't laugh at my appearance."

"Why would I do that? I'm looking forward to seeing how all of you Adjuchas turn out," Ichigo replied with a smile. The Adjucha's eyes lit up with surprise, "Really?! Well I'll go next then!"

"Not so fast, Menoly and I want to go next," Loly cut in imposingly.

Mila Rose laughed at them as she shook her head, "I doubt you two will turn out as extravagant as me."

"Such modesty, Mila Rose…" Sung-sun giggled.

Many of Grimmjow's Adjucha followers whispered to one another about whether or not they trusted what was happening. The Blue haired vasto lorde quickly silenced their gossiping as he stared at Aizen, "So we're all going to have to do this?"

"Yes…I assure you it is worth it," Aizen reassured the former panther.

"Hmm…I will go next then," Barragan volunteered, "it will be interesting to see if this thing truly can amplify my power."

Harribel stared at Ichigo, as if expecting a reaction about her new appearance. He quickly acknowledged her curiosity, "You look good, Harribel…" Ichigo nodded, "you should get dressed though."

She nodded silently as she grabbed the white garb and took them to a more private location. Barragan immediately came forward and placed his hand on the Hogyoku next. Everyone watched with awe as his skeletal form soon fleshed out into the form of an older muscular man.

After the purple burst of power, he examined himself curiously, "I feel…more powerful. It will be interesting to put it to the test."

"Wonderweiss will go…" the Vasto Lorde himself said as he walked up to the pedestal.

Aizen gave him a curious look as if contemplating the idea, but quickly nodded in approval, "You're next then, Wonderweiss."

After the Vasto Lorde's transformation, he now had the appearance of a young purple eyed blonde. His mask fragment greatly resembled his mask's former headpiece.

"Where did you find this creature?" Barragan asked Ichigo as he examined Wonderweiss.

"Wonderweiss is from the Menos Forest," the newborn arrancar answered. Everyone seemed curious about the way he referred to himself in third person.

"Hey when can we go?" Menoly asked Ichigo anxiously.

"All of the Adjuchas can go ahead and line up…" Ichigo pointed. The five female Adjuchas raced to the front of the line and wrestled for the front. As Menoly and Loly pushed back and forth, Apacci slipped through to the pedestal and looked down at the Hogyoku curiously.

Reaching out one of her legs, she touched it with a hoofed foot. It quickly did its work and after a brief flash, Apacci was now in a human form. The woman immediately covered herself despite the awkwardness of her new body and checked everyone's faces.

She had a tomboyish hairstyle, a slender physique, and most noticeably two different colored eyes. One was ice blue, and the other a soft bronze. The darker eye had a red marking outlining it. Her mask fragment resembled the horn from her Adjucha form.

Ignoring the vast array of good and bad comments, she fearfully met Ichigo's gaze, wondering how she looked to him. He gave her a warm smile, much to her relief, "Looks good, Apacci…"

She felt an unusual sensation in her face and looked away, 'What is this feeling?'

'Is she blushing? Hmm…how cute,' Gin thought amusedly.

"I'm going next!" Loly announced as she narrowly slipped past Menoly. One by one, all of the Adjuchas transformed into humanoid appearances. The girls in Ichigo and Harribel's respective groups turned out quite nicely in his opinion.

Menoly and Loly had similar mask fragments, but on opposite sides of their faces. Menoly had shorter, styled blonde hair with a blue eye, whilst Loly had black pigtails and a maroon colored eye. Their appearances were quite shocking considering the fact that both girls were former insect like adjuchas.

Ichigo couldn't help but notice the striking similarity each arrancar had to their previous Adjucha forms. Sung-sun, Mila Rose, and many of Grimmjow's followers greatly resembled their former appearances. Their mask fragments in particular were the defining parts.

After his entire group went, Grimmjow sighed, "Well I guess, I should do this too…"

Everyone watched eagerly as the blue Vasto Lorde stepped up and touched the Hogyoku inciting his transformation. Most of his mask broke off, and his hair receded too. After his armored feline traits disappeared, the only thing left was a mask mouthpiece covering the right part of his jaw.

His blue eyes had green marks streaked out from them and his face was noticeably masculine. Grimmjow looked unimpressed by his human like form at first, but it didn't take him long to notice an obvious difference in his power. He looked over at his Zanpakuto, 'This is a strange feeling…I know that blade's name. Pantera'

Grimmjow didn't say anything, much to Ichigo's surprise, but his followers each had their own various remarks of approval.

The following hollows were Barragan's guards, and several of the notable Adjuchas that swore allegiance to Ichigo the other day. Among them were the tentacle armed Adjucha, the praying mantis, the butterfly, and the many-eyed, fiendish one. They all had similar transformations as they were turned into Arrancars.

After every hollow in the throne room had gone through the process, Aizen turned towards the natural Arrancars. "The Hogyoku can enhance the powers of natural Arrancars as well. Any of you care to accept a boost in power?" Aizen asked.

Starrk, who had been quiet for the better part of ordeal, nodded as he and Lilynette walked up to it. He was about to touch it, but stopped, "I'm already powerful enough…"

"C'mon just do it Starrk!" Lilynette convinced, "we're not going to kill anyone with our power around here!"

"Fine…fine," he gave in to her demand. After both of them received an upgrade from the Hogyoku, Ichigo motioned for Nel and her comrades to go next, "You guys definitely need an upgrade…maybe it'll give you an edge over the Quincies next time."

"Damn those Quincies." Cirucci said with a bitter glare.

"I am still amazed you're able to create Arrancars…we spent years looking for others," Dordoni spoke to Aizen.

Gantenbainne looked over at Nel, "You should go first, Neliel…"

"Okay…" the woman replied. Her sea-green hair flowed elegantly as she made her way there. After she and her comrades received the power up, Ulquiorra was the second to last one to do so. His was much flashier than most of the others expected. With everyone else completed, Aizen rested his eyes on Ichigo last, "You too, Ichigo…"

"It seems strange you would want to empower me," the hollow king shrugged.

Aizen gave him a serious stare, "You need more power. Please accept the Hogyoku's enhancement. You won't regret it."

Despite the unusual tension between the two, Ichigo felt that Aizen was genuine in his desire to empower the hollows. His actions thus far had proven it. Looking around at his inner circle of followers, he could sense a dramatic difference in their power levels. 'I wonder what this will do to me…' Ichigo thought.

Reaching his hand down over the orb, he looked at Aizen curiously as the Shinigami reached down to touch it as well. The moment both of their hands touched the orb, an unrestrained power erupted forth.

It fired into the sky in a blinding display of brilliance and power. Every arrancar present, as well as Gin and Kaname felt crushed under the overwhelming pressure in the air and immediately fell to their knees. It was as if the gravity became one hundred times greater. Ulquiorra watched the scene with both fear and amazement, 'What is this power? I can't even move.'

Las Noches began to shake from the sheer, overwhelming force of the Hogyoku. Gin's eyes visibly opened as he stared at the Hogyoku which had Ichigo and Aizen's hands both on it still, 'Their combined power is causing the desert to shake…what is Aizen doing?'

As the light got even brighter, everyone then felt the air become weightless. The pressure was now gone as both the Arrancar and the Shinigami glowed profusely. Barragan watched the scene with disbelief, 'I can't sense their power anymore…what is this?'

After a brief moment of weightlessness in the air, Aizen let go of the orb. The moment he did so, the immeasurable pressure returned forcing everyone down again. It began to diminish, slowly as Ichigo let go of the Hogyoku as well. After a short recession, things were back to normal.

Everyone stared incredulously at Ichigo and Aizen wondering what the hell just happened. Grimmjow piped up furiously, "What did you just do?!"

Ichigo looked down at his hand for a moment. It was seared from the raw power. Aizen had a similar mark on his hand as well. The Shinigami took in Ichigo's reaction before explaining the situation, "When a being that possesses power greater than several captains touches the Hogyoku, they briefly fuse for a moment. When this happens, it will radiate power as if fully awake."

'So the two of them touching it at the same time caused it to awaken. Though I wonder why it didn't happen earlier? I wonder if Captain Aizen combined it with his own Hogyoku when Ichigo was dealing with those Quincies.' Gin contemplated.

Ichigo looked down at his seared hand curiously, 'What was that just now? I've never felt that kind of power before…'

Reaching down to retrieve the Hogyoku, Aizen smiled approvingly, "It is done…you are all Arrancars now. Might I suggest you all get some rest. Later we will turn the rest of the lesser hollows, if that is okay with you, Ichigo…"

The hollow kind nodded, "That's fine…everybody go take a break. Try to get used to your new bodies. Once we get the rest of Las Noches transformed, our training begins."

"May I speak to you in private?" Aizen requested. The hollow nodded in response, "Yes…"

After a short trip to an adjacent throne tower, Ichigo and Aizen landed. The hollow stared at Aizen curiously as he wondered what the Shinigami wanted to talk about.

The man turned around slowly and gave Ichigo a serious look, "You will need to be extra vigilant…if Quincies have their eyes set on Hueco Mundo, then they pose a much larger threat than the Shinigami for the time being. It might be in our best interest to prepare for them first."

"What do you know about this Wandenreich, anyway? The Quincies I encountered mentioned their emperor…Yhwach," Ichigo explained.

Aizen seemed unfazed by the name, "The father of all Quincies…he is remarkably powerful. Godlike according to some. Even the Captain Commander wouldn't take him lightly. The Hogyoku's powers will help accelerate your ascension…but you must not underestimate him. You still need more power, before you're ready…"

"So what would you have me do? How could I possibly become more powerful?" Ichigo wondered.

Aizen shrugged, "You're the hollow king…I'm sure you can figure it out. Though it might interest you to know that Hollows are poisonous to Quincies. That is an advantage you should exploit."

"Do you think we should attack first or wait for them to come here?" Ichigo asked.

The man gave Ichigo a calm look, "You have an advantage here…I would wait for them to come. Once you've thinned out their forces, it will be a perfect time for a counterattack. You will need to be ready whenever you face them. You will need to be ready for Yhwach when the time comes."

"Hmm…is that all? Am I going to kill the Soul King for you too?" Ichigo asked sarcastically.

The brown haired captain looked down for a moment before meeting Ichigo's gaze, "Only if I fail…"

"By the way…I've been thinking about something ever since our little fight in the Menos Forest. You never did tell me about your real bankai…" Ichigo stated seriously.

The former captain tilted his head, "No…I did not."

"If your shikai, can hypnotize people, then why couldn't you wipe out the Soul Society by yourself? I mean if you caught Yamamoto by surprise with it, what could he honestly do?" Ichigo wondered.

Sosuke shook his head, "You underestimate everyone around you, Ichigo. That is one of your greatest weaknesses. It will be your undoing if you're not careful. That is why I am keeping you on a need to know basis. Though if you must know, I doubt my shikai could match Genryusai Yamamoto…he is the most powerful Shinigami to ever live."

"So what about your bankai?" Ichigo persisted, "I know you're more powerful than you let on, Aizen. There must be a reason you didn't do this by yourself."

Aizen sighed, "I will tell you when the time comes…"

"When we both touched the Hogyoku…I felt your power. You're not a normal Shinigami are you?" Ichigo asked.

The man shook his head, "No, I am not…and you are not a normal hollow. As strange as it sounds, we're not so different you and I. Despite your lack of subtlety or patience, I actually respect you…"

"Well…you delivered on your promise about creating arrancars, so I suppose we're on decent terms for now. Still…part of me wonders what you would have done had I not been able to break your illusion," Ichigo began.

"I would have secured your allegiance…one way or another," Aizen replied honestly.

"Hmph…well you have it, so long as you mind yourself," Ichigo nodded his head.

"Very well…I enjoyed our talk Ichigo. Get some rest…tomorrow we will transform the rest of the hollows in Las Noches," the man said as he took his leave.

After he was gone, Ichigo looked up into the eternal night sky, "Tomorrow huh? Whenever the hell that is…"