//------------------------------// // Chapter 23: Back to the Soul Society // Story: Shinigami In Equestria // by Urimas Ebonheart //------------------------------// Chapter 23: Back to the Soul Society Three Hours and Twenty-Four Minutes Later After talking to Kira for a few minutes we return to our training. Orihime has Kira in her lap while they watch the rest of us practice. Chad now has his right arm completely covered with his red and black gauntlet thing while Uryu is now firing off single shots, I suspect it will take weeks if not months before he'll be able to fire off hundreds at once. The Princesses during their practice have both learnt the basic kido I've learnt, Sai and Sho. I sigh as I stretch my back, Urahara has been working on increasing my stamina so I can stay in my Bankai form longer by having me do laps and lifting very heavy weights, so far it has been boosted by ten seconds. Renji returns and calls out to me. "Ichigo! The Head Captain wants to talk to you!" he tells me. "Huh?" I mumble and look his way. "Why?" I ask him. "About the hollow that attacked, the Quincy that arrived not too long ago... and the Hogyoku," he replies. "Oh, alright sure," I say and start walking over to him. "When does he want to see me?" I ask him. He then stabs the air in front of him with his sword and tilts it to the left. "Right now," he replies and the senkaimon doors open up with a hell butterfly coming out of it "What? Why now?" I ask standing next to him. "Everything that's going on around you has him concerned. These Displaced, the hollows, the Hogyoku, and now this latest attack," he tells me. "Now come on and keep up," he says and runs through. I raise an eyebrow at him knowing that I'm faster than he is. I shake my head and follow behind him anyway. The walls of this place still creep me out as they drip downwards towards the ground. After a few minutes we reach the end where Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake are standing there waiting for us. "Hey, how's things on this end?" I ask them. "I wish I could say good, but hollows are popping up everywhere both on Equus and Earth, and they're only getting stronger and stronger," Ukitake tells me. "So what doe's the old man want with me exactly?" I ask them. They look at each other and frown before looking back at me. "We're not sure exactly, all we know is he wants to talk to you," Shunsui replies. "Alright... wait, Kenpachi ain't nearby is he?" I ask them while looking around, I don't sense his insane reiatsu near me at least. "Not right now, but he's on Earth dealing with the hollow there," Ukitake replies. "Come on, we'd better get there as soon as possible," he tells me and turns around as he walks off towards the centre of the Seireitei. I look at Shunsui with a raised brow to which he just shrugs and follows Ukitake while Renji goes back through the gate. I sigh and follow as well. I look around and again see Soul Reapers training with their zanpakutos or with their kido. I feel a chill down my spine as I feel Kenpachi's reiatsu nearby now, he must have returned from his hunt on Earth. "Oh dear, he shouldn't be back for another three hours at least... we better get mov-" Ukitake says but is cut off by a loud shout. "ICHIGO! FIGHT ME!" I hear Kenpachi yell out. "FUCK! Time to go!" I yelp and start running off towards the old man's room. The two Captains follow behind my panicked dash and after a minute of running we reach the door to Yamamoto's room. I knock on the door with barely restrained urgency where Genshirō Okikiba answers. "Ah, Mr Kurosaki. The Head-Captain is expecting you, please enter," he tells me and stands aside. I nodded to him. "Thanks," I reply and quickly walk in, the other two Captains remain outside. Yamamoto looks up at me with a worried expression. "Ichigo Kurosaki, we have much to discuss you and I," he says to me. "Erm, okay. So why did you want to talk to me exactly?" I ask him. "Renji has informed us you know more about us and the hollow than you seem to let on when we first met," he says to me with a soul piercing gaze. I purse my lips and take a deep breath. "Well yes and no. I know about you and the hollow, but the events I know of seem to be different. For instance, Aizen betrays the Soul Reapers along with Kaname Tōsen and Gin Ichimaru, he also is the cause of the Visored -people like me with an inner hollow- with the Hogyoku that was hidden inside Rukia, but I now have it," I tell him and tap the small glowing orb on my chest. His eyes seem to widen slightly at that. "There should be a hollow King named Barragan but instead there seems to be a Queen who's name I don't yet know..." I then tell him. "Hmmmm, I see, and do you still believe Aizen will betray us?" he asks. I sigh and look down. "To be honest, I'm not sure anymore..." I reply. "Then what are you sure about?" he then asks me with a raised brow. I frown for a few seconds and look back up to him. "I know that whether or not Azien is involved with this that the hollows are getting more and more dangerous... Even I had trouble with that adjuchas dragon that attacked me earlier despite my recent power boost," I reply with determination. "Then that is why I ask that you find out how we can obtain our own inner hollows," he asks which surprises me, I didn't think the old man would ever agree to something like this. "Are you sure? There is the possibility that the hollow could take over and cause some serious damage," I warn him. He looks down and chuckles slightly before looking at me again. "Only the Captains will go through this process, if a youngster like yourself managed to overcome their inner hollow, I'm sure we Captains can manage just fine," he replies. After a moment of silence I speak up. "Alright, but I don't know the process myself... I do know someone put hollows into the Equestrian Princesses, which I've helped one so far overcome her hollow. I'll have to ask Urahara if he knows a way," I tell him. "Kisuke Urahara? I suppose if anyone can figure it out, he could," he replies and strokes his long beard in thought. "Please tell him that I would like to see him as soon as possible, I'd like to get this started quickly, we've been receiving reports that the hollows are even starting to appear here," he then tells me. "Sure, is there anything else?" I ask him. "Yes, I'd like to know more about those Quincy that arrived some time ago," he asks me. "Oh Gremmy? Yeah he's like me, a Displaced who was dressed as a character and then sent to an alternate version of Equestria." I tell him as well as what happened while they were here, minus the gender change. "I see, and what about the Hogyoku?" he asks me while looking at the small orb on my chest. "It has fused with me and can't be removed without killing me, so I guess it's now a part of me," I reply and tap the Hogyoku. "It's the reason I look the way I do now," I tell him. I feel a chill go down my spine as I now just notice Kenpachi's presence just outside the door. "Kenpachi is there isn't he," I say in a defeated tone. I'm not getting out of here with out a fight it seems. "So he is, what do you plan to do about it," he asks in amusement. "I've got no choice but to fight him, I just hope I'm more than strong enough to fight the insane bastard... Erm, pardon my choice of words," I reply and turn towards the door. "It's alright, just don't destroy anything please," Yamamoto tells me as I reach the door. I gulp and prepare myself to face the nutter that is Kenpachi. I open the door and then scream like a little girl due to the chipped blade that suddenly comes though the crack in the door. 'Fucker isn't even giving me a chance!' I think to myself and use my shunpo to avoid being cut. "I~chigo~..." Kenpachi says with a wide grin as the doors slowly swing open. "Well well well, look at you. I thought I felt your reiatsu here and it's stronger too. Oh this will be fun," he says and holds his zanpakuto towards me. "You are one crazy motherfucker you know that right!?" I tell him and draw my zanpakuto off my back. "So I've been told," he replies and looks at the old man. "Pardon the intrusion, Head Captain, but I couldn't wait anymore," he says to Yamamoto. "I'll over look this intrusion as I am curious about Mr. Kurosaki's abilities myself," the old man replies. I look at him with an expression of horror. 'Old bastard is throwing me to the wolves!' I think angrily but my attention is pulled back to Kenpachi as he grins at me. "Let's enjoy this, Ichigo. Trust me, it'll be more fun than you've ever had!" he says and charges at me. I frown and grip my blade with both hands. I know he's holding back due to that eye patch of his but I'm not going to give him the chance to remove it. I twist my zanpakuto around so the back of the blade is facing him and once he's within range, I spin on my heel and swing the back of the blade into the back of his head. "Oooff!" he grunts and goes face first into the floor unmoving. "Oh thank god that... was... easy?" I say, but trail off as he twitches and gets back up. "Not bad, you're the first to knock me down like that, but why didn't you use the blade?" he compliments me and the scary part is it sounded genuine. "Erm, one... thanks? And two, I don't want to kill you?" I reply. 'What the fuck? How is he still standing? By this point in the show Kenpachi was defeated by Ichigo before he got his fullbringer powers...' I wonder to myself. 'It could be that the Captains powers and strengths don't match what you know,' Zangetsu tells me. 'Oh that's just great!' I reply, but again that is good, meaning they'll be stronger to fight the hollows. I just wish it didn't mean I'll have to seriously fight this loony of a Captain! "Don't want to kill me? But where's the fun if you don't put your all into it?" he asks me with a sincerely confused expression. I just gawk at him in disbelief. 'Fucker, we're allies here!' "Well, let's see what you can really do," he tells me and charges at me again. That's it, he want's to see what I can do then so be it! I summon my mask and my reiatsu spikes. I try to uppercut him but he just avoids it by sidestepping to his left. I continue with the momentum and shoulder tackle him, sending him flying into the wall leaving splinters and cracks. A chill goes down my spine as he grins and pulls himself out of the hole. "Very good, but I can tell you have more power than that. Don't hold back Ichigo! Let's have some more fun!" he says and rips his eyepatch off. Fuck me. I quickly dismiss my mask and hold my sword out in front of me. "BAN-KAI!" I release my Bankai just in time to block his attack and hold him back. "Now that's more like it," he says and kicks me in the gut, knocking me away a good eight metres. 'Ow! Just wonderful, I've got just over three minutes to finish this,' I think to myself and charge back at him. I swing at his left arm and he parries the attack and follows it up with his own swing. I use my shunpo to avoid it and stand in front of the door trying to think of a way to knock him out. The door then opens revealing Rukia with a worried expression. "Ichigo? What's going on? I felt your reiatsu sky-rocket," she asks just as Kenpachi charges at me ready to swing. 'Shit! If I dodge Rukia will be hit!' I think and quickly summon my mask. 'Great now I got less than thirty seconds to stop him.' My body completely hollowfies and two long horns grow from my mask. Everyone present except Rukia gasps at my form, but I ignore them and rapidly slash at Kenpachi's chest ten times leaving deep cuts which I follow up with a weak cero blast from my horns sending him into the back wall next to Yamamoto who is looking at me with wide eyes. I dismiss my mask as I want to save what little reiatsu I have left. "I'll talk to you later old man! I ain't waiting around for that nutter to recover!" I call out before I turn around and pick up Rukia over my left shoulder and bolt out the room. "I-Ichigo! Put me d-down this instant!" she yells at me with a stutter in her voice. I ignore her and make it to the Senkaimon Gate. "That damn Kenpachi is going to be the death of me!" I say as I catch my breath. "Ichigo..." Rukia says calmly. "If you don't remove your hand and put me down I'll be the death of you," she tells me sternly. I frown and squeeze my hand in confusion getting a yelp from her. I then look over my left shoulder only to blush as I just realise where my hand is, I thought I was holding her by her lower back! I then feel a throbbing pain in my face as Rukia knees me in the jaw making me drop her and me to fall flat on my back. "ICHIGOOOOOO!" The voice of Kenpachi then echoes throughout the Seireitei. "Nope!" I yell and get back up as I then grab Rukia's wrist. "You, butterfly, gate, NOW!" I tell her as my pain is momentarily forgotten and I look back to Yamamoto's building. Only to see Kenpachi bloodied and grinning while running right at me with his zanpakuto in hand. "SO MUCH NOPE!" I scream as Rukia opens the gate. I quickly run through with Rukia right behind me. "GET BACK HERE, ICHIGO AND FIGHT ME!" Kenpachi yells at me just before the gate closes. 'Fat chance!' I think to myself and continue running. After a minute we exit back into Urahara's training room. "Thank fuck that's over," I say and sit down. I hope I don't have to deal with that loony again any time soon. 'Look at this this way, at least you know who to go to now to test out your strength,' Bob finally decides to comment. "Argh," I groan and lie down while rubbing my sore chin.