Chapter 5:CRUSH The WORLD Down Reprise
"W-What?" She stuttered
"Kurosaki are you insane!" Ishida shouted
"Ichigo!" Rukia shouted "Surely you can't be serious! I Mean that Espada nearly killed you!"
"He did kill me" Ichigo said, looking deep into her eyes "That's how I turned into that…thing for the first time"
"Of course" she remembered "I Felt your Reiatsu above the dome…"
"That form was strong enough to completely destroy Ulquiorra" Ichigo noted "If I can learn to control it…then I'll powerful, but even then…I Need people to help me…an army…That's why I Need Ulquiorra…"
"How do we know he'll help us?" Chad asked "For all we know he could Kill us right as he's revived"
"That's a risk we'll have to take" he stated
"Kurosaki!" Ishida yelled
"Inoue….you know what to do" He said, Orihime hesitated but eventually took out the ash and laid it on the ground
"Kurosaki-Kun…are you sure?" She asked
"I'm not one to joke about this Inoue…" He said coldly
Inoue's Hairclips flew off and and an Orange shield emerged over the ash, more and more ash began to gather within the shield and it started to mould into the shape of a Person
The Resurrection of Ulquiorra Schiffer had begun…
Las Noches
"What…do we do?" Isane asked as Captain Unohana finished healing Byakuya, who then tried to fly up to the roof but the Cero Espada had other plans
"The hell do you think you're goin'?" Yammy snapped at the captain before swatting him like a fly
"The Mission was a failure…" Unohana said sadly "We failed to kill any of the Ryoka, Rukia Kuchiki and Hanataro Yamada have defected, and Lieutenant Renji Abarai and Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi are in critical condition"
"This was an S-Ranked Mission from Head-Captain Yamamoto himself…" Isane muttered, the old man would not be pleased with it's failure…
"Hurry, if we're quick we can re-attach Lieutenant Abarai's arm" Unohana said as she rushed over to the one-armed lieutenant
"All we can do now is hope for the best, Kurosaki has already begun building his army…"
The Roof
The Dust was finally taken the shape of a 5 foot-something male, and now what appeared to be Helmet was generating on the left side of his head
"I'm Nearly done…" Inoue said in small voice "But…Why are we reviving him…I…I mean he's the reason I'm here in the-"
"No" Rukia interrupted "The Soul Society knew Aizen would take this opportunity to kidnap you, they had a hunch that he would pull something like this"
"It's more Yamamoto's fault than Aizen's or Ulquiorra's" Ishida continued for her
"They wanted us dead so they let Aizen take you, to do such a thing is unforgivable" Ichigo concluded
"But even so…" Orihime stuttered as she continued working on regenerating Ulquiorra "Why are we resurrecting Ulquiorra…"
"So we can rebuild the Espada"
It took them a few moments to truly gather what he said…and then
"WHAT!" Came four simultaneous shouts
"Kurosaki have you gone mad?" Ishida shouted
"Rebuilding the Espada!" Rukia shouted "You must've gone mad!"
"Think about it logically!" Ichigo Snapped "The Espada were just as strong, NO! Stronger than the Captains, can you imagine if we we're in control of them? If we combined with the Espada then we could rule Hueco Mundo and the Soul Society!"
"Th-That's your Plan!" Ishida stuttered
"To Rule both dimensions…" Chad said in an even quieter voice than usual
"Ichigo…" Rukia said quietly "What's happened to you?"
"Don't you see it Guys? This is my Victory, This is our new beginning, Aizen's time as Ruler of Hueco Mundo is over! It's my turn now! I'm the new Leader! a Leader is not a position, It's an Action, an Action to build an army and destroy all those who dare in stand in our way!" Ichigo Blared
"And the first responsibility of Leader is to accept reality!" Uryu snapped "You're clearly not right in the read right now! I Can understand that you're pissed off Kurosaki! I am too but this plan of yours is just too far fetched!"
"Leaders don't force people to follow…" Ichigo growled as he tightened his grip on Tensa Zangetsu "So you're either with me…or you're against me…"
"So that's it?" Uryu shouted "If we don't agree with you then we're the enemy? Kurosaki you-"
"I'm in" Rukia interrupted
"Kuchiki-San!" Orihime gasped
"After what they've done I'd be more than Happy to join Ichigo and build an army" She said as she walked to Ichigo's side "It's the least they deserve"
"So…what do you think now Ishida?" Ichigo chuckled
"Of course she'd join you!" He snapped as he pointed at her "She's your-"
"I'm in too" Chad cut him off
"Sado!" Uryu gasped
"I fight alongside my friends and protect what they want to protect" Chad said as he too walked over to Ichigo's side "So if they're against the Soul Society…then I'm against them too"
"Then what about you…" Ishida asked as he looked down the bright orange haired girl "Are you going to defect too? Join Kurosaki's insane cult?"
"Ishida-Kun" she said in small voice "I…I Don't really have a choice now do I?"
"So that's it Ishida" Ichigo noted "Now we're just waiting for your reply"
"Don't push me Kurosaki" Uryu grunted "You're a fool if you think I'm afraid of you"
"Being fearless is a valuable asset" Ichigo smirked
"Just what the fuck are you Kurosaki?" Ishida snapped "Cause you're sure as hell aren't that Idoitic Substitute Shinigami anymore…"
"You're right Ishida" Ichigo growled "I'm not some cocky Shinigami brat anymore, I'm a-"
"Leader? Dictator? Traitor?" Uryu noted "Then what do you lead Kurosaki…?"
"Our New World"
"…Christ" Uryu groaned "You are an-"
"It's done…"
Everyone turned around to Orihime, they noticed that she had dispelled the shield, and there, Lying on the floor was a pale skinned man with a white trench coat, Teal coloured teardrop marks under his eyes and Hollow mask in the shape of a helmet that covered half his head
Ulquiorra Schiffer was Back…
"Well then…" Ichigo said as he turned back to Ishida "It's now or never Ishida…"
"…I'm not happy about this…but" He began as he walked to Ichigo's side "for now…we're on the same side"
"For Now" He thought silently
"Then it's settled" Ichigo smirked before he turned to the waking Espada "Including you and Hanataro, There are six of us now…soon to be seven"
Slowly the man's eyes began to open "Wasn't I….Dead?" was his only thoughts before his eye's opened up, the bright moonlight caused him to wince for a brief second, As his vision became clear, his eyes widened a fraction before he immediately grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakutou
"That won't be necessary" Ichigo smirked as he stepped on Ulquiorra's sheath "Long time no see Ulquiorra…well…not really, it's only been about 40 min-"
"What do you want?" Ulquiorra asked in his typical emotionless voice "Can't you even let me die peacefully? Or do you wish to face my Cero Oscuras once again?"
"I Didn't resurrect you so we could fight"
"Then Why?"
"I Resurrected you so we could join forces"
Even Ulquiorra couldn't hold back his shock at his statement, His Green eye's widened before he resumed his posture
"Has your brain ceased to function?" Ulquiorra asked he stood up "Why I should I join you?"
"I Revived you, you owe me"
"For your information it was Orihime who revived me"
"While I'm somewhat relieved you used her actual name instead of woman I want you to think about it"
Ulquiorra played back his words in his head and found he indeed called her "Orihime" instead of "Woman", "Why did I…." He thought
"I Hate to say I told you so Kurosaki…" Uryu grunted
"Silience" he said in an emotionless voice
"Give me one good reason, Ichigo Kurosaki" Ulquiorra demanded
"Because Aizen treats like you like dirt, Aizen doesn't care about you, But if you join me then we can kill Aizen and we could take our place as the rulers of Hueco Mundo
"I Refuse" He immediately replied before he began to walk off "Next time we meet we'll be-"
"Ulquiorra" Came a small voice, He looked back and saw Orihime looking at him with pleading eyes "Please…Help them…Help Me"
"Help…you?" Uquiorra asked, a million thoughts flooded into his head, he remembered the speech he gave her just before he entered the battle that would eventually take his life
"Hearts, you say? You Humans are always so quick to speak of such things. As though you carry your hearts in the very palms of your hands. But this eye of mine perceives all. There is nothing that it overlooks. If this eye cannot see a thing, then it does not exist. That is the assumption under which I have always thought. What is this "heart"? If I tear open that chest of yours, will I see it there? If I smash open that skull of yours, will I see it there?"
And In my Final moments…I finally understood…and I was entrusted with a heart…
Her reaching out to me, to my disintegrating hand…In that gap…in the palm of my hand...lied my heart…
Heart…
Heart…
Do I…Have a Heart?
"Very well"
"W-What?" Uryu stuttered
"I will help you" he said as drew his Zanpakutou "Enclose-"
"Duck!" Ichigo shouted, everyone did as he said
"Murciélago"
Everyone was thankful Ichigo told them to duck as the Black/Green rain flew over them, after the downpour stopped, they looked up to the released Ulquiorra, He was virtually the same, his helmet now covered his entire head and he had grown a pair of bat wings
"Wait a minute…" Uryu gasped as everyone stood up "That's not the form you used to-"
"That was Segunda Etapa" Ulquiorra noted
"Second Stage?" Chad asked, noticing both Spanish and Japanese characters
"Amongst the Espada, I am the only one to achieve a second level of Resurreccion" He revealed the info that only he and Ichigo knew "Not even Aizen-sama is aware of this form"
"You won't be calling him sama for much longer" Ichigo chuckled "Not after I take Las Noches…"
"In order for you to take Las Noches, you must either defeat or Kill Sosuke Aizen" Ulquiorra confirmed "Aizen-sama is the second emperor of Las Noches, you killing him with make you the Third"
"Then who was the first?" Orihime asked as she began to work on healing Hanataro
"Barragan Luisenbarn" Ulquiorra said, He saw from their expressions that clearly did not recognise the name "The Segunda (Second) Espada, Aizen-sama easily defeated him and took the realm of Las Noches"
"Then that's what I'll do…" Ichigo said as he stood tall "I Will Kill Aizen and take my place as the new ruler of Las Noches!"
Everyone locked eye's with Ichigo, the boy had changed, He had become a Leader…and a fearless one at that…
"Who are you Ichigo Kurosaki?…" Ulquiorra asked himself
"I Was right…wasn't I?" Ichigo asked out of the Blue
"About what?" Ulquiorra asked
"Earlier I said I read your movements better…and I asked if it was because if I had become more like a Hollow…or if you had become more like a human" He stated, he looked closely and noticed Ulquiorra visibly tensed at the end of his sentence, he knew Ulquiorra did have emotions and could snap at any moment,"Kinda hard to forget after he screamed 'It's useless!' and slapped me in the face with a freaking lance…" "I Suppose I was right on both counts…I Have become more like a Hollow…and you've become more like a human"
"So that's it…" Ulquiorra noted, rage drew within him to be compared to a mere human but then it faded once he realised why he was doing this…because a human girl had asked him too "I…I Suppose…he is correct…"
"Open the Garganta" Ichigo commanded "We're going to Karakura to kill Aizen…
"Don't order me around Kurosaki" Ulquiorra grunted "You're not the emperor…"
"Not yet" Ichigo chuckled before he turned to Rukia, She was looking at him with shocked eye's but as soon as he smiled at her, all her worries washed away "I'll come back…I Promise" and then he kissed her
Uryu knew the massive downside to this as he heard the orange haired girl beside him who was currently healing Hanataro let out a shocked gasp, he turned towards her and saw the tears in her eyes, how she was struggling to hold them beck yet failing…, there was nothing could do to ease her pain, he saw the way Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other, she never stood a chance, he did the only thing her could, he kneeled down to her side and placed his hand on her shoulder
"Let him go Inoue-san…" He said as the girl hung her head down
"Why?" She asked herself "Why…why didn't he pick me…she…she's not even human!"
"I'm sorry Inoue-san" he said in a small voice "He loves Kuchiki-san…I'm sorry but…he never looked at you the same way he looked at her"
Ulquiorra saw the emotion flooding from the girl, he could sense the intense pain coming from her as Kurosaki continued to shove his tongue down the female shinigami's throat, He wondered how and why she was keeping that pain inside, away from the world
"Because that's what her heart tells her to do…" came a voice from inside his head
"Orihime…" He said as he walked over to her, using her actual name once again "accompany us to the world of the living"
"What!" Ichigo shouted as he finally broke the kiss and turned to Ulquiorra "Are you-"
"The top three Espada's reiatsu have faded" he noted "Even I can sense that, if we bring her then we can revive them, seeing as you're so hellbent on building an army"
"That's a fair point" he nodded as he Ulquiorra opened the Garganta "Well there's nothing keeping use here…come on, let's go"
"Very well" he said as he and Orihime stepped into the Garganta, Ichigo soon followed
"I'm coming too" Rukia said quickly before she began to follow Ichigo
"Why?" Ichigo asked
"I Want to kill a certain someone...who tried to kill me..." She admitted
Ichigo nodded his head in understanding before they both stepped into the Garganta, she wanted revenge just as much as he did
"When we come back…I'll be king of this world" were Ichigo's last words before the Garganta closed
We're going to Karakura to end this war
and then…
We're going to start a new one