AN: Well… It's been a long time everyone. 'About a year since I last updated… Other than writer's block, I don't really have a reason for taking so long to update and with such a short chapter. Around 3000 words which is almost nothing to what I usually write after being gone for so long. Anyway enough of my babbling. I just want to thank you all for sticking around and once again sorry for the wait. My goal is to start updating once or twice a month to get things moving again. Weirdly enough I feel that any plan I make is always ruined at the last second. (The story of my life,) At least I've started on the next chapter. Anyway, enjoy.

Though I do wonder, how Many people thought I died or something? Hmm, oh well.


-Name of Attacks-

Flashback

'thoughts'

"Monster/hollow"

"Normal"

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-TDHK Ch 7: Dragon's Plea


-1.

Ever since he had returned from Hueco Mundo Ichigo has had a somewhat peaceful week. He went to school, did his homework, went to the club, trained his body for a few hours, normal stuff.. Sure, he had things to think about, but they weren't things he should tear himself apart for after putting some thought into it.

It was peaceful, which surprised him. He was relaxed enough that he was able to eat diner comfortably.

If anything, he worried about Issei. His troublesome underclassmen had gotten himself involved with some ex-members of the church that now served fallen angels. Being who he was he worried a bit, especially since Rias hadn't told him the full story. All he currently knew was that Issei Hyoudou was ambushed during one of his contracts and that the contractor was killed and crucified in their own home or something by a crazy white haired fallen priest, which pissed him off.

Rias told him to stay out of the matter since his involvement or that of his faction could complicate matters between himself and the fallen angels. She seemed a bit stressed out and irritated over the whole thing, but it seemed that this time around, the fallen angels were the ones who had overstepped their bounds by entering territory allocated to devils. At the very least, she gave him information on the fallen angels and stray exorcist that were currently living at an abandoned church near the outskirts of town.

He was going to stay out of this matter in respect to Rias's wishes, or he was until Issei came to him. Afterall It would be hypocritical to refuse the distressed pleas of his underclassman.

"Please, Kurosaki-senpai! I beg you, help me save her!" Issei begged him as he bowed on his hands and knees as tears streamed down his face. "S-she's in trouble, I don't know what they're gonna do to her, b-but she was crying! All she wanted was a friend! I have to go save her, SHE'S MY FRIEND GOD DAMN IT!"

Ichigo, to say the least, was honestly surprised by his underclassman. The amount of emotion he was showing Ichigo wasn't something that Ichigo could take lightly even when he was trying to understand what was going on.

"Oi Hyoudou, calm down a bit. Tell me what's going on, clearly. What's going on? Who's in trouble?" Ichigo asked him as he pulled him off the floor and helped him inside. "Come inside, explain to me what's wrong after you've calmed down a bit."

"Nel, give me a hand with him." Ichigo called to the green haired espada as he grabbed Issei's wrist.

"What's wrong with him, Ichigo?" She asked as she got closer, the kid didn't even look at her as he kept asking Ichigo for help. He looked extremely distressed.

Issei, on the other hand, resisted, "We don't have time! We have to go save her or else she'll be killed!"

"Ichigo, this sounds serious." Nel stated as she carefully listened to what Issei was saying.

"You think I don't know that!?" He responded a bit irritated. "Spit it out Issei, what the hell is going on? Where are the others!?" Ichigo asked as his irritation grew every second that passed. "Where? What? When, Issei? Give me some answers."

"ASIA IS IN DANGER!"

Ichigo just took a deep breath. "And who is Asia?"

After finally calming down, Issei told him about the friend he had made a few days ago. A kind girl named Asia Argento. A nun who happened to have incredible healing powers (which gave Ichigo the weirdest feelings of deja vu for some odd reason). Excommunicated from the church because she healed a devil. It was a depressing story to say the least and he understood where Issei was coming from. He may be extremely perverted, but he had a good heart, something Ichigo could respect.

Ichigo, personally, wanted to help him. However, Ichigo, the Hollow King, could do no such thing unless he risked starting a war with the fallen angels. If only he had met with the leader of the Grigori before, but that meeting was still several weeks away. Also, Rias asked him to stay out of this matter since she wasn't going to do anything, or so she said, unless the fallen angels provoked her any more than they already had.

And that was what landed him in his current predicament. He couldn't really interfere directly. At the same time, if he rejected Issei's pleas he would be disappointed in himself because he himself had gone through something similar when Orihime was abducted. Being denied help to save a friend in need really did a number on him especially because he had thought that he could rely on the Gotei 13 almost fully at that point in time. They had their reasons at the time, which he finally understood in his current position of leadership.

However, it was because of his current position of power that motivated him to look for a loophole. He had been asked to stay out of the matter. Plus he himself couldn't act irrationally, or he might start a war… factoring in the two familiar spiritual pressures in the next room… then something clicked.

"Please, Kurosaki-senpai, you are the last person I can turn to… Bouchou won't back me up, and I don't have the power to save her by myself." Issei cried out not as loud as before. "She has already been through so much, I can't just leave her to those bastards! They are going to do something to her, they said something about a ritual…"

"Try to understand, what I am saying, Hyoudou, I can not help you directly..." Ichigo stated bluntly.

"But why not! Aren't you extremely powerful or..."

"That is what I am trying to get to, Hyoudou, if you didn't interrupt me, it is not that I don't want to help you, it is that I can't, or not directly, however…" Ichigo explained slowly what he had realized. "Issei, why don't you form a contract with me."

Issei was taken aback, but accepted nonetheless. This might be his only chance to get help, and if things didn't work out he would have to go alone.

"I accept." he answered firmly before he even heard any details.

"Good. Now for this to work, you can't go at it alone, you are too inexperienced to attack the enemy base by yourself." Ichigo added as he went over the details in his head. "Kiba, Koneko." Ichigo called out. "Would it be alright if I hired the both of you as well."

A surprised Issei turned towards the small hallway that he had been led through to reach the living room. "Koneko-chan, Kiba what are you two doing here?"

Rubbing the back of his head as Koneko stood beside him, Kiba responded, "Sorry Ichigo-senpai, but we have a message from Buchou for Hyoudou-san…"

"I'm going to rescue Asia, no matter what Buchou says!" Issei responded angrily believing that his fellow peerage members had come to stop him. Kiba flinched a bit, not expecting so much anger from Isssi.

"We didn't come here to stop you." Koneko stated firmly. "Buchou wanted us to tell you this. 'The pawn is not as weak as you think, When you step foot in a location I acknowledge as enemy territory...'"

"Then the [Pawn] is able to promote to any other piece except for the [King]." Ichigo finished once he realised what they were saying, It was like regular chess. "So I guess Rias considers the church to be 'enemy territory?'" He asked.

"Koneko glared at him. "That was rude Ichigo-senpai."

"Sorry 'bout that, but I guess Rias never actually forbade Issei from going to the church to rescue his friend then. Isn't that good for you Issei." Ichigo commented, disappointed that the one time he had come up with a scheme of his own it was shot down indirectly by Rias. He didn't know what to feel about that. "I take it that the two of you are gonna help him out."

"Yes, Hyoudou-kun is a comrade of mine and I respect his decision of rescuing his friend even if I don't know her. Besides I don't particularly like fallen angels." Kiba stated firmly.

"I am going too. I would feel uneasy if only the two go." Koneko added.

"W-Wha, you guys..." Issei breathed out a bit emotional. "Are you serious?"

"Of course we are." they both answered simultaneously.

Ichigo just smiled as he watched them from the side. Truly impressed by the bond forged between them. Still, he couldn't help but be a bit dissatisfied about how quickly he was forgotten. Even after the ingenious plan he had come up with.

"You know what..." Ichigo spoke, getting their attention. "Fuck it, I'll go as well."

"Kurosaki-senpai!?" The three devil's were caught off guard.

"But I thought It would cause problems if you were to get involved?" Kiba asked a bit nervous of the possible end results.

"When a friend needs help you don't simply stand by and do nothing." Ichigo responded. "Even when it cost me my life, I have never regretted saving someone I care about. So there is no reason for me not to help." He stated with a faraway look, as if he was having a flashback.

There was a slight pause.

"Oi senpai, you just said something really scary." Issei stated.

"What do you mean? Didn't you need help?" Ichigo looked at him a bit confused.

"..."

"..."

"..."

No one gave him an answer. How could they, Ichigo blatantly stated that he died.

'Must be a shinigami thing.' the three devils silently concluded as they looked stared at him.

"Anyway, let's get going. Time is of the essence." Ichigo was trying hard to get rid of the sudden awkward feeling that overtook the room as he started heading out with his club members behind him..

However, before they even exited the living room, they were intercepted by two of the residents of Ichigo's home.

"Where do you think you're going, Ichigo." It was Harribel and Loly who got in between them and the door. Nel, who was with them, joined the two female arrancars.

"I'm sorry Ichigo, but it would be best if you didn't get yourself involved in such a simple matter."

"It doesn't matter if it is a simple matter or not. I am going." He looked them in the eyes. He wasn't going to back down and they already knew that. They expected this to happen.

The atmosphere grew tense and uncomfortable for the three devils as they observed. That is why...

"Well if it was going to be like that then ya shoulda left right away instead of takin' yer sweet time listening to sob stories, Kurosaki. If ya woulda done that then you might have gotten away." A new voice appeared from behind the group. Four individuals stepped out from a hole in reality. Amongst the four was nervous Menoly, a grinning Grimmjow, a relaxed Ajax, and…

"Damnit, Shuri."

"Akeno-senpai?"

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-2.

She was angry, very angry. The reason, Ichigo didn't really understand. If anything, he should be the one pissed off, but instead became really annoyed. Things got extremely uncomfortable when she suddenly showed up with two espadas. No, it was when they got a look at her face when things got really strange, awkward, tense. He couldn't really find the words to describe that sensation other than 'shit.'The worst part was that his fellow club mates were still in the room. The worst part was that they looked as him for an explanation, or at the very least Koneko and Kiba did. No, the worst part was that he couldn't find an explanation for this.

He knew there was a chance of this happening, but he waved it off as highly unlikely. To be honest he had prepared himself mentally for all the possible events involving Akeno. She would scream at him, accuse him, even hate him for keeping this hidden even after they had become friends. It was a burden that made his hollow mask feel heavier than usual,yet he was prepared for it. In the end, he ended up dragging his friends down with him.

Luckly for him they were pressed for time so he sent Ajax with them. He, of course, stayed behind.

"What were you thinking Ichigo!" Shuri snapped as she glared at him. Not really screaming but the bite was still there. The unexpected encounter seemed to have caught her off guard as well.

"The hell do you want from me. I was only gonna help out a friend." he retorted. "It's not like I killed anyone or destroyed anything. And what about you, didn't you say something about waiting for the right time to reveal yourself to Akeno or something,." He scratched his head. Just when things were going so well. The only way things could get worse was if he lied and he wasn't going to do that. He had made a promise to Shuri. He wouldn't break his promise. He didn't want to break his promise. But, he might have to.

"Don't change the subject, Ichigo-sa-ma." she made sure to emphasize the sama. "What were you thinking? Did you even think about the consequences of storming a church. The shinigami would probably get involved!" Again she made sure to get her point across by poking him in the chest multiple times.

"I doubt they'd do anything." He retorted. "Now if you're talking about the angels, then I don't know or care." He shot back giving her a disinterested look. If it didn't make her angrier then this matter would end sooner rather than later.

His disinterested facade worked, or so she hoped.

Shuri just rubbed her forehead in irritation. "Ichigo, I understand you wanted to help Hyoudou-san with his endeavor. Helping other is what I like and respect about, but next time please don't do anything reckless. You have other things to worry about, different responsibilities. Let the devils handle their own problems." She asked of him.

Ichigo knew he had more responsibilities, but what else could he use the power gained with those responsibilities. Afterall, protecting others is what kept him human.

'Even if…' Ichigo was going to say something but he stopped himself. He wouldn't forgive himself if he said anything more. 'Even if one of those devil's is your own daughter?' He wouldn't make her choose. So he didn't.

"Anyway. I know we sent Ajax with them, but what about Issei and the others? Even if they don't say anything, they deserve an explanation at the very least, don't you think so?" he asked her. He just knew that it was bothering her as well. He had to push her in the right direction, he had to get her to move forward. Her hesitation could lead her towards her own ruin. "Even if you don't want to, I can tell them something. This isn't just about you anymore, it involves all of us that know that you are Akeno's mother."

The other espada in the room shifted a bit uncomfortably. This whole family drama thing between a hollow and their living child was a bit uncomfortable for those who had forgotten about their life and those who completely discarded it.

"I… After this whole thing is over... do you think you can bring them to me. I'll take care of this on my own." Shuri seemed a bit hesitant. She believed it was still too early to meet with Akeno. There was still one more thing she had to do and she had to do it soon.

"So are the two of ya done arguin' already?" Grimmjow having gotten tired of waiting, decided to interrupt their conversation.

"Seriously Kurosaki, if you're goin' to keep lettin' all your subordinates boss you around, then what the hell is the point of being king? Just do what ya want and don't take shit from anyone else."

Ichigo grinned. "Shut up Grimmjow. Or I'll kick your ass for telling me what to do."

"That's more like it! So are we gonna fuck shit up of what?! Don't you have another princess to go save or somethin.'" Hueco Mundo was boring him so once he caught wind that Ichigo was 'going to do something reckless' he knew something interesting was going to happen.

"As I was saying, do what you have to do, Shuri. I just hope that you can speak with Akeno and spend time with her soon." Ichigo told her his honest feelings. "The both of you deserve to be happy. Together."

"Oi, Kurosaki, don't you fucken' ignore me you bastard! I'll kill you!"

"Ara, ara. Well if my king demands it then I guess I have no choice." She answered him while returning to her usual teasing self before softening her eyes. "I'll be doing just that, I promise. Sorry for all the trouble I've caused you so far." She bowed to him.

"Okay, so who is coming along?" Ichigo asked as he stopped Grimmjow's clawed hand a few inches from his face. "Nel? Harribel?"

"I'll pass." The blond arrancar responded now that it was made clear whether she had a choice on the matter.

"I'll pass too. I mean, it's a bit much don't you think Ichigo? An espada for something like this?" Nel questioned.

Ichigo as if realizing something incredible just looked at them with a blank face. Three seconds passed before it all clicked in Ichigo's mind. After having thrown Grimmjow's arm to the side he shouted. "God fucken damniiiitt!"

"Wait so yer telling me that we're goin' against a whole bunch of small fries?" the blue haired espada asked, completely stupefied. "Then why the hell did I come here for?! What a fucken waste of time! Fuck This I'm going back, thanks for nothing Kurosaki." And with that a garganta was opened and Grimmjow was gone.

Not paying much attention to his departure, Ichigo sat down covering his face with both hands. "Why doesn't anything go the way I want it today? Who the hell did I piss of to deserve this?"

The three remaining arrancar didn't know how to respond to him. Harribel just shook her head as she exited the living room with a small smile in tow.

Meanwhile Nel and Shuri tried to comfort him. "Don't feel bad Itsygo. You were just over prepared." Nel stated as she put her hand on his shoulder a small giggle escaping her lips.

"Oh my. Ichigo, for now let us make sure that we stay neutral by preventing any casualties on both sides. After all, Ajax-san was only ordered to protect your friends from dying, so let us get going."

Ichigo sighed. "Let's get this over with."

.

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AN: Hope is was worth the wait… Pls don't hurt me I have a familia!

Bad jokes aside I'll answer a few reviews. (Note to self: don't be lazy and write the names of reviewers)

-Nel will most likely stay.

-Pokemon will stay. But I have considered doing another story without them planned a few things out and surprisingly things would be very different if I do follow through. Also, I realized that many of the longer chapters could have easily been divided into multiple smaller chapters. That would simplify things and clear things up and that is my mistake. Don't know if I'll change it though, depends on popular opinion.

-can't really link the picture but just go to google and enter 'female Ulquiorra' into the search bar and it should be the one of the first results.

-moar ships will sail. But power levels will break me

-I also feel like this story needs a prequel. If only the author would get off his lazy ass and… oh wait. I should really work on that prequel, I probably have 10,000 words worth of prequel material somewhere on this thing, should probably post it as a side story if I find it. You'd be surprised how much get's cut off from the final versions of chapters.

Author EXE. has stopped working, Caffeine levels running low...


Within the Soul King's Palace Aizen couldn't control his laughter. Sitting on a throne made of stone. Shards of a purple crystal scattered all around him.

"It's good to be king. Don't you think, Kurosaki Ichigo?"