-. -The Kurosaki Household-. -

"They're so cute together, don't you think?" A hushed little voice whispered.

"I don't know if I approve or not…" A second voice whispered back.

Yuzu laughed a little, "Why not?" she quietly asked.

Karin shrugged, "Don't know… Just got a feeling."

Yuzu pouted a little and continued to spy at their brother from atop the stairwell. They were usually the first ones awake since Yuzu had to cook breakfast and Karin had to get ready for school. They had their daily routines, so they always woke up at six in the morning sharp. As much as Yuzu wanted to cook up a good breakfast for the whole gang, she didn't want to disturb the pair on the couch. She smiled, it wasn't always she found her brother with such a peaceful look.

Karin just looked on with a mild scowl. She might have been young, but she always heard from their father how Tatsuki used to, and still continues to beat him at times. She knew her brother was a tough guy but there was a limit to the number of beatings he got.

The twins almost shrieked when a hand clamped itself down onto each of their shoulders.

"Don't you two know its rude to stare?" Erza asked from behind them, a stern undertone inflecting her voice.

"Don't you know its not nice to scare the living hell out of somebody like that!" Karin whispered angrily as she whipped around.

"Ah Erza-san, you're awake quite early! I'll start preparing breakfast, feel free to rest some more." Yuzu tried to direct her back to her room.

"Of course, I would be up at this time, its perfect for training. There's no need to rush in preparation of breakfast, I eat my food late as compared to others anyways." Erza told Yuzu. "Besides, what's so interesting down there?"

Erza bent down to look over the twin's shoulders to look at what they were. She raised a brow, "Were they always that close?"

"That close?" Karin gestured to the pair on the couch. "I don't think so."

Yuzu placed a lip on her finger and looked up, as if she was in deep thought. After a brief hum, she shook her head. "Me neither, this is the first time I've seen them so close too. Maybe something happened between them last night?"

Erza turned red, and a drip of crimson flowed from her nose. "I'm going to go freshen up."

She rushed into the nearby bathroom. The twins looked at each other and shrugged. She heard some stirring from below, and they saw Tatsuki starting to wake.

Tatsuki let off a great yawn and stretched her arms wide, accidentally bumping her elbow into Ichigo's torso. She paused, turning her head slowly to face him. As she stared at his sleeping face, the memories of only a few hours ago came flooding back to her.

She sighed and stood from the couch, letting him remain asleep. She stretched her back and made her way to the bathroom. With a single thought crossing her mind, 'I need to talk to that damn Urahara."

Yuzu and Karin scrambled to get back into their room before Tatsuki completely made her way up the stairs.

They shut the door behind them just as Tatsuki made it up. They puffed a small breath of relief as they weren't caught spying.

Tatsuki was reaching for the door handle when the door burst open. She came face to face with Erza in the doorway.

"Oh, good morning. I didn't know you woke up this early." Tatsuki commented.

"Good morning to you too, I usually wake up at this timing for my training. Do you know a good place to train around here?" Erza asked.

Tatsuki found herself surprised. Erza's lithe form did give off the impression she took care of herself, but she hadn't expected her to be so diligent in training. Ichigo did say she was a fighter though, she had to expect at least that much from her. Although she hadn't missed the slightly suspicious look in Erza's eyes.

"Oh, well… There is a track I use for running near the river, do you know where it is?" Tatsuki asked the redhead.

"Indeed, I noticed the river on my way back from the library yesterday. I'll head there to train then." Erza nodded and walked off briskly.

Tatuski looked at her retreating form. 'That's weird… Did I offend her or something last night?"

She shrugged it off, closing the bathroom door behind her. She noticed the individually packaged toothbrushes at the sink for the guests to use. One was opened and labelled with a red mark. She picked up one of them and went to work getting her pearly whites.

Yuzu and Karin opened their door and peaked out slightly, observing the surroundings.

They knew Tatsuki went to the toilet, and Erza was going out so they creeped out the room stealthily and made their way to the kitchen, careful not to wake the three men on the couches.

Yuzu started preparations for breakfast, and Karin helped her where she could.

-. – The King's Court -. –

Two men were present in the royal court, seated at a large obsidian round table. Teruzin sat himself on a large throne of sorts. Different from the King's throne a stone's throw away which was currently empty. Solomon sat himself on a small cylinder of solid light.

Teruzin massaged his temples as the silk black hair cascaded over his fingers. The sharp scowl on his face repelled the nearby servants from questioning if he was alright. His body hunched itself over, wishing to disappear from the court and leave his headache behind.

His headache had of course manifested itself into a human by the name of Solomon. While he was happy Solomon would join the forces of Sidgard once more, he also found the man insufferable at times with the constant surprises and shenanigans he would pull off. 'The man whose righteous fury struck fear into the hearts of the wicked… also had the humour of a child… and the attention span of a rooster…'

He was brought out of his sombre state when a heavy hand slapped his back and a jovial laughter filled the air.

He shot a glance of ice at Solomon, who seemed to laugh even harder.

"Why do you look so depressed old friend? Our old squad is going to get back together! Albeit I wasn't able to contact a few of them…" Solomon frowned a little as he said the last part. "But still! Aren't you excited?"

Teruzin glared at him through half lidded eyes. "I want to puke… Why didn't you tell me sooner you would be bringing them back again? There's a lot of preparations to make to welcome them into the country you know? I've been up for the past three days trying to delay plans and notify the gatekeepers they would be coming back! They may be heroes, but they still need to go through the proper methods!" he half yelled at Solomon.

"Oh, don't worry about that Teruzin! I gave them all a letter of approval from you when I summoned them! They just need to present that to the gate-keepers, don't they?" Solomon slapped Teruzin's back once again and let off his hearty chuckle.

"You need my signature for those to be approved you half-wit!" Teruzin actually shouted this time.

"I know, that's why I forged it on every single one!" Solomon cheekily smiled, knowing it would put the final nail into the coffin for Teruzin's patience.

The blood vessel on Teruzin forehead nearly burst. His hands shook with rage. "I'm gonna kill you damn it!" He tried to wrap his fingers around Solomon's neck to strangle him.

Just then the doors to the court flew open, and a strong gust of wind blew in. "Gone for a few decades and I still come back to you trying to strangle Solomon. I guess some things just never change." Fujin commented as he walked into the building, holding onto a sheathed sword as it casually rested on his shoulders.

His short and neat chestnut brown hair flowed airily as each step he took seemed to generate some form of wind. Tiny cyclones blew the leaves and dirt out of the way of his steps. The clunking of the rectangular case on his back hitting the armour on his right arm, along with the tapping steps he took filled the silence. The fierce half-mask on his face twisted his look into a menacing one. His dark grey irises had a laidback yet dangerous quality to it.

Teruzin took a deep breath to calm himself down and smoothed his hair back into place. He offered Fujin a small but sincere smile, "Its been far too long Fujin, I hope your travels have done you well?"

"Its good to see you again Fujin! The weather's been dreadful lately, and I really did need a good gust of wind!" Solomon joked.

Fujin nodded to the both of them, sprawling out lazily on a cloud of mist he created. "The world's been nice so far. I'll tell you about my trips on the travel to Fiore."

"I'm afraid we won't need much long to travel there friend." Solomon remarked as he gestured at the tome around his neck.

Fujin and Teruzin both widened their eyes.

"You're seriously going to use a Mass Teleport to get us all the way to Fiore?" Fujin questioned.

Teruzin nodded in agreement. "Those spells are extremely powerful! Are you sure you wanted to waste it on something as menial as travelling? I'm sure Ingvar's ships can get us there in a few days."

Solomon waved them off, "Its fine. Its important we establish an alliance with them first before Fiore does. Time is of the essence for this mission. Besides, give it twenty-four hours and it'll be ready to use again anyways."

Teruzin chewed on the inside of his cheek as he contemplated the decision to use one of the spells in the tome on something as simple as transport.

The doors to the court opened once more, revealing two figures at the threshold. Devana and Gaia smiled as they saw the three men in the court already.

The taller hourglass form of Gaia sauntered in carelessly. A light smile plastered itself to her motherly face. Her hair was tinged with green and flowed down straight to her shoulders. The green dress of leaves hung loosely off her porcelain-white form. Her long legs ended in bare feet, a platform of leaves, flowers and roots sprung from the ground to cushion her feet from the ground.

Devana stalked in alongside her. Her streamline and agile form took silent steps, which owed some of its quietness to the knee high and engraved shoes she wore. No wasted energy was present in the moves she made, each one cautiously predetermined by her predator-like mindset. The large bow strapped to her back certainly added to the image. The grey wolf fur added a slight bulk to her, and the necklace of sharp teeth jiggled slightly with each of the steps. The short ash grey hair complimented her tan skin. They reached the round table.

Gaia gave a light wave, and Devana bowed slightly.

"Good afternoon Solomon, Teruzin, and Fujin. It's so nice to see you all again." Gaia commented. Summoning a tangle of roots and bark from the ground to shape themselves into a chair. She tucked the back of her green "dress" and sat down, crossing her left leg over her right and sat ramrod straight. A presence of properness oozed from her.

"What she said." Devana pointed a thumb at Gaia before pulling a nearby chair to the round table and situating herself on it. She squirmed a little as her self consciousness got to her. 'The rest were able to use their powers so fluidly… and their powers are a lot more useful than mine…'

Teruzin greeted the two on behalf of the three men there. "More familiar faces! It's a pleasure to see you two as well. Once Ingvar and Narcissus get here, we can commence with the meeting."

"It's a shame the rest can't join us." Solomon shook his head sadly.

The rest nodded along.

"Speak of the devil, I think I can hear Ingvar." Devana commented. Her sharp ears picked up the man whistling outside.

Just a moment later, the doors flew open, banging against the wall. Ingvar grinned brightly, his gold tooth and gold ring on his left ring finger glinted in the light. He stood tall and placed his hand on his hips. He shouted off into the room, "The greatest explorer and dragon slayer the world has ever seen is here!"

He bounded into the court with swagger, a slight jump in his steps. His hair had a deep widow's peak, and it was slicked back with some form of grease. Making it look like a black shell. His lips were topped with a fuzzy moustache, surrounded by a short and greying beard. There were evident rum stains on his navy greatcoat. The gold linings added a sense of prestige, along with the epaulettes and brass buttons. His rank was signified on his right arm, a sewn-on badge that showed an anchor surrounded by five nautical stars indicated his rank as the fleet admiral. A pistol was attached to his chest with a holster. A cutlass bounced at his hips as well. His baggy white pants were tucked into his shin high boots. He waved his hand, and a chair of water burst from the ground up. He sat lazily on it, giving off the air of nonchalance.

"You know, I'm pretty sure Odinsson killed more dragons than you." Fujin shot him down.

"Now, now, I'm pretty sure I killed more of those buggers. I have 298 collected teeth. No way he's got more than that." The admiral bragged.

"At his funeral, he was buried with 300." Teruzin added.

"Tsk. You don't know the exact number. Could have been 297 and they just rounded it up." Ingvar denied childishly.

"He had 300 exactly. I counted them myself." Devana cut in, the talk of her late father still disturbed her a little.

"Ah, my little Devana! How were you over these few years?! Your uncle Ingvar has been exploring whole new lands! I'll tell you all about it sometime!" He pinched her cheek, much to her anger. She pulled away, not wanting to be treated like a kid.

"Stop that damn it. I'm not a kid anymore." Devana rubbed the part of her cheek he pinched, slightly sore.

Ingvar looked around the table, counting the heads. "Eh? Where's that narcissistic cunt?"

Devana slapped him on the arm. "Language!"

Ingvar rubbed her head and ruffled her hair, "Ahaha! Look at you trying to act all grown up now! Let the adults talk sweetie, cover your ears if you have to."

Devana's cheeks turned a rose red. She slapped the hand away. "Stop treating me like a kid damn it!"

"You'll always be a child in my eyes kid, not until you prove to me you're an adult, I won't be calling you one." Ingvar laughed.

"When has Narcissus ever been early? The man always come up with some ridiculous excuse. Remember when he slept through the entire battle for Bloody Bridge and his reasoning after waking up was that he needed his 'beauty sleep'?" Fujin remarked.

"Now, now, let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he ran into some important business along the way?" Teruzin chimed in, trying to keep the lambasting of the absent Narcissus low.

"He's here." Devana announced.

"Ooh, your ears are sharpening up! You might out do your father one day!" Ingvar joyfully noted.

The doors creaked open to reveal a handsome blonde-haired man with a scar running down from his right temple over his eye and cheek and ending at his nose in the doorway. His sanguine plate armour was pristine, the sunlight glinted off it marvellously. He walked with a confident stride, the armour adding weight and sound to each step. A fire-orange amulet bounced around his neck. The main feature of the armour was the diamond lion's head on the chest plate. It refracted the light with a pretty shade of red. His claymore bounded at his side, the jewels on the hilt and guard shone brightly. He was running a hair through his yellow locks when he heard a call from the table.

"What took you so long you ugly cunt?" It came from Ingvar.

"You're really gonna say that when you were just a few minutes earlier than him?" Devana muttered from the side.

Narcissus shook his head and he reached the table, summoning a chair of crystalized blood. "Such an ugly man should not speak such disgusting words. I fear not even my beauty may save you if you continue tarnishing your ugly self."

"Heh, who you calling ugly you cocky prick? I'll have you know women from all over the world lust over a sea faring manly man like me" Ingvar proudly puffed his chest and pointed his thumb at himself.

"There is a difference between proper, decent, beautiful women and the ugly whores that want to sleep with you for a quick buck." Narcissus responded, crossing his arms. "Now then, apologies for being fashionably late. I had to sign autographs for all my loyal fans."

Teruzin, Solomon, and Ingvar's blood boiled simultaneously.

"You mean you had us waiting because you wanted to sign autographs?!" the three shouted at the same time.

"Can't help if I'm too stunningly handsome. They were my loyal fans after all."

The rage simmered between the three.

"Solomon you hold him down. Ingvar you supply the water. I have a cloth." Teruzin whispered to the two. They nodded solemnly. Solomon wiggled his fingers, and Ingvar produced an orb of water.

"Let's all calm down for a moment. Teruzin, I believe you still have to brief us on what we have to do?" Gaia suggested, still seated in the same position.

Ingvar, Solomon and Teruzin sighed. Dropping the plan to waterboard the smug blonde. They took their seats once more.

As they settled into the chairs and table, Teruzin broke the silence. "The troops gathered are ready and waiting to deploy. We have around a hundred of them. Occasionally Solomon and I will have to travel back here to report to the King. Solomon, Gaia and Narcissus will contact the new beings. The rest will follow me to speak with Fiore's King just to ensure they're not up to anything."

"I got a question." Fujin raised a palm. "What happens if the new guys aren't cooperative?

Solomon's deep voice cut through the conversation. "Then we hope they are just as uncooperative with Fiore. If they really pose too much of a problem, then unfortunately Sidgard's banners must rise once more."

The hall fell as silent as a graveyard.

-.-.- Crocus -.-.-

Grimmjow looked up from the piece of paper he was given, matching the name and number on the building to the name and number listed. It was located in an abandoned quarry. He was happy for that. It meant he could let loose a little and not get caught.

After he confirmed the address, he started channelling a Cero in his right hand. He aimed it straight at the guild's doors and let loose.

The Cero punched a hole into the guildhall, leaving stunned members to slowly turn their heads and look out the man-sized hole. Miraculously, no one seemed to have been caught in the path of the ray of destruction. Once they saw Grimmjow however, they bolted up from their seats. Some wielded crude weapons of iron clubs and daggers. Others began channelling their magic. They squinted their eyes as they tried to identify the hooded man, without much effect.

"Oi! Who the fuck are ya?!" One of the members called from inside.

Grimmjow shrugged, "Doesn't matter to you lot. Where's your guild master?"

"That would be me you punk. I am Jukar, guildmaster of Iron Hawk." A gruff voice sounded off from the back of the hall. The voice belonged to a man in a suit of plate armour without a helmet, revealing a face weathered with age and battles. He pulled out a sword from the scabbard at his hip and gripped it tightly with both hands. "State your business boy. I doubt you want to join us after blowing two holes in our walls."

"So, you're the guy then…" Grimmjow grinned. "Well come on then, I don't have all day." He gestured with his hand in a come-hither motion to taunt the members.

A woman wielding a simple spear tried to rush forward at Grimmjow, but she was held back by another member. "Hold it Erina… Wait for the master's orders." The man whispered to her.

The members in the hall turned back to look at their guild master.

Jukar narrowed his eyes as he scowled at Grimmjow. "Daravan, take everyone below S-rank and flee. Follow the procedure." He growled the order out.

A heavy set man, lacking a top, nodded and slapped his palms together with a chant. "Teleportation Magic: Greater Teleport!" A magic circle appeared below the feet of multiple members.

Erina cried out once more "Wait Master! Don't do thi-" Before she got to finish her sentence, the magic that Daravan casted took place and the majority of the members vanished. Leaving just three.

Grimmjow yawned, "Ya done now? Are you sure you wanna send away your members like that? You're not gonna do much to me you know?"

A man in blue robes prepared a magic circle. "We're not fearful of that. We're just afraid they'll get caught in the crossfire of our attacks. Prepare yourself, you are about to face the wrath of the three strongest mages in Iron Hawk. I am Colt of Iron Hawk, the Ace! You shall regret not bringing assistance."

Grimmjow's bored eyes adopted a lethal gleam. "Are you underestimating me you little shit?"

Just then the air shimmered behind Grimmjow, and the upper half of a man completely wrapped in bandages save for his eyes in a cloak held a scythe up high. "Nuisances like you should learn when to keep your mouth shut. Rigor Mortis!" He swung the heavy scythe downwards to Grimmjow's neck, the blade had a dark maroon sheen to it which gave it the impression of being envenomed.

Grimmjow didn't bother turning back to look at the spectral assaulter. He raised his sword and blocked the strike. "Pathetic."

He noticed a bright light to his side and saw Colt casting what seemed to be a big, flashy spell. He grinned sadistically.

He gripped the scythe by the staff and swung the bandaged man in an arc, pulling him out of the shimmering air illusion before launching him at the direction of Colt.

"Ponce! Shit!" Colt shouted.

The timing worked as Colt fired his grand spell just before Grimmjow launched his friend. The large blast of arcane energy detonated prematurely as it hit him. Colt was caught in the explosion as well sending the both of them flying to separate ends of the guild hall.

Grimmjow smirked. "What was that about me regretting? Don't try and talk shit you garbage cannon-fodder!"

Grimmjow turned and noticed the guild master was missing. He looked left and right, unable to spot him. He heard a whistle of sound coming from above him and he saw Jukar coming down at him with his sword ready to slash down.

"Lightning Caller!" Jukar swung the sword downwards, but Grimmjow managed to block it with his own sword. 'Fast… Too fast…'

What Grimmjow wasn't expecting was the subsequent blast of lightning he received from above him. The attack singed his clothes and left a burn on his shoulder.

"How do you like that boy. Feeling shocked?" Jukar taunted, readying his sword once more.

"Tsk, is that really all a guild master is worth? I was considering taking off the limiter at first but you're not worth the trouble it seems. I'm going to crush you like ants!" Grimmjow shouted maniacally, he dashed to Jukar's side in an instant and swung his blade at Jukar's neck.

Jukar parried the blade and swung back at Grimmjow. "Lightning Caller!"

Grimmjow dodged the blade with a side step and shifted to the side once more to evade the lightning, but it never struck. He raised a brow, confused as to why he didn't get struck by lightning this time. 'It must only work when the sword actually hits something.'

Jukar struck at him once more. "Lightning Bolt" Lightning launched forth from his left hand as Grimmjow blocked his right.

"You're an annoying fucker I'll give you that." Grimmjow narrowly dodged the lightning by twisted his shoulders. "Truth is though, I can do that too."

Grimmjow charged a quick Cero in his right hand as he thrust his blade at Jukar with his left hand. Jukar managed to parry the thrust but before he could counter-strike, his vision turned red as he was engulfed in the Cero.

Jukar rolled backwards, dodging the Cero by the skin of his teeth. He was immediately back to being pressured as he had to dodge Grimmjow's Ceros and sword swings.

Jukar was backed into a corner in the guild. When Grimmjow was about to cast a Cero to end it off since he couldn't dodge, Jukar unexpectedly smiled.

"Electro-magnetise!" Jukar stabbed his sword into the ground and funnelled electricity into it. It rooted the two of them in place.

Grimmjow tried to lift his legs but he found they were stuck to the ground, in a fit of frustration he charged the Cero up again and was just about to fire it at Jukar who was still channelling the spell when he heard the voices of Ponce and Colt again.

"Magnificence Beam!"

"Chopping Block!"

He saw a phantom of a man ghost by his vision before he felt a scythe run through the arm that was channelling the Cero. Before the appendage had the chance to fall to the ground, he was blasted with a beam of magic. The unstable Cero in his falling hand also went off, causing a huge explosion that tore the guild hall to pieces.

Ponce and Colt collapsed to the ground. Ponce was still recovering from getting hit by Colt's spell earlier and Colt used up every last bit of his magic power in that Magnificence Beam.

Jukar's face sustained some burn damage, and his armour was blackened by soot. He stopped channelling Electro-magnetise and pulled his sword free from the destroyed guild's floor.

"Good job you two. He was no ordinary mage I'll tell you that. Whoever sent him must have payed top dollar." Jukar commented to the two.

Their eyes fell on the body in the middle of the guild, it was missing an arm and a leg.

When Grimmjow's body began to move however, they all rose in a panic.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Ponce commented.

Grimmjow slowly stood up, the heavy breaths he expelled were more from rage than anything else. His leg and arm began regenerating.

Jukar's jaw floored. "That's impossible!"

Since the coat Grimmjow was wearing was in burnt pieces, they saw the rhombus part of his tattoo slowly starting to disappear.

"Now you've done it… I'm going to crush you underfoot. I'll hunt down every single member of your guild and I'll tear them to pieces." Grimmjow growled as his body fully regenerated itself.

Jukar took a step back. "Ponce, Colt… Run. Now!" He felt a primal fear blossom within him when he saw the feral glare of the blue haired Arrancar before him.

"Not a chance. If he regrows limbs then we just gotta chop him into minced meat!" Ponce arrogantly declared before rushing at Grimmjow again, swinging the scythe wildly.

Grimmjow caught the scythe by the blade with his bare hands, petrifying the Iron Hawk members. "No way…" muttered Colt.

Before Ponce could pull back and retreat, Grimmjow suddenly appeared beside Colt in a jarringly loud Buzz. Colt flinched, and he felt himself getting cut at his waist before Grimmjow once again vanished in another Buzz.

Colt wanted to take a step back and apply pressure to the wound, but he noticed he couldn't control his legs anymore. Rather, his top half started to slide off his waist. Before he could process the fact that he was bifurcated, he saw Ponce's body split into two vertically. He stared at the open sky since the guild no longer had a roof, and he took his last breath.

Jukar saw the carnage, yet it happened too fast for him to fully realise what had happened. It was as if time had stopped, and when it started again, his two prized members had been split in half. His eyes dulled, and his grip on his sword went slack. The clattering of the sword was drowned out by the buzz behind him. He didn't care anymore. He saw the red light emitting from behind him and he closed his eyes. accepting the fate.

"C'mon not even a little bit of reaction? I wanted to hear you scream, I wanted to see you break down and beg for your life. Make this a little interesting, would you? Or are you gonna die as the same type of trash that you lived as?"

When Grimmjow got no response, his sadistic grin faded, and the same bored look took over again. He let the Cero loose.

-.-.-.-.-.-

"Where are we going, Jura-san?" Lyon asked as he walked alongside Jura and Sherry.

"We shall be making a quick stop at a guild known as Iron Hawk. I wish to speak with the guild master Jukar-dono. He's a pleasant man. I've known him for a long time. I wish to see if he knows anything about this new guild in Fiore everyone seems to be talking about." Jura smiled..

"Wow, you have so many connections Jura-san! I would love to know more about th-" Sherry cut herself off as they took in the view after they reached the peak of the hill.

The guild that Jura had described would be here was absolutely destroyed. It was a blackened, smouldering ruin.

Jura started running down the hill at top speed. "Jukar! Jukar! Are you alright?!" He shouted. He ran into the guild hall and halted immediately as he saw what had conspired in there. The stink of death permeated the air. The grim scene before him sent tremors within him and ice down his spine. He almost vomited when he saw the bodies. Despite the copious amounts of blood he could tell who the halves belonged to. He swallowed the bile that lurched up his throat. When he heard the footsteps outside he shouted, "Don't enter! Don't come in here! For your sake!"

Jura spotted the charred line leading to a literal pile of ash. The thoughts that ran through his head would forever haunt him. He slowly walked up to the ash, hesitant and reluctant. He shook his head in denial as he spotted Jukar's sword in the ash.

'What happened here…'

Jura crouched at the ashes, sifting them through his hands as he watched it float off in the breeze. He picked up the sword and felt his eyes sting.

He heard footsteps from behind and he turned lightning quick, thinking it was the enemy returning. Yet he saw his guild members, evidently ignoring his advice. They walked slowly, taking in the grim environment around them.

"This is horrible…" Sherry muttered, hugging herself tight as she lightly stepped around the destroyed guild.

"We must find the people responsible for this and bring them to justice." Lyon tried his best to stand tall and be brave, but the wavering in his voice did not stop.

"Jura-san… Is-is that…" Sherry was ghostly pale as she pointed a shaky finger at one of Colt's torso.

Jura silently walked up to block her vision before enveloping her in his arms. "Don't look Sherry. Keep your eyes shut as we move out, we will guide you."

Once they walked out from the slaughtering ground, the guild members sat on the ground as they tried to process what they've seen.

"There was only three bodies… The rest of the guild must have escaped. We have to find them and gather any information about this incident. We will bring the fiends to justice!" Jura proclaimed.

"For now, let the dead rest peacefully. Let's head back, we need to inform the council and the other guilds of this." Jura beckoned for the others to follow him.

-.-.-.-.-

The quiet halls of Las Noches seemingly stretched on forever, the echoing footsteps only helped compound the loneliness he felt. Well, more accurately, the loneliness they felt.

The arrancar duo Starrk and Lilynette made their way through Las Noches in an effort to find something interesting to do. Or rather, something interesting Lilynette could do. Stark wanted to laze around and sleep till the end of his days but the hyperactive Lilynette would incessantly bug him to be more active.

With his hands crossed behind his head, he recalled the conversation they had earlier with Harribel's fraccion after he had woken up from an exceedingly long nap.

"She went to another dimension entirely?" Starrk asked, bewildered. He only knew of three dimensions and somehow Harribel's gone to a whole new one?

"Yeap, the orange haired kid Kurosaki asked if she'd want to tag along and help out. Since she owed him a favour she went along. Nelliel and Grimmjow also went with him. Hueco Mundo has to be run by us now…" Apacci exasperatedly commented.

Franceska Mila Rose also sighed, "Why did that old fart have to up and die on us… He should be the one running Hueco Mundo damn it. This kind of stress is not meant for us!"

Stark's mood plummeted as he was reminded of Baraggan's death. He might have been haughty and arrogant, but he was still a respected figure and fellow espada. He still hadn't thanked the two orange haired humans for saving the remaining arrancars even after kidnapping Orihime Inoue and attempting to destroy their hometown…

"Do you know when Harribel will return?" Stark asked.

"Not a clue, but she said if we need her urgently then we could go to the human world and contact a man named Tessai." Cyan replied.

"Don't tell me you're going too?! We still need someone like you as the big guns!" Frannceska Mila Rose complained.

"I'm not that irresponsible. I just wanted to know where she went is all. I'll wait for her to come back and ask her how it went."

Starrk yawned, drowning out the idle chatter from Lilynette by his side. He yelped when Lilynette stomped on his foot.

"Starrk! Could you listen damn it?!" Lilynette shouted at him.

"What…?" He rubbed the sore foot.

"When Harribel comes back, how about we trade places with her and head there? I'm curious to see this new dimension. Aren't you?" She looked up at Starrk with expectant eyes.

"I'll pass… I'd rather sleep. What's so interesting about a new dimension anyways. It'll just bring new hassles I bet." Starrk dismissed, eager to find his way back to his bed.

Lilynette stomped on the ground childishly, "Damn it! Would it kill you to do something interesting?! Its so boring to always just sleep and wake up to sand and hollows!"

"If you're so desperate for something interesting you're welcome to search for it." Starrk stretched his arms tiredly. "Besides, while the other espada are gone we need to take care of our comrades here."

"It's not like anyone's gonna attack Hueco Mundo anytime soon…" Lilynette pouted.

Starrk's expression grew dim. "You might never know when the Shinigami attack again you know. We're on the weaker end of the deal. Maybe that captain will finish the job this time…" He recalled how Shunsui had acted completely out of expectation at the end of their fight.

Starrk sighed heavily. "I really envy the weak… they get to be protected by the strong and they get along with average people… They have families and friends… No one's afraid of them…"

He looked out at the vast expanse of the desert solemnly. Lilynette looked on silently.

"I heard from the rest that Ichigo Kurosaki gave up his powers to defeat Aizen. They say he was as powerless as a normal human for a while before the Shinigami restored him… Do you think that's possible for us Lilynette?" He looked to his side, earnestly asking the girl for her opinion on the matter.

"Gah! What's with all this depressing talk damn it?! Who cares if the weak have people around them, we have each other don't we?! Besides, who knows what'll happen if you lose all your power? We might revert back to some mindless hollow and the Shinigami will put us down…" She rubbed her left tricep with her right hand.

"… Yeah… You're right… We're never meant to belong…" Starrk closed his eyes, almost like he was accepting his fate. "I'm just curious about one thing though… If the dimension they're in is filled with regular people, how are they even interacting with others? Shouldn't the spiritual pressure from even someone like Grimmjow be too much for regular humans?"

"That's just something we'll have to ask Harribel when she's back isn't it. Till then stop being such a whiner! I swear, you're sometimes more depressing than Ulquiorra was!" Lilynette shouted at her partner.

"Ah shut it, you're hurting my ears." Starrk continued his walk back to his room, yet he could no longer feel the endless sleepiness. Just like his partner, he wanted to know more of this new dimension. Or more specifically, why Harribel and the rest could interact with them normally.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I heard your guild was attacked by Jose recently Urahara-san, are your members alright?" The master of Quatro Cerberus, Goldmine asked.

Urahara nodded, "Yes, my members are all fine and dandy! Almost too lively sometimes… It's a shame Jose attacked though, the poor Phantom Lord members have nowhere to go now." Urahara shook his head.

"Ah don't worry about that, from what I've heard many of them found new guilds already! Even Makarov here took in two of their members." Yajima gestured toward Fairy Tail's guild master.

Makarov cleared his throat, "Mhm, yes… I'll be taking in Gajeel Redfox and Juvia Lockser. They're good mages with lots of potential. I hope they'll be welcomed by my members."

"Speaking of that Maki-chan! Urahara-chan, didn't you take a member into yours as well? Sol was it?" Bob, the effeminate master of Blue Pegasus asked.

"Hmm? Oh him… We were supposed to receive him into ours, but he up and vanished on us… I think I heard he plans to travel to another continent and start anew there." Urahara waved it off.

Yajima stroked his chin, "That's a shame, I was looking forward to seeing how a person from Earthland would progress in your guild."

"Why is that? I'm sure they wouldn't be discriminatory towards the locals." A jovial voice added. One that was not present until now. One that no one invited.

The guild masters jumped from their seats, including Kisuke, as they saw a man who looked to be in his late thirties with long curly brown hair with a light beard and eye patch sitting next to Urahara. The white coat was unmistakable, the guild masters instantly recognised it as part of Urahara's guild.

"Who the hell are you?" Goldmine exclaimed.

"The name's Shunsui. It's nice to meet all of you. It's nice to see you making new friends Urahara." Shunsui happily joked. "Oh! I seemed to have forgotten to bring a gift, how rude. To make up for it, let's go for a round of sake!"

"I'm assuming he's one of yours Master Urahara?" Makarov questioned. He was on edge.

"Ah yes, you could say that… Well, technically he's my senior…" Kisuke rubbed the back of his head nervously. "If you'll excuse me, hehe." Kisuke tried to play it off and laugh a little as he pushed Shunsui out of the room.

"Hey! No need to be shy Urahara, I'm just proud you made new friends is all." Shunsui joked as he was pushed out of the door frame. The door slammed shut behind the two.

After the door closed, the both of them used Shunpo to appear on a roof outside the conference building.

"What are you doing here?" Kisuke whispered to Shunsui.

Shunsui leaned in close, "Old man Yama wants me to check up on how things are goin'. Plus, I wanted to see if Ichigo had even bothered to read anything from the book I wrote for him."

Kisuke regarded him with narrowed eyes for a second before complying. "Ichigo should be back in about a week. I'd appreciate if you don't pop up in the guildmaster meeting. Explore the area, or better yet…" Kisuke whipped out a bag of jewels. "You can go to some nearby bar and get some booze."

Shunsui chuckled, "Trying to bribe me with booze huh? Smart… but we both know it won't work. I know Gin is with Matsumoto, I'd have to be blind to miss those two together at the bars. Even though you're supposed to be keeping a rather close eye on him…" Shunsui trailed off.

"To be fair you did say someone has to keep an eye on him, not just me specifically. Gin might be sharp, but I doubt he'll notice the greatest assassin Soul Society produced spying on him." Kisuke grinned. Yoruichi volunteered to keep an eye on both parties, Ichigo and Gin by slipping in and out of dimensions. Only someone with speed like hers could do so after all.

With a glint in his eye, Shunsui snatched the bag of currency. He smiled widely, "I wonder what booze this place has? I'll see you later in the guild Urahara." He vanished just like that.

Kisuke frowned at the location Shunsui had just been. 'Yamamoto still doesn't trust me huh…? That's smart of him I guess, I'd be more worried if he did… But sending out Shunsui just to scold people and get information? You're making your plan too obvious Head Captain…'

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Uwah!" Orihime, Nel, and Natsu gasped as they looked at the divine assortment of foods before them. Lightly toasted sandwiches, fresh tossed salads, and different cuts of meat.

"So, this is what a picnic is?" Harribel asked as she reached out for a tuna sandwich.

"You've heard of it?!" Ichigo questioned, shocked that she knew.

"I have heard Gin describe it a few times. He kept asking Aizen for a group picnic. At the time I didn't know it was just simply getting together and eating outside…" Harribel nibbled at the sandwich as she took swigs of lemon tea in between bites.

Ichigo imagined what it would be like to have a picnic in Hueco Mundo. Sand everywhere and hollows crying out was not the desired picnicking environment.

"Don't make it sound so boring, it's a good way to bond." Ichigo shrugged, looking at the flowing river.

"It has been way too long since we last relaxed like this…" Chad commented as he stared up at the clouds from his relaxed position.

"You said it… There's been so much stress lately…" Uryu sighed.

"Mmm… Yo shishtur maksh wealy gud fud." Natsu commented with a mouth stuffed with sandwiches.

He received a smack on the back from Erza, making him choke.

"Don't talk with your mouth full" said Erza.

"But still, I feel like we're imposing on you guys too much… Your sister made all this food before she even got ready for school." Gray guiltily sipped on the ice-cold tea.

"Don't worry about it, she loves cooking for people. Just tell her you like the food and she'll be more than satisfied." Ichigo shrugged.

"I've been meaning to ask… Your sisters have light brown hair and black hair, your dad has black hair, how'd you get orange?" Lucy probed slightly into his family background.

"Not too sure about that myself actually… Maybe I got it from my mother's side? She did have light brown hair." Ichigo also wondered how he managed to get orange of all colours. He theorized that Zangetsu's natural white complexion and hair colour could have affected it a little.

"Speaking of which, where is your mo-" Natsu found a hand covering his mouth before he finished his sentence.

He found the hand connecting to a deathly serious Tatsuki. He started sweating bullets.

"It's fine Tatsuki. My mom died when I was nine." Ichigo recounted as he stared at their reflections in the river.

The cheery atmosphere plummeted.

"Since then I've raised Yuzu and Karin almost on my own. The old goat was hardly there." Ichigo joked, trying and failing to bring the joyful mood back.

"We at Fairy Tail all understand how you feel Ichigo. Most of us come from broken backgrounds, but we find comfort and family in each other." Erza spoke up.

"Yeah! That's right! When you join our guild, you get a family package along with it!" Natsu added on.

"What they said." Gray pointed his thumb at the pair.

"I lost my mother at a young age too. I'm glad I found these guys though." Lucy gestured to the Fairy Tail group.

The locals could only sit in stunned silence. It was rare to see such strong bonds.

Nel also added her two-cents worth, "You can always count on us Itsygo! We'll help each other through thick and thin." And then she glomped herself onto him, squeezing the day lights out of him.

"Urgh, Nel… Nel my back…" He managed to choke out.

"Oh oops!" Nel let go and covered her mouth as she giggled.

Harribel set down the plastic cup of tea before adding on, "Whatever that haunts you from your past, I hope you have moved on from it. If not, then try your best to. The same applies to all of you as well."

Uryu's jaw dropped. 'No way! Is she actually starting to warm up to us?!'

Ichigo let loose a smile devastatingly bright as he forked a slice of ham, "Thanks, all of you. Let's finish up the food, we still have to buy some groceries and I need to pick up my sisters soon."

The mood seemed to have been uplifted again, as human, mage, hollow, quincy, fullbringer, and a transcendent enjoyed the rest of their ad-hoc picnic by the river.

-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-

[A/N] Hello! Hope yall enjoyed the chapter, I tried my best to give an insight to the different activities that's happening for the different characters. Starrk and Lilynette make their first appearance in the story. Rest assured, it wont be their last.

Onto review reviewing~

Strykerhl: Thanks dood, feels good to be back.

Maxuos: Thanks a lot!

Mateomeo3: In a way the Zanpaktou spirits, to me, hold their owner in the highest priority, but in the same vein, their owner's wishes are also important to them. Plus if their owner is constantly stressed about his sisters then it would make sense they would offer help lest they be drowned in rain water if something bad happens.

The Age of Awesomeness: Thanks man!

Glasrevin: Hey, a new face. Thanks, I hope I can deliver on the world building and plotting.

Noondark: Arigato.

Yiggdrasil: Thanks for encouragement.

Aerobails: Happy to have you.

TheJSmooth: Thanks for all the reviews, happy to see a new face.

KylarPierce: Lucky you, the update is here.

IDeathBladeI: ^