Preparatory Decisions

Yamamoto's eyes were… not wide, but certainly far more open than Kyōraku had seen them in centuries. "You are telling me that Kurosaki's reiatsu grew even stronger? That his strength now transcends our understanding and he can no longer be sensed reliably?"

"Yes," Kyōraku confirmed. "Though he does not seem to keep it in its 'transcended' state regularly – during my visit to the living world, he could be sensed easily the entire time. Maybe he can only do it when he's in Bankai."

"Hmm…" Yamamoto mulled it over. "Would you call him a match for yourself?"

"Depends on the game Katen Kyōkotsu decides on, and how quickly Kurosaki Ichigo catches on," Kyōraku stated bluntly.

"And myself?"

"Sir, I believe that is one of the questions that are on every taicho's mind."

"And Kurosaki is on vacation?" Yamamoto repeated to clarify.

"Yes. For another week."

"What sort of leverage do we have?"

Kyōraku looked troubled by the question, but answered regardless. "We don't."

Yamamoto looked at Kyōraku, his eyes narrow but still opened, conveying his seriousness. "Explain."

The normally perpetually-cheerful taicho looked back just as seriously. "Kurosaki has a number of friends here in the Gotei 13 as you know. But targeting even one of them will put the rest up in arms and lead to open rebellion. His mother is the only one that you could possibly target and make disappear discreetly, but I warn you that if you do and Kurosaki finds out, we will find out who is stronger between you and Kurosaki, because he will come at us with everything he's got."

The old man's reiatsu rose slightly. "Soul Society will not bow to one mortal's whim," he mandated sternly. "One man cannot outweigh the whole of the afterlife!"

"I don't know about you, Yama-jii, but I'm getting very tired of that argument," Kyōraku stated calmly, weathering his sensei's spiritual presence with ease, being accustomed to it. "Can't we just live and let live? Kurosaki Ichigo has done nothing wrong, and I'm telling you, a preemptive strike will only create a war that I'm not certain we can win. Besides, Kurosaki doesn't seem like he wants to rule everything. He even said so to Aizen in his fight. 'I already am a Kami of world… myself, and that is all I wish to rule.'"

"Hmph!" Yamamoto scoffed disbelievingly. "Power corrupts astonishingly quickly, Shunsui, and he is only human."

"I don't think you can say 'only' anything about Kurosaki Ichigo, Yama-jii."

"I have seen far too many examples of too much power making its wielder go mad, Shunsui, to be able to ignore the warning signs. Soul Society will prepare for the eventuality of Kurosaki Ichigo becoming an enemy."

"For the record, I think you're making a mistake."

"Off the record, I dearly hope you are right, Shunsui. I truly do."

Dressed in sky-blue swim trunks and white button-up t-shirt which he left open, Ichigo breathed in deeply, savoring the salty scent of ocean air and the feeling of sunlight warming his body. This is what it means to live, he thought to himself serenely, looking out at the ocean and watching the waves. He'd let Kon out of the baggage, and Ichigo really didn't want to know what Kon was doing, though he suspected the Mod-Soul was simply spying on all the scantily clad women on the beach.

"Oi! Ichigo! Get your head out of the clouds! We need you over here!" Renji called out. He had chosen to wear simply some red swim trunks, exposing the large set of tattoos across his chest and back.

Ichigo shook his head, bringing himself back to the present. "What's going on?"

"Volleyball game, three on three," Renji summarized quickly. "You, Chad and Inoue against Ishida, Rukia and me. You game?"

"Sure, why not?" Jogging over, Ichigo was slightly surprised when he saw Inoue's outfit. Normally, the quiet young woman leaned towards somewhat conservative two-piece bikinis, but it seemed she'd branched out today. Instead of a top that was almost immune from accidents, where the wide straps reached both over Inoue's shoulder and around to her back from both cups, this one was held merely by strings reaching behind her and tied manually into a knot. Huh. Wonder what changed?

Who cares? She looks niiiiiice.

Taking a quick glance around, Ichigo noted that Inoue was getting some appreciative looks, but thankfully no one was pulling a Chizuru and molesting her. Deciding not to draw unnecessary attention to Inoue's change of swimwear, and figuring it was none of his business anyway, Ichigo approached his friend on their side of the volleyball net. "You ready, Inoue?"

"Yep!" she responded cheerfully.

"Chad?"

The gentle giant merely nodded.

Ishida adjusted his glasses with a smirk. He'd chosen tan shorts and a white button-up t-shirt as well, which he kept closed. "Sheer power won't win the day here, Kurosaki. This is a game that requires finesse and precision, which you sorely lack."

"We'll see about that," Ichigo retorted amiably, getting ready.

"Our serve!" Rukia called, snatching the ball and moving in position, her ocean blue one-piece swimsuit serving as a nice contrast to the bright colors of the beach. Throwing the ball high into the air, she leapt up and spiked it between Ichigo and Inoue.

"I got it!" Inoue claimed, moving to intercept and catching it on her forearms, bouncing it a much smaller height to set her teammates up for their move.

The volleyball was tapped by Ichigo next, sending it near the net. Chad moved forward and powered the ball down, but Ishida had apparently anticipated this, as he managed to bounce the ball back to the side towards Renji.

"Heh, you're done. Rukia!"

"On it!" the ice-user leapt high in the air, above Renji and heading towards the net. The tattooed Shinigami sent the ball flying up towards her at high speed, where it was promptly spiked at an unguarded corner. Inoue lunged for it and failed, and Rukia's team scored their first point.

Rukia and Renji high-fived before whirling on Ichigo smugly. "You can't beat our teamwork," the tattooed redhead boasted.

Ichigo grinned in a manner reminiscent of his Inner Hollow, fiercely enjoying the friendly competition. "Be ready to eat your words when we win!"

Half an hour later, Renji clapped the Vizard on the back, having won solidly by six points. "Good game, Ichigo."

"Yeah, yeah, you win this time," Ichigo grumbled good-naturedly as the six of them meandered to a nice spot on the beach that as yet was untaken. Inoue and Rukia set down their towels there and lay on them, content to take the opportunity to work on their tans. Ishida had brought along a rather large book and a portable parasol, which he promptly set up before sitting down in the shade and flipping through the book to where he'd left off.

Deciding to go for a swim, Ichigo stripped off his shirt and set it on his own towel nearby. But as he began to make his way down to the water, Renji stopped him with an amused look. "Got a tattoo, Ichigo?"

The Substitute Shinigami blinked confusedly as suddenly all of his friends' attention was on him. "Huh?"

"That tattoo there, above your heart. Did you think we wouldn't see it?" Renji mocked.

Ichigo glanced down, and he immediately understood. The twin crescent moons that kept a large portion of his reiatsu sealed away, one black, one white, forming a circle. He rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly. "Ah, yeah."

"Well, what is it supposed to be?" Rukia asked, intrigued as she got up and inspected Ichigo's chest. She'd never pegged Ichigo as the type to get such a permanent body marking, unlike Renji who took pride in them. After a few seconds, she suddenly recognized the symbols. "Crescent moons? But why one black and one white?"

"One for Zangetsu. One for Cazador de la Luna," Ichigo muttered, looking away. "I'm going for a swim. See you in a bit." He stalked off, in a decidedly less happy mood than he had been a few minutes ago. He hadn't wanted to be reminded of the seal, because that led to thoughts about why he needed it, and the knowledge that if he wasn't careful he could accidentally disintegrate someone, or even himself, was hardly a cheerful thought.

"Huh? What was that about?" Renji questioned, bewildered.

Rukia bit her lip hesitantly. "Do you think… do you think maybe it's his way of grieving?"

"Grieving?" Renji echoed. "For what? Aizen's death?"

"No. The loss of his innocence," Ishida intoned grimly. "For having to kill someone. A circle, made up of two Getsuga, one white, one black. Hollow and Shinigami. Vizard. That tattoo may very well be Kurosaki's way of self-punishment; every time he looks in the mirror bare-chested, the tattoo will always remind him of who and what he is underneath his human skin: Kurosaki Ichigo, Vizard, Slayer of Aizen, Substitute Shinigami… A penance, never allowing himself to forget." The Quincy turned his eyes towards the retreating figure of his rival. "If that is the case, then I have gravely underestimated his intelligence and understanding of the symbolic."

"So that's why Kurosaki-kun didn't like us talking about it," Inoue whispered sadly. "He was having fun, and then we reminded him of what he was trying to take a vacation from."

"We should go apologize," Chad suggested, and received a round of nods all around.

Ichigo dove into the waves, fully submerging himself and kicking powerfully. His eyes stung from the salt water, but he kept them open as he swam further from the shore. The cool water was refreshing as it streamed past him to the beach, and after a few more strokes, he turned back around. Ichigo knew he couldn't go too far from the shore in his human body; the ocean's pull was too strong.

Swimming back to shore and exulting in the rush of cold water offsetting the heat of the sun's rays, Ichigo stood in water that reached his waist and ran a hand through his hair as he continued walking back to the beach, shifting his soaked hair away from his eyes so he could actually see. He felt a lot better now. I suppose I should apologize to the others for just taking off like that.

He made his way back to his friends, not noticing how much attention he was getting from some of the women, and a couple of the men. But Ichigo was surprised that before he could say anything, Renji approached him, looking slightly away, down to his left, with his right hand behind his neck embarrassedly. "Listen, Ichigo… sorry about that. Didn't know it was a sensitive topic."

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo replied, shrugging as he sat down on his towel, leaning back and enjoying the feel of the sun. "Hey, Renji, Rukia. How's the Gotei treating you? You didn't get in trouble for helping us back in Hueco Mundo, did you?"

"Nah," Renji answered easily, relaxing when it seemed apparent that Ichigo was alright. He was still a little worried, given Ishida's guess about the reasons for Ichigo's tattoo, but he was willing to let it go for the time being – Renji had hardly any room to talk, considering his own heavily-tattooed upper body. "Kuchiki-taicho vouched for us, saying that we technically hadn't broken any orders. It was decided that it turned out for the best since we all got back before the invasion began."

"Especially since Orihime took down the number two Espada when a team of Shinigami and Arrancar couldn't do it together," Rukia added.

"What?" Ichigo turned to stare incredulously at Inoue. "You did that?"

Inoue looked distinctly unhappy with the reminder. "Yes… yes I did."

"Impressive," Ishida commented.

"What he said," Ichigo agreed. "You've gotten a lot stronger!"

Her eyes began to tear up, much to the Vizard's confusion. "Why? Why are you happy about this?"

"Orihime," Rukia, who obviously knew what Inoue was upset about, tried to console. "They don't know."

"Know what?" Ichigo asked, confused.

Ishida apparently got it a second later, though, as he sighed. "Kurosaki, Inoue must have used her power to reject the Espada. His soul is gone, as though he'd been pierced by one of my arrows." Not waiting for his rival to respond, he got up and crouched next to Inoue, looking into her teary eyes and holding her hands in his own. "Inoue… listen to me. You did nothing wrong."

"But I…!"

"No," Ishida interrupted. "You did nothing wrong. You were fighting for not just your life, but everyone else's, right? And you only stepped in when nothing else would stop him, right?"

"R-R-R-right…" Inoue stuttered.

"Then you did nothing wrong. It's sad that you had to do what you did, but do not back down from it. You had little other choice, or else you wouldn't have even considered it. I know that because I know you. The only way you would use your power that way is if you couldn't think of any other way to stop him," the Quincy stated firmly. "So grieve if you must. Be sad, angry, anything you want. But you did nothing wrong."

Inoue hiccupped. But eventually, she nodded slowly. Satisfied, Ishida got up and moved back to his towel.

Ichigo looked at the Quincy in poorly-concealed shock – first his father, then Ishida. Did everyone know how to handle crying women but him?

Masaki was led by Paon to a very large, elegant-looking building. Admiring the scenery, she was guided through long halls and into an enormous room. Already inside were perhaps a dozen or so figures, all shrouded in black cloaks. There were three garbed in what appeared to be high-class garments, who stood in prominent position at the end of the room: an old woman, looking perhaps 60 or so, with a wrinkling face and short shock white hair; a black-haired middle-aged man with a beard but no mustache; and a young man who appeared in his late teens, with similar features to the middle-aged one, but with no facial hair.

"Allow me to introduce, Kurosaki Masaki," Paon stated with a deep bow. Taking the hint, Masaki did the same, bowing politely.

"Leave us." It was impossible to tell who ordered that, as the voice echoed in the chamber. It could have been any of them, but its authoritative voice could not be denied.

"Hai." Still bowing, Paon retreated and closed the door.

"Kurosaki Masaki. Do you know why we requested your presence?" the old woman asked plainly.

"I'm afraid not. I was told that it had to do with your duties as a noble family, and that was all."

"That is as it should be; the Berean family is to remain in shadow. Very few are ever to know what it is we were assigned," the male adult, continued calmly. "However, due to the unique situation, in order for us to fulfill our duty you must be made aware so you may help us."

"The duty of the Berean family is to accumulate and safeguard all forbidden and dangerous knowledge," the old woman spoke once more. "We are the specialists within the government; when situations arise involving such knowledge, we are called on in secret to provide informed advice without compromising the actual material of the forbidden knowledge. When Shinigami gained Hollow powers one hundred years ago, it was our advice that was called upon in secret."

"As you have no doubt surmised, this meeting is about your son, Kurosaki Ichigo," the man stated. "In exchange for your information, we are offering unlimited access to the Seireitei and information of your son's contacts. This was the offer made to you through Paon Miro, correct?"

"Yes."

"And do you accept?"

Masaki nodded firmly. "Yes."

"Very well." The man looked towards the others in the room, who had not moved. "Begin."

And so the interrogation began.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is the son of a human and a Shinigami, correct?"

"We are aware of the incident in which Kurosaki Ichigo acquired the powers of Kuchiki Rukia. When did Kurosaki Ichigo acquire his own Shinigami powers, and through what process did he do so?"

"Describe the events relating to Kurosaki Ichigo's struggles with his Inner Hollow up to the resolution."

"How did Kurosaki Ichigo avoid being consumed by his Inner Hollow while the Hollow was in control for an extended period of time?"

"Why did Kurosaki Ichigo's mask change?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo's Zanpakutō is not a dual-sword type. How did he gain a second one?"

"If your son were to classify himself, would he be a Shinigami with Hollow powers, or a Hollow with Shinigami powers?"

"Does Kurosaki Ichigo have the Hōgyoku, and if so, does he plan to use it?"

"Were you able to feel your son's spiritual presence when he arrived to fight Aizen in Karakura?"

"How did Kurosaki Ichigo achieve Resurrección?"

"Which, if any, Hollow powers does Kurosaki know and with what skill can he use them?"

Question after question, Masaki answered to the best of her ability. Finally, the onslaught of queries ended, and after a minute of silence, the middle-aged man who still had not identified himself nodded. "Very well. It seems we are done here. Thank you for your cooperation, Kurosaki Masaki. Now for us to uphold our end of the agreement."

He snapped his fingers. Immediately, one of the faceless black-hooded figures approached and withdrew an amethyst attached to a necklace, and some paper from some fold or pocket, passing them wordlessly to Masaki. "Thank you." The figure merely bowed and returned to his place with the others.

"The necklace serves as proof of our agreement – it is a symbol of our family. Any who wear it will be let in by the gatekeepers outside the Seireitei without issue. The paper, as promised, details your son's known associates and how to find them. That concludes our transaction. Paon Miro will escort you back to your estate," the still unnamed apparent head of the family stated dismissively.

At his words, the two men guarding the doorway opened it once more. "Thank you, Berean-sama," Masaki said gracefully with a bow, before turning back and leaving the room.

"So, looks like it went well?" Paon asked curiously.

"I think so," Masaki agreed, looking at the necklace she still held in her hand for another moment before putting it on. "They had a lot of questions for me."

"No doubt. Your son is rather famous," Paon told her matter-of-factly. "There is talk of little else in the Seireitei. Starting off as a spiritually aware human, being given power by a noble and becoming as powerful as he has in such a short time… it's impossible but true."

"I see… Could you help me find these people?" Masaki asked, showing him the list she'd received from the elders.

The servant peered at it for a few moments. "Hmm, I should be able to get you to this one, but I would have to leave immediately after."

"That's fine."

"Alright. Then let's go see Kuchiki Byakuya." Twenty or so minutes later, Masaki stood in front of a very large mansion. "This is the Kuchiki Mansion," Paon told her quietly. "Remember, the Kuchiki are another family of nobles, so be as polite and deferential as you can."

"What can you tell me about my son's relationship with this…" Masaki looked down at the paper again. "Kuchiki Byakuya? My son told me that he fought him to a draw once while trying to save Kuchiki Rukia…"

"Then you know almost as much as I do," Paon admitted. "Kuchiki Byakuya-sama is taicho of the 6th Division, and Head of the Kuchiki family. I think that Kurosaki Ichigo may have gained Kuchiki-sama's respect for saving his sister, but I would not imply such without him stating it first," he warned. "This may not have been the best starting point."

"No, it's fine," Masaki assured her friend and escort. "I have some questions for him anyway."

"If you're sure…" Paon shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I must go back now."

"If you have some spare time, you're welcome at my home at any time," Masaki invited him, grateful for Paon's help thus far.

"Thank you," the servant said with a smile. "I appreciate that. I'll see if I can see you later this week." With that, he began briskly walking back.

Masaki looked at the mansion again. She was about to meet one of the most powerful beings in Soul Society, if she understood everything correctly. Urahara had told her that the taicho of the Gotei 13 were the most powerful Shinigami in Soul Society, both in strength and in political power. Kuchiki Byakuya was also the head of a noble family, which made things more complicated, but Masaki would not give up when she was this close…!

"Who are you?" a cold voice asked quietly from right behind her.

Masaki spun around, startled. The man standing there looked at her coolly without expression, his slate gray eyes almost completely devoid of emotion. He was wearing what she'd come to recognize as the standard Shinigami uniform, but there was a white haori on top of that, as well as an expensive-looking scarf and an ornamental hairpiece. Urahara had told her that was the easiest way to recognize a taicho was by the white haori, so she took a chance and figured that this was probably who she was here to see.

Bowing shortly, she introduced herself. "I am Kurosaki Masaki. I presume you are Kuchiki Byakuya?" Ah! There it was – though the man's face did not twitch from the news, she could see in his eyes that he was surprised.

He recovered quickly, however. "I am," Byakuya acknowledged. "What business do you have with me?"

"I was told that you and your sister, Kuchiki Rukia, were two of the Shinigami that my son, Ichigo, associates with regularly."

"Your information is lacking," Byakuya stated bluntly. "The only association that Kurosaki Ichigo has with me is through my adopted sister, Rukia. Why have you come?"

Taken aback by the noble's directness, Masaki took a moment to respond. "I wish to remain a part of my son's life. As I am not a Shinigami myself, the only method I have is to contact Ichigo's friends and ask him to see me."

"I see. I would allow you to see Rukia, however she is currently on vacation with Kurosaki Ichigo in the living world. I have no way to contact her. Similarly, Abarai Renji is with them as well."

Disappointed, Masaki bowed. "Thank you for your time."

"Kurosaki Masaki," Byakuya interrupted her before she could turn to leave. "Please come inside; it would be remiss of me to fail to offer you tea during your visit, and I find myself curious on a few matters regarding your son that perhaps you could aid me in understanding."

Masaki smiled. "Thank you." She followed him into the mansion. A few minute later, they sat seiza-style at the traditional table as a servant poured them some tea. After they each took a polite sip, Masaki set her tea down. "You said you had questions?"

"I do." Taking another moment to sip at his tea, Byakuya carefully formulated how he was going to ask what he had in mind. "Are you aware that Kurosaki Ichigo once invaded Soul Society?"

"Yes, in order to save your sister," Masaki confirmed.

"He had known Rukia for mere months prior to that event. I do not understand why he would risk his life for her. I am grateful for it, but I do not understand his motives."

Masaki frowned pensively. "Ichigo told me that he did it because she was a friend, and that he owed her a debt that would not allow him to simply let her die. She had saved my family from being killed and eaten by a Hollow as I was. Ichigo felt it was a matter of honor that he save her in turn."

"I see. So he was not attempting to pursue a relationship with her?"

Masaki nearly spat out her tea. Instead giving a polite cough, she swallowed and answered as steadily as she could. "Not that I know of. Why do you ask?"

"I have been carefully observing Rukia since then. What I have observed, in conjunction to the reports given to me by the Shinigami stationed in Karakura, seem to indicate that she is interested in him," Byakuya explained clearly, his voice matter-of-fact. "There is, of course, the chance that I am wrong. I am hardly an expert at understanding my sister's point of view, or relationships in general."

Now Ichigo's mother could hardly help herself; she had to know what sort of woman wanted to date her son. "What have you seen that makes you think that she is interested in Ichigo?"

"There are many subtle signs, such as her being more active and energetic when in his presence, but the key was reported to me by Hitsugaya-taicho during his assignment in the living world. It seems that Rukia prefers to sleep in your son's closet and indeed insisted on it while on assignment in the living world."

Masaki's eyes widened. That was a detail that Ichigo had carefully left out. "I was… unaware of that," she finally said, slightly in a daze. "I see your point."

"I do not believe you fully do, Kurosaki-san," Byakuya stated calmly. "Allow me to elaborate. Your son is terrible at controlling his spiritual power; until quite recently, it emitted from him constantly. Rukia was comfortable sleeping in that presence, which is rather unusual. For that to occur, she must trust him absolutely, without hesitation. The fact that she insists on it implies far more."

Masaki's mouth went dry; she could think of nothing to say to that.

The Head of the Kuchiki nodded. "I see you comprehend the gravity of the situation. It is my duty both as her elder brother to do what is best for her, just as it is your duty as Kuroaski Ichigo's mother to do what is best for him. I ask that you provide me with any information that may be pertinent to such, and in return I will do the same for you."

Masaki nodded in agreement.

"Excellent. If it is permissible, I would have Rukia visit you for a time after she returns; there may be things she would reveal to you that she would be… uncomfortable… repeating to me. Additionally, it provides another point of view as to her current emotional state."

"That's fine," Masaki assented. "Should you see my son before I do, please let him know to find me in the West First District."

"Very well." They both took a sip of tea before Byakuya turned a deadly serious expression towards Masaki. "Out of respect for Kurosaki Ichigo, I give you this warning: Kurosaki-san, your son is extremely powerful, and would be a valuable asset to those he supports. You must take extreme care; you represent leverage over him, and have little protection, political or otherwise. Trust no one. If you can, persuade your son to stay with you until he is no longer needed." They reached the doors to the mansion, and the noble taicho locked eyes with his companion. "Kurosaki Ichigo's strength is a direct threat to the status quo."

"What do you mean?"

"Yamamoto-sōtaicho, the leader of the Gotei 13, has been the strongest being in Soul Society for centuries, no, millennia. This has never been challenged, until now. A human, a teenager no less, may be stronger than him," Byakuya explained succinctly. "History dictates that when a being gains too much power, too quickly, the most common scenario is that the being will go mad and become a threat to everyone around it. When considered with the observation that Kurosaki Ichigo embraces his Hollow powers, it is plain to see what Yamamoto-sōtaicho is likely thinking."

Masaki's grip threatened to shatter the teacup she was holding. "He plans to kill my son?" she hissed. "Ichigo's done nothing wrong!"

"I concur," Byakuya agreed with a regal nod of his head. "There are other factors at work, however. According to all reports, Kurosaki Ichigo has amassed a considerable following, both within and without the Gotei 13. Should overt action be taken against him, it is increasingly likely that a civil war will begin. As a result, I suspect that you will be used against your son. Souls without power, such as you, are very rarely tracked, and accidents happen in every district. To circumvent this, I repeat my suggestion that Kurosaki Ichigo stay by your side until the possibility of hostility has waned."

Masaki didn't doubt that Ichigo would do just that if she asked it of him. But she didn't want to be a burden on her son! "I see. You have given me much to consider, Kuchiki Byakuya. Thank you for your time and consideration. I shall be returning to my residence now."

"As you wish. I shall have a servant escort you."

That evening, Ichigo looked out towards the sunset. It was hard to believe that he was really, truly, getting the vacation he wanted. It felt like a dream. Glancing at the phone that Urahara had gave him, he smiled when he realized that it wasn't ringing. Nothing terribly important had come up, and that meant that Ichigo had plenty of time to relax.

"Then why do I feel like I should be preparing for something?" the Substitute murmured aloud. "Aizen's dead, the Central 46 is crippled, I'm on good terms with most of the taicho, Ulquiorra would warn me if something happened in Hueco Mundo…" Ichigo shook his head, trying to clear his head. "It's probably just a side effect from the war; I'm not used to not having enemies yet."

Deciding to take a shower to get his mind off things, as well as rinse off all the salt and sand that had clung to his body from the excursion to the beach, Ichigo stepped into the bathroom and turned on the hot water. One steaming hot shower later, Ichigo dried himself off with the towel and glanced briefly at the mirror to make sure he hadn't left any shampoo in his hair.

He yelped with surprise when instead of his normal reflection, he saw his Resurreccion self – horned mask and all. Jumping back and hitting the wall painfully, Ichigo tried to slow his suddenly-racing heart. Looking into the mirror again, he once again saw something aside from his own reflection.

Or rather, he did see his mirror image, but not in the usual sense. "Heya, Ichigo," Ichigo's Hollow reflection greeted with a smirk.

"Aside from nearly giving me a heart attack, what's up?"

"I want to renegotiate our deal."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with the way it is now?"

"There's no point in our deal anymore. You've gotten all the Hollow powers I know of, and you've got Resurrección. You're not afraid to fight, and you've acknowledged that you like fighting. You have the instinct, and the experience to use it. Vasto Lorde is the last upgrade in your Hollow evolution line, and you don't want that just yet because you're having difficulty controlling your power as it is. Until that time, I have literally nothing left I can teach you that I know of."

"That doesn't explain why you want to change our biweekly fights," Ichigo pointed out.

"I can't win against you anymore if you go all out," Cazador admitted reluctantly. "I can't stop you from entering Bankai, or Resurrección; Zangetsu and I were borne of your soul, and now that you have accepted that you are the source of your own power, we have only as much control over your power as you allow us."

"So you want me to impose a restriction on myself during our fights?" Ichigo guessed.

"Nah; it's not as much fun knowing that you're holding back," Cazador denied easily. "It'd be kinda insulting, really. I only ever want to win if I've earned it, Ichigo. Same as you."

"So, what do you want, then?" Ichigo was baffled; if Cazador didn't want him to hold back so they could fight on equal footing, then Ichigo had no idea how to make their fight fair.

"What I want, Ichigo, is to sleep until I'm needed. I blame you for this change, by the way," the Hollow avatar of Ichigo's powers remarked casually. "Your heart, our heart, yearns for rest, to take a break from fighting. That leaves me, the embodiment of your instinct, to sleep until you call me forth again."

"Um, sorry?" the Vizard tried to apologize, unsure if Cazador was upset about the change or not.

Cazador smirked in response. "I'll always be here in your soul, Ichigo. You ain't getting rid of me that easily. The next time your blood sings with the thrill of combat, I'll be there. In the meantime… G'night, King. See ya later."

Only my Hollow could make a pleasant farewell sound dark and creepy, Ichigo thought to himself as he felt Cazador de la Luna settle and fade into silence inside his Inner World. Shaking his head and noting that the mirror now gave his true reflection, Ichigo threw on some casual clothes and looked out once more at the sky – dusk had fallen and the first of the stars could be seen.

Ichigo let a tiny smile cross his face. "Things are finally beginning to look up," he murmured.

The door opened suddenly, and Renji entered the room carrying a familiar lion plushie. "Hey Ichigo, Rukia just threw this at me and wants an explanation. She'll be by in a minute, so I think you should get your story ready."

"Ichigo!" Kon cried out pitifully. "I begged and I pleaded to be allowed to stay with them, but Rukia-nee kicked me out!"

Ichigo couldn't say he was surprised. "That's too bad. She probably didn't want to run the risk of accidentally waking up with you cuddled next to her or Inoue. You don't exactly have the best track record, you know."

Kon sighed as Renji set him down on the table. "Ichigo, why is he here?" Renji questioned again.

"He did me a favor," the Substitute Shinigami said simply. "In return, he wanted to come along. Didn't really think it'd be a problem."

Renji shrugged. "I've got no problem with him; it's Rukia you have to worry about."

Ichigo sighed, hearing the sound of stomping footsteps coming closer. And 3… 2… 1…

Rukia slammed the door open, looking absolutely murderous. "ICHIGO!"

"Yes, Rukia?" Ichigo asked tiredly.

"Why is hehere?" she demanded.

"Apparently Kon did him a favor," Renji reported, saving Ichigo the trouble of repeating himself.

"Kon is a person too," Ichigo reminded Rukia. "He wanted to come along and actually spend some time with you before you went back to Soul Society since we don't know when you'll be back. I can sympathize."

Rukia began to deflate on hearing that. "But he doesn't have to sleep in my and Orihime's bedroom! You know how he is!"

"I know that Kon is usually a perv," Ichigo admitted. "But it's his right to ask, you know." He turned to Kon. "And it's her right to decide whether you can stay there. She's said no, so that means you're staying with me for the time being."

Kon nodded, a little put out. "If that's how it is, then I guess it's fine." He looked up at the diminutive Shinigami. "Can I come over to talk sometimes, at least, Nee-san? After vacation's over, you'll be going back to Soul Society again for Kami knows how long."

Rukia crossed her arms and sighed in defeat. "That's fine. You can come over after dinner for a short while."

The Mod-Soul immediately brightened up. "Thanks, Rukia-nee!"

Yoruichi flashed into Urahara's vision, touching down lightly on the ground. "I was too late, Kisuke. But I have to agree, the reiatsu was most assuredly not Shinigami, and not Hollow, though it was similar enough to a Hollow's to be mistaken as one at first glance."

"I see," Urahara mused. "That doesn't leave many other options. Still, it's not enough data to determine with any precision whether it's a unique being, or simply one difficult to catalogue. We will have to wait until it appears again."

Yoruichi nodded, with a slight smirk. "For once, something interesting happened without Ichigo-kun here. He'll be pissed."

"Eh, I did promise we'd take care of any issues while he was gone. Let him have his vacation," Urahara advised, waving a paper fan in front of his face. "By the way…"

"Yes, yes, I know, another Hollow just appeared." Yoruichi groaned. "Back in a few." She Shunpo-ed away to take care of the interloper.

Urahara narrowed his eyes in thought, looking at a map he'd pulled up. This was the second time the pseudo-Hollow had appeared before vanishing. Carefully marking the map with a red marker where the enemy had been, he nodded to himself as he confirmed that both events were relatively close in location. Was there something attracting the foe, or was it simply an area it liked? More research would be required. But why was the reiatsu so terribly familiar…?