My Place ж Chapter Sixteen
My Place
Rating: R; language, disturbing imagery, possible adult themes.
Pairings: implied Szayel x Luke, implied Luke x Tear
Summary: Crossover with Bleach; back story for fonicfraccion. After the final confrontation and the freeing of Lorelei, the scion and his replica disappeared from the planet of Auldrant. One returned, but the other was lost in the stream of souls that surround the worlds. Where he would go and what he would become would forever alter who he was.
Note: Long time no see! Uh... y-you can tell I didn't want to write this chapter. It's mostly filler, but necessary filler, and akdjsfksjdfs. It's hard to write a crossover like this and try to avoid all the "blah blah, we know this already". New and better stuff coming next chapter, I promise.
And no lame ending. :|b
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
A war was going off over their heads, and all the arrancar could do for the moment was hide under a piece of fallen building. With both Kurosakis fighting Aizen and Gin, there was little they could do that would not put the three of them in the way, so all they could do was sit back and heal and rest up. Luke was particularly exhausted, not even able to maintain his resurrección anymore, but he refused to show it, healing Grimmjow's arm as best he could.
"I'm sorry, Grimmjow," he managed. "I still can't re-grow limbs."
Grimmjow worked the stump that was left, the only one of them that had to stay in his released form, least he be unable to return to it because of his lost arm.
"Tch... one of these days, I'll be able to keep that arm..." he grumbled, letting it rest at his side.
"Luke, rest," Szayel ordered as his fracción stumbled back to land on a rock. "You're going to damage yourself at this rate."
"I-I'm fine," Luke protested... just as a massive sudden power shift erupted outside, making the ground tremble and their shelter almost come down on their heads.
Curious, and despite his master fumbling to drag him back where it was safe, Luke slipped toward the opening in the debris, looking up to where Aizen and Isshin were fighting. The former was hunched over, clutching at where the Hōgyoku was embedded in his chest. They were talking up there, but they were too far away for Luke to be able to hear what they were saying. He was about to slip out from hiding entirely so he could hear better, when he felt his master’s hands on his shoulder.
"Don't you dare," Szayel hissed. "We're out of this fight. There's nothing more we ca-"
The ground trembled suddenly, and the both of them looked up at once to see white trailing out from the Hōgyoku, wrapping around Aizen... though it jerked to a sudden surprised stop as a blast of light shot through him. Another shinigami had joined the fight, the cane from which the blast came still smoldering from the attack. Words they could not hear were exchanged before Aizen attacked, though the shinigami outsmarted him, capturing the fallen shinigami with a kidou. More binding kidou followed, before the shinigami stepped back, starting to chant.
"What is he...?" Luke began, just as Szayel grabbed him and pulled him back.
"Get down!"
In the next moment, a massive explosion went off over their heads, the ground shaking and knocking loose debris from their shelter down onto their heads. Luke clung to his master for dear life, eyes wide in surprise at the power the new shinigami had displayed.
"Master... who was that?"
"Urahara Kitsuki I believe," Szayel hissed, dusting himself off. "The Hōgyoku's creator."
Silence hung in the air as the dust from the explosion drifted in the wind... and then suddenly Aizen - almost entirely covered by that white shell now - was behind Urahara Kitsuki, striking him across the chest with his bare hand. Blood flung out as the shinigami fought to remain upright in the air, quickly collecting himself. Again, words were exchanged, before something sprang to life around Aizen’s wrists and he disappeared in another explosion, forcing Luke and Szayel to hit the dirt again.
"D-dammit, what the hell...?" Luke demanded as the world around them shook.
The flames from the explosion continued to burn for a good few minutes, and Luke could hear the shinigami conversing, but not exactly what they were saying. He got a vague idea when a strange... sense came from the flames. It was Aizen, he could sense that much... but it did not feel like Aizen at the same time. His presence had become so other worldly that he could not even properly perceive it, even as the flames parted and revealed his new form, covered entirely in white. Aizen's gaze flicked about, pausing briefly on Luke and Szayel, before turning away as if they were completely insignificant.
"Master... what is that...?" Luke whispered faintly as Szayel pulled him back safely under their shelter.
"I... don't want to know," Szayel admitted softly.
The battle outside started all over again, but Luke was not very willing to try and take a look again; the explosions, screams, and then the sudden, deafening silence that followed painted a clear image of what was going on. Szayel held onto his shoulder tightly, flinching at the least little fluctuation of reiatsu, as Grimmjow got up and paced a faint growl in the back of his throat. It was not until things had been quiet for a few minutes did the three of them dared to peek out from their hiding spot.
There was not much left of the fake Karakura Town built by the shinigami's Twelfth Division. The people that had shown up before were left in the broken remains of the fabrication, and only Ichigo was left, staring at where there was a Senkaimon Gate left wide open for anyone to enter.
Luke scrambled out of the hiding place first, hurrying over to the shinigami with Szayel and Grimmjow not all that far behind. He called for the boy, but Ichigo barely flinched; and Luke could tell once he finally drew even with him that he was in a state of shock.
"Kurosaki-san...?" he asked, giving his arm a shake. He did not get a chance to say much else, as Grimmjow grabbed him by his shirt, swinging him around and shaking him violently.
"Th' hell you doin' without a scratch on 'ya?!" he demanded. "Why th' hell weren't 'ya there fighting too?!"
Ichigo stared as if he was not sure why Grimmjow was there, or if he really was there. Finally he shook, looking down as his hands trembled at his sides, almost loosing his grip on his zanpakutō.
"How...?" he asked faintly. "How could I have fought against...?"
Grimmjow let go of him, but only because he did not have an extra fist to crack Ichigo across the face with. The boy went flying over, landing in a heap of rubble... but at least that snapped him out of his shock; Ichigo snapped back up right away, looking pissed.
"What the hell, Grimmjow?!"
Luke and Szayel managed to have twin looks of exasperation as Grimmjow stomped over to him, yelling as loud as he could.
"Don't 'what the hell' me!" the Espada bellowed. "No shinigami that beats me has any right to be hanging around like a fuckin' statue while everthin' around him dies!"
"How could I have done anything?!" Ichigo yelled back. "That kind of power... it was a struggle just to breathe with his reiatsu! How the hell-"
"Wait, wait!" Luke interrupted, darting between the two of them, especially since Grimmjow looked like he was going to punch him again. "You could actually sense Aizen?"
Ichigo's anger fizzled out, blinking at Luke in confusion. "You couldn't?"
"No," Szayel replied, adjusting his glasses. "Aizen's power has become so far advanced, we - normal mundane beings - cannot perceive it. That would mean, of course, you are the only individual capable of actually fighting against him."
Ichigo looked between the three of them, at a loss for what to even say, before a shuffling sound from behind made him turn. Isshin threw an arm around his son before he could turn all the way, coughing and holding an open wound on his side.
"Dad...!" Ichigo protested, moving to help him down. Isshin would have none of that, keeping a tight grip on his son.
"Move it, Ichigo," he ordered. "We're gonna go protect Karakura Town."
"E-eh-?"
Before Ichigo could continue his protest, his father's forehead came crashing down on his in a head butt hard enough to knock the younger Kurosaki off his feet. Isshin's hand snapped up before that could happen however, grabbing Ichigo by his shirt.
"Didn't you hear me?! I said we're gonna go protect Karakura Town! Now!"
"But-!"
"Enough with the 'but this', 'but that'!" Luke protested. "Your dad is right; this is what we have to do now, no matter how powerful Aizen is. We're the last line of defense for all those people!"
"Indeed," Szayel continued, the only one of them that did not look like they were going to punch Ichigo if he tried to protest again. "It's not just going to be your friends and family; every single thing that draws breath and exists will die by Aizen's hand if we sit idly by and do nothing." He paused, folding his hands behind his back. "Can you even comprehend how many lives that is?"
They were all very quiet, staring at Ichigo, who was looking down at his feet. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes and raising his head, letting it out in a shuddering whoosh.
"...let's go."
~.oOOo.~
Orihime clung to Ulquiorra as they arrived in the real world, staring in shock at the horrible state that Karakura had been left in. They were too late; Aizen had already destroyed the town and everyone in it. A faint sob escaped from her, drawing the Espada's gaze toward her... and were he anyone else, he probably would have rolled his eyes.
"This isn't Karakura," he announced, drawing a little squeak out of her.
"But... it... and the... and..." she began, before staring at him for a moment. "...it's not?"
Ulquiorra let out a faint snort. "No human reiatsu has ever touched this place."
"Oh..." Orihime began, looking around, before rubbing the back of her neck. "I-I knew that."
Ulquiorra did not say a word as he stepped past her, looking around... and then shifting to the side as a shinigami shouted, diving forward to try to stab him. The Espada let the shinigami fall past him, landing on the ground with an almost comical noise as Orihime hurried over.
"Kira-san!" she exclaimed, dropping to her knees. He was hurt, she could see that, and she called her fairies to help him. "What happened?"
"Orihime..." he murmured, glancing at the Espada, before turning back to her. "Aizen... Aizen attacked us all... he's headed to Soul Society, where the real town is. Matsumoto followed after them... I don't know what happened after that."
Orihime's head snapped up to Ulquiorra, fear reflected in her eyes, before she turned back to the Third Division lieutenant. "Kira-san, I need you to open a gate. We need to go help everyone!"
Kira looked between her and the Espada... but after seeing three arrancar pop up out of no where and attack Aizen, he was not about to question it. He reached out to open a Senkaimon Gate... only to have nothing happen. They stood there for an awkward moment, before Kira slowly lowered his hand.
"It seems like I can't while under the influence of your powers," he muttered as Orihime let out an anxious whine.
"Oh... Shun'ō, Ayame, hurry!"
~.oOOo.~
The arrancar were trailing behind the Kurosakis when Isshin suddenly stopped without warning, causing Szayel and Grimmjow to collide into him. The elder Kurosaki hopped forward a bit while the two Espada ended up in a heap on the ground, cursing and punching each other as Luke stopped just in time to keep himself from being added to the pile, shaking his head in exasperation.
"Hold on a moment, Ichigo," Isshin called, causing his son to skid to a stop.
"What?!" the shinigami bellowed. "Aren't we supposed to be hurrying?!"
Isshin glanced behind him, and Luke followed his gaze. There was nothing there, however, and the arrancar turned back to him, giving him a confused look.
"There's nothing following us," he said.
"I know, and that's the problem," Isshin replied. "I can't sense Koutotsu, the guardian of this place. Normally, shinigami can't do anything to it... but Aizen's presence is lingering. Obviously, he did something."
A heavy silence hung between the three of them, interrupted only as Grimmjow let out a snarl, planting his hand on Szayel's face and shoving it into the ground as he stood up.
"S'it bad that thing's gone?" he asked.
"It will be, but for now it works in our favor," Isshin replied as Luke bent down to help Szayel to his feet, the scientist grumbling the whole time. "The Precipice World is separate from the realm of the living and Soul Society, and as such, it is unaffected by time and space. That's why Koutotsu exists; so people will not linger here in this realm."
He paused a moment, a hand settling on this sword as he turned toward his son, his expression stern.
"In here, I'll have the time I need to teach you."
"Teach me what?" Ichigo asked.
Isshin's expression remained grim as he fell silent for a moment, the situation clearly weighing heavily on him.
"...the final Getsuga Tenshou," he announced, before turning to the arrancar. "You three. This will take a long time. You better go on ahead and keep Aizen at bay as best as you can."
"Oh, thank you, you're asking us to kill ourselves," Szayel sneered.
Isshin gave him a stern look, storming over to him… before crashing the hilt of his sword on his forehead. Szayel yowled, crumpling to the floor as Luke let out a tired sigh, bending down to pick him up again.
"Get going! The longer Aizen is delayed, the longer we have in here! Go!"
The three of them did not need further prompting, taking off down the path that would lead to Soul Society. Grimmjow was growling under his breath, looking like he wanted to rip something apart if he had access to both hands.
"Th' hell is with those damn idiots?!" he finally demanded. "I swear I'm gonna kill them both!"
"You didn't get your skull crushed by one," Szayel muttered.
"No, I just got my ass smeared around Las Noches by the damn brat, and now he's got twice th' power he had back then, and he ain' usin' it!" Grimmjow snapped back.
Luke was silent as the two of them bickered, his thoughts elsewhere. Ichigo was really powerful, that much was clear... and he could completely understand how he felt. He slowly came to a stop, mouth open to say something...
"Twei Rei Tsuae Croix Ryo Twei Tsuae..."
He froze, his head snapping around, staring at the kouryuu current around him. That was... Tear? But how, and where was it coming from? And why now? Luke spun around, trying to locate where it was coming from, when the sludge-like walls suddenly parted to reveal a heavy iron wrought door. If this was not a clue, he really did not know what was; he hesitated a moment, glancing back to where his master and Grimmjow were still bickering, before darting over, placing his hands on the door... and finding himself stumbling straight through.
The path and the walls here were different; older and less used, but the feel of the place... Luke had never had the opportunity to sense Auldrant like this before, but he knew it was home all the same. He took off running down the path, oblivious to the banging that was coming from the other side of the door he fell through.
~.oOOo.~
He had heard from the others that she had built a house at that spot and settled down, but Asch did not really want to believe it until he saw it. The house, if it could be called that, was small and simple; a place that someone lived in, but did not really call home. It was situated so an individual could have the perfect view of the replica Hod, now deteriorated to almost nothing, without disturbing the selenia flowers or the rock that stood in the middle of the small overlook. She was seated on that rock of course, just as Asch imagined she was now doing every night since he had returned and not Luke.
A faint sigh escaped from him, before he approached, stopping just behind her.
"This isn't good for you, Grants."
Tear did not stand from the rock, though she did glance back toward him.
"Asch... why are you here?"
He gave her a bland look, as if the answer was obvious. "Everyone's worried about you. They're worried you're going to die out here, and no one is going to know."
"I'm not going to die out here," Tear replied firmly, giving him a look that clearly said he was supposed to know better than that. "But I know Luke is out there... somewhere. It's just a matter of finding hi-"
Tear...!
She broke off as a faint cry echoed in their heads, shooting up from the rock as Asch spun around. That voice... it may have been because they were talking about him, but it was most certainly Luke. Tear shook, disbelieving... before she took a deep breath, clasping her hands before her.
"Twei Rei Tsuae Croix Ryo Twei Tsuae.
"Croix Ryo Tsuae Twei Ryo Rei Nevu Ryo Tsuae.
"Va Rei Zaei Twei Nevu Tsuae Ryo Tsuae Croix.
"Ryo Rei Croix Ryo Tsuae Rei Va Tsuae Rei.
"Va Nevu Va Rei Va Nevu Va Tsuae Rei.
"Croix Ryo Croix Nevu Tsuae Rei Croix Ryo Tsuae Rei Va.
"Rei Va Nevu Croix Twei Rei Rei."
Asch looked around, half expecting to see Luke materialize right before their eyes. When nothing happened, however, he let out a sigh, reaching out to pull her away... when suddenly he spotted something strange...
"Tear... Tear, keep singing!"
She did not need much prompting, and repeated the Hymn. As she sang, the something strange started to take a definite shape, forming into a round, wooden sliding door. It took a third time through the song before it was finally finished forming, and a forth before it slowly started to slide opening, revealing a dark world with walls reminiscent of the miasma they had dispelled years ago. For a moment, everything was silent as Tear, forced herself to breathe, anxiously waiting...
...and then there was the sound of pounding footsteps. Luke came into view bare minutes later, and Tear shook, looking like she did not want to believe that she was really seeing him, least it be a cruel trick.
"Tear! Asch!"
That did it. She ran toward the strange door, stopping just before it with Luke only a few feet away...
KTHUNK!
Luke ended up sprawled on the ground, dazed and surprised. He scrambled up to his feet bare seconds later, pressing his hands against the exit from the Precipice World, finding his way to Auldrant blocked by an invisible barrier. He groaned loudly, pounding a fist against the shield as Tear let out a soft sound, pressing her hands against it. That made him stop abusing it, pressing his against hers through the clear wall.
"This isn't fair..." he murmured, barely remembering what it was like to speak the Fonic Language.
"Luke..." Tear began, before her gaze drifted down. "Oh my... Luke, what's happened to you?"
He followed her gaze, realizing that she was staring at the hole in his chest. Awkwardly, he covered it with the tattered remains of his jacket, a faint sigh escaping from him as he did so.
"Tear... so much has happened," he answered softly. "I wish I had the time to explain everything, but... I need to go back."
"You're in trouble again, replica?" Asch spoke up, coming to stand behind Tear. Luke flinched at being called a replica, attempting to shoot his original an irate look, but it did not last long. He could not find it in his heart to be mad at him.
"Yeah..." Luke replied softly. "There's a man, Aizen; he has more charisma than Van and is twice as twisted. There's only one person that can stop him, but... he's afraid."
Asch twitched. "Dreck, you-!"
"It's not me!" Luke interrupted before his original could start yelling. "I can't even perceive Aizen right now, he's so powerful. The boy that can fight him... it's not because he's afraid he'll loose, he's afraid he'll win. He's afraid of the power he has. I... I can understand that."
"Luke..." Tear murmured.
Luke shook his head. "All I can do is hold Aizen back until he's ready, but... there's a pretty high chance I won't make it out alive. So... I'm glad I was able to have this chance."
He moved to push away, unable to fight the pained look on his face. Asch let out a faint noise, reaching out to press his hand against the shield. Luke blinked at the gesture, reaching up to meet his hand… and as soon as it was over his original's, he could feel something warm and familiar flow into him. His eyes widened, almost pulling away from him.
"Asch, what-?!"
"Take it, replica," he ordered. "You'll need it more than we will here."
Luke pulled his hand away once Asch was finished, staring down at it like it would bite him. After a moment, he clenched his fist, taking a deep breath.
"Thank you, Asch."
Asch nodded. "Come back alive... Luke."
He paused, eyes widening in surprise, before smiling warmly. "...I will."
There was a faint groan, and the doors of the gate started to close. Luke gave a start, looking back and forth, before shouting to them.
"Soul Society! Try to find any record of Soul Society in Daath! You'll find me there!"
"We will!" Tear called back to him. Luke paused, hesitating as the doors slowly began to close...
"Tear! I... I love you too."
Tear had to fight against a sob, just as the doors closed with a condemning thud.
Rating: R; language, disturbing imagery, possible adult themes.
Pairings: implied Szayel x Luke, implied Luke x Tear
Summary: Crossover with Bleach; back story for fonicfraccion. After the final confrontation and the freeing of Lorelei, the scion and his replica disappeared from the planet of Auldrant. One returned, but the other was lost in the stream of souls that surround the worlds. Where he would go and what he would become would forever alter who he was.
Note: Long time no see! Uh... y-you can tell I didn't want to write this chapter. It's mostly filler, but necessary filler, and akdjsfksjdfs. It's hard to write a crossover like this and try to avoid all the "blah blah, we know this already". New and better stuff coming next chapter, I promise.
And no lame ending. :|b
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
A war was going off over their heads, and all the arrancar could do for the moment was hide under a piece of fallen building. With both Kurosakis fighting Aizen and Gin, there was little they could do that would not put the three of them in the way, so all they could do was sit back and heal and rest up. Luke was particularly exhausted, not even able to maintain his resurrección anymore, but he refused to show it, healing Grimmjow's arm as best he could.
"I'm sorry, Grimmjow," he managed. "I still can't re-grow limbs."
Grimmjow worked the stump that was left, the only one of them that had to stay in his released form, least he be unable to return to it because of his lost arm.
"Tch... one of these days, I'll be able to keep that arm..." he grumbled, letting it rest at his side.
"Luke, rest," Szayel ordered as his fracción stumbled back to land on a rock. "You're going to damage yourself at this rate."
"I-I'm fine," Luke protested... just as a massive sudden power shift erupted outside, making the ground tremble and their shelter almost come down on their heads.
Curious, and despite his master fumbling to drag him back where it was safe, Luke slipped toward the opening in the debris, looking up to where Aizen and Isshin were fighting. The former was hunched over, clutching at where the Hōgyoku was embedded in his chest. They were talking up there, but they were too far away for Luke to be able to hear what they were saying. He was about to slip out from hiding entirely so he could hear better, when he felt his master’s hands on his shoulder.
"Don't you dare," Szayel hissed. "We're out of this fight. There's nothing more we ca-"
The ground trembled suddenly, and the both of them looked up at once to see white trailing out from the Hōgyoku, wrapping around Aizen... though it jerked to a sudden surprised stop as a blast of light shot through him. Another shinigami had joined the fight, the cane from which the blast came still smoldering from the attack. Words they could not hear were exchanged before Aizen attacked, though the shinigami outsmarted him, capturing the fallen shinigami with a kidou. More binding kidou followed, before the shinigami stepped back, starting to chant.
"What is he...?" Luke began, just as Szayel grabbed him and pulled him back.
"Get down!"
In the next moment, a massive explosion went off over their heads, the ground shaking and knocking loose debris from their shelter down onto their heads. Luke clung to his master for dear life, eyes wide in surprise at the power the new shinigami had displayed.
"Master... who was that?"
"Urahara Kitsuki I believe," Szayel hissed, dusting himself off. "The Hōgyoku's creator."
Silence hung in the air as the dust from the explosion drifted in the wind... and then suddenly Aizen - almost entirely covered by that white shell now - was behind Urahara Kitsuki, striking him across the chest with his bare hand. Blood flung out as the shinigami fought to remain upright in the air, quickly collecting himself. Again, words were exchanged, before something sprang to life around Aizen’s wrists and he disappeared in another explosion, forcing Luke and Szayel to hit the dirt again.
"D-dammit, what the hell...?" Luke demanded as the world around them shook.
The flames from the explosion continued to burn for a good few minutes, and Luke could hear the shinigami conversing, but not exactly what they were saying. He got a vague idea when a strange... sense came from the flames. It was Aizen, he could sense that much... but it did not feel like Aizen at the same time. His presence had become so other worldly that he could not even properly perceive it, even as the flames parted and revealed his new form, covered entirely in white. Aizen's gaze flicked about, pausing briefly on Luke and Szayel, before turning away as if they were completely insignificant.
"Master... what is that...?" Luke whispered faintly as Szayel pulled him back safely under their shelter.
"I... don't want to know," Szayel admitted softly.
The battle outside started all over again, but Luke was not very willing to try and take a look again; the explosions, screams, and then the sudden, deafening silence that followed painted a clear image of what was going on. Szayel held onto his shoulder tightly, flinching at the least little fluctuation of reiatsu, as Grimmjow got up and paced a faint growl in the back of his throat. It was not until things had been quiet for a few minutes did the three of them dared to peek out from their hiding spot.
There was not much left of the fake Karakura Town built by the shinigami's Twelfth Division. The people that had shown up before were left in the broken remains of the fabrication, and only Ichigo was left, staring at where there was a Senkaimon Gate left wide open for anyone to enter.
Luke scrambled out of the hiding place first, hurrying over to the shinigami with Szayel and Grimmjow not all that far behind. He called for the boy, but Ichigo barely flinched; and Luke could tell once he finally drew even with him that he was in a state of shock.
"Kurosaki-san...?" he asked, giving his arm a shake. He did not get a chance to say much else, as Grimmjow grabbed him by his shirt, swinging him around and shaking him violently.
"Th' hell you doin' without a scratch on 'ya?!" he demanded. "Why th' hell weren't 'ya there fighting too?!"
Ichigo stared as if he was not sure why Grimmjow was there, or if he really was there. Finally he shook, looking down as his hands trembled at his sides, almost loosing his grip on his zanpakutō.
"How...?" he asked faintly. "How could I have fought against...?"
Grimmjow let go of him, but only because he did not have an extra fist to crack Ichigo across the face with. The boy went flying over, landing in a heap of rubble... but at least that snapped him out of his shock; Ichigo snapped back up right away, looking pissed.
"What the hell, Grimmjow?!"
Luke and Szayel managed to have twin looks of exasperation as Grimmjow stomped over to him, yelling as loud as he could.
"Don't 'what the hell' me!" the Espada bellowed. "No shinigami that beats me has any right to be hanging around like a fuckin' statue while everthin' around him dies!"
"How could I have done anything?!" Ichigo yelled back. "That kind of power... it was a struggle just to breathe with his reiatsu! How the hell-"
"Wait, wait!" Luke interrupted, darting between the two of them, especially since Grimmjow looked like he was going to punch him again. "You could actually sense Aizen?"
Ichigo's anger fizzled out, blinking at Luke in confusion. "You couldn't?"
"No," Szayel replied, adjusting his glasses. "Aizen's power has become so far advanced, we - normal mundane beings - cannot perceive it. That would mean, of course, you are the only individual capable of actually fighting against him."
Ichigo looked between the three of them, at a loss for what to even say, before a shuffling sound from behind made him turn. Isshin threw an arm around his son before he could turn all the way, coughing and holding an open wound on his side.
"Dad...!" Ichigo protested, moving to help him down. Isshin would have none of that, keeping a tight grip on his son.
"Move it, Ichigo," he ordered. "We're gonna go protect Karakura Town."
"E-eh-?"
Before Ichigo could continue his protest, his father's forehead came crashing down on his in a head butt hard enough to knock the younger Kurosaki off his feet. Isshin's hand snapped up before that could happen however, grabbing Ichigo by his shirt.
"Didn't you hear me?! I said we're gonna go protect Karakura Town! Now!"
"But-!"
"Enough with the 'but this', 'but that'!" Luke protested. "Your dad is right; this is what we have to do now, no matter how powerful Aizen is. We're the last line of defense for all those people!"
"Indeed," Szayel continued, the only one of them that did not look like they were going to punch Ichigo if he tried to protest again. "It's not just going to be your friends and family; every single thing that draws breath and exists will die by Aizen's hand if we sit idly by and do nothing." He paused, folding his hands behind his back. "Can you even comprehend how many lives that is?"
They were all very quiet, staring at Ichigo, who was looking down at his feet. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes and raising his head, letting it out in a shuddering whoosh.
"...let's go."
~.oOOo.~
Orihime clung to Ulquiorra as they arrived in the real world, staring in shock at the horrible state that Karakura had been left in. They were too late; Aizen had already destroyed the town and everyone in it. A faint sob escaped from her, drawing the Espada's gaze toward her... and were he anyone else, he probably would have rolled his eyes.
"This isn't Karakura," he announced, drawing a little squeak out of her.
"But... it... and the... and..." she began, before staring at him for a moment. "...it's not?"
Ulquiorra let out a faint snort. "No human reiatsu has ever touched this place."
"Oh..." Orihime began, looking around, before rubbing the back of her neck. "I-I knew that."
Ulquiorra did not say a word as he stepped past her, looking around... and then shifting to the side as a shinigami shouted, diving forward to try to stab him. The Espada let the shinigami fall past him, landing on the ground with an almost comical noise as Orihime hurried over.
"Kira-san!" she exclaimed, dropping to her knees. He was hurt, she could see that, and she called her fairies to help him. "What happened?"
"Orihime..." he murmured, glancing at the Espada, before turning back to her. "Aizen... Aizen attacked us all... he's headed to Soul Society, where the real town is. Matsumoto followed after them... I don't know what happened after that."
Orihime's head snapped up to Ulquiorra, fear reflected in her eyes, before she turned back to the Third Division lieutenant. "Kira-san, I need you to open a gate. We need to go help everyone!"
Kira looked between her and the Espada... but after seeing three arrancar pop up out of no where and attack Aizen, he was not about to question it. He reached out to open a Senkaimon Gate... only to have nothing happen. They stood there for an awkward moment, before Kira slowly lowered his hand.
"It seems like I can't while under the influence of your powers," he muttered as Orihime let out an anxious whine.
"Oh... Shun'ō, Ayame, hurry!"
~.oOOo.~
The arrancar were trailing behind the Kurosakis when Isshin suddenly stopped without warning, causing Szayel and Grimmjow to collide into him. The elder Kurosaki hopped forward a bit while the two Espada ended up in a heap on the ground, cursing and punching each other as Luke stopped just in time to keep himself from being added to the pile, shaking his head in exasperation.
"Hold on a moment, Ichigo," Isshin called, causing his son to skid to a stop.
"What?!" the shinigami bellowed. "Aren't we supposed to be hurrying?!"
Isshin glanced behind him, and Luke followed his gaze. There was nothing there, however, and the arrancar turned back to him, giving him a confused look.
"There's nothing following us," he said.
"I know, and that's the problem," Isshin replied. "I can't sense Koutotsu, the guardian of this place. Normally, shinigami can't do anything to it... but Aizen's presence is lingering. Obviously, he did something."
A heavy silence hung between the three of them, interrupted only as Grimmjow let out a snarl, planting his hand on Szayel's face and shoving it into the ground as he stood up.
"S'it bad that thing's gone?" he asked.
"It will be, but for now it works in our favor," Isshin replied as Luke bent down to help Szayel to his feet, the scientist grumbling the whole time. "The Precipice World is separate from the realm of the living and Soul Society, and as such, it is unaffected by time and space. That's why Koutotsu exists; so people will not linger here in this realm."
He paused a moment, a hand settling on this sword as he turned toward his son, his expression stern.
"In here, I'll have the time I need to teach you."
"Teach me what?" Ichigo asked.
Isshin's expression remained grim as he fell silent for a moment, the situation clearly weighing heavily on him.
"...the final Getsuga Tenshou," he announced, before turning to the arrancar. "You three. This will take a long time. You better go on ahead and keep Aizen at bay as best as you can."
"Oh, thank you, you're asking us to kill ourselves," Szayel sneered.
Isshin gave him a stern look, storming over to him… before crashing the hilt of his sword on his forehead. Szayel yowled, crumpling to the floor as Luke let out a tired sigh, bending down to pick him up again.
"Get going! The longer Aizen is delayed, the longer we have in here! Go!"
The three of them did not need further prompting, taking off down the path that would lead to Soul Society. Grimmjow was growling under his breath, looking like he wanted to rip something apart if he had access to both hands.
"Th' hell is with those damn idiots?!" he finally demanded. "I swear I'm gonna kill them both!"
"You didn't get your skull crushed by one," Szayel muttered.
"No, I just got my ass smeared around Las Noches by the damn brat, and now he's got twice th' power he had back then, and he ain' usin' it!" Grimmjow snapped back.
Luke was silent as the two of them bickered, his thoughts elsewhere. Ichigo was really powerful, that much was clear... and he could completely understand how he felt. He slowly came to a stop, mouth open to say something...
"Twei Rei Tsuae Croix Ryo Twei Tsuae..."
He froze, his head snapping around, staring at the kouryuu current around him. That was... Tear? But how, and where was it coming from? And why now? Luke spun around, trying to locate where it was coming from, when the sludge-like walls suddenly parted to reveal a heavy iron wrought door. If this was not a clue, he really did not know what was; he hesitated a moment, glancing back to where his master and Grimmjow were still bickering, before darting over, placing his hands on the door... and finding himself stumbling straight through.
The path and the walls here were different; older and less used, but the feel of the place... Luke had never had the opportunity to sense Auldrant like this before, but he knew it was home all the same. He took off running down the path, oblivious to the banging that was coming from the other side of the door he fell through.
~.oOOo.~
He had heard from the others that she had built a house at that spot and settled down, but Asch did not really want to believe it until he saw it. The house, if it could be called that, was small and simple; a place that someone lived in, but did not really call home. It was situated so an individual could have the perfect view of the replica Hod, now deteriorated to almost nothing, without disturbing the selenia flowers or the rock that stood in the middle of the small overlook. She was seated on that rock of course, just as Asch imagined she was now doing every night since he had returned and not Luke.
A faint sigh escaped from him, before he approached, stopping just behind her.
"This isn't good for you, Grants."
Tear did not stand from the rock, though she did glance back toward him.
"Asch... why are you here?"
He gave her a bland look, as if the answer was obvious. "Everyone's worried about you. They're worried you're going to die out here, and no one is going to know."
"I'm not going to die out here," Tear replied firmly, giving him a look that clearly said he was supposed to know better than that. "But I know Luke is out there... somewhere. It's just a matter of finding hi-"
Tear...!
She broke off as a faint cry echoed in their heads, shooting up from the rock as Asch spun around. That voice... it may have been because they were talking about him, but it was most certainly Luke. Tear shook, disbelieving... before she took a deep breath, clasping her hands before her.
"Twei Rei Tsuae Croix Ryo Twei Tsuae.
"Croix Ryo Tsuae Twei Ryo Rei Nevu Ryo Tsuae.
"Va Rei Zaei Twei Nevu Tsuae Ryo Tsuae Croix.
"Ryo Rei Croix Ryo Tsuae Rei Va Tsuae Rei.
"Va Nevu Va Rei Va Nevu Va Tsuae Rei.
"Croix Ryo Croix Nevu Tsuae Rei Croix Ryo Tsuae Rei Va.
"Rei Va Nevu Croix Twei Rei Rei."
Asch looked around, half expecting to see Luke materialize right before their eyes. When nothing happened, however, he let out a sigh, reaching out to pull her away... when suddenly he spotted something strange...
"Tear... Tear, keep singing!"
She did not need much prompting, and repeated the Hymn. As she sang, the something strange started to take a definite shape, forming into a round, wooden sliding door. It took a third time through the song before it was finally finished forming, and a forth before it slowly started to slide opening, revealing a dark world with walls reminiscent of the miasma they had dispelled years ago. For a moment, everything was silent as Tear, forced herself to breathe, anxiously waiting...
...and then there was the sound of pounding footsteps. Luke came into view bare minutes later, and Tear shook, looking like she did not want to believe that she was really seeing him, least it be a cruel trick.
"Tear! Asch!"
That did it. She ran toward the strange door, stopping just before it with Luke only a few feet away...
KTHUNK!
Luke ended up sprawled on the ground, dazed and surprised. He scrambled up to his feet bare seconds later, pressing his hands against the exit from the Precipice World, finding his way to Auldrant blocked by an invisible barrier. He groaned loudly, pounding a fist against the shield as Tear let out a soft sound, pressing her hands against it. That made him stop abusing it, pressing his against hers through the clear wall.
"This isn't fair..." he murmured, barely remembering what it was like to speak the Fonic Language.
"Luke..." Tear began, before her gaze drifted down. "Oh my... Luke, what's happened to you?"
He followed her gaze, realizing that she was staring at the hole in his chest. Awkwardly, he covered it with the tattered remains of his jacket, a faint sigh escaping from him as he did so.
"Tear... so much has happened," he answered softly. "I wish I had the time to explain everything, but... I need to go back."
"You're in trouble again, replica?" Asch spoke up, coming to stand behind Tear. Luke flinched at being called a replica, attempting to shoot his original an irate look, but it did not last long. He could not find it in his heart to be mad at him.
"Yeah..." Luke replied softly. "There's a man, Aizen; he has more charisma than Van and is twice as twisted. There's only one person that can stop him, but... he's afraid."
Asch twitched. "Dreck, you-!"
"It's not me!" Luke interrupted before his original could start yelling. "I can't even perceive Aizen right now, he's so powerful. The boy that can fight him... it's not because he's afraid he'll loose, he's afraid he'll win. He's afraid of the power he has. I... I can understand that."
"Luke..." Tear murmured.
Luke shook his head. "All I can do is hold Aizen back until he's ready, but... there's a pretty high chance I won't make it out alive. So... I'm glad I was able to have this chance."
He moved to push away, unable to fight the pained look on his face. Asch let out a faint noise, reaching out to press his hand against the shield. Luke blinked at the gesture, reaching up to meet his hand… and as soon as it was over his original's, he could feel something warm and familiar flow into him. His eyes widened, almost pulling away from him.
"Asch, what-?!"
"Take it, replica," he ordered. "You'll need it more than we will here."
Luke pulled his hand away once Asch was finished, staring down at it like it would bite him. After a moment, he clenched his fist, taking a deep breath.
"Thank you, Asch."
Asch nodded. "Come back alive... Luke."
He paused, eyes widening in surprise, before smiling warmly. "...I will."
There was a faint groan, and the doors of the gate started to close. Luke gave a start, looking back and forth, before shouting to them.
"Soul Society! Try to find any record of Soul Society in Daath! You'll find me there!"
"We will!" Tear called back to him. Luke paused, hesitating as the doors slowly began to close...
"Tear! I... I love you too."
Tear had to fight against a sob, just as the doors closed with a condemning thud.