Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Here's the second chapter. It's 2:35 a.m. right now, so I'm REALLY tired…um…his chapter is a little like a filler, and a little like a main chapter, so I cant exactly tell you how much action will be in this chapter.

Chapter 2

The Hogyoku

:::On the Road to Kyoto:::

Ichigo stifled a laugh as Orihime was once again knocked to the ground as she struggled to train by fighting against Rukia. Even though he hated her, he had to admit; that midget could fight. The day before, the group had stopped off at Hunter Headquarters to instate Tatsuki and Orihime into their ranks. And now, dressed in black shihakusho, they could truly be called Demon Hunters. Every time Ichigo looked at them, he felt a pang of anger pierce his heart. But he would quickly get rid of that anger. Currently, Ichigo was chained to a tree, with Shirayuki standing drowsily next to him. Tatsuki, who had been fighting against Rukia for the past half an hour, sat not to far off, breathing heavily as she tried to recover her energy. Considering their mission, the two new Hunters had to get all the training they could get. …our mission… Ichigo thought as the details of their current mission went through his mind.

Between Demons and Humans, was a very fine line. And because of this, there were two weapons that controlled this line. One was the Sogyoku; it was a weapon of the Humans that could be used to kill many demons at once. The other was the Hogyoku; it was the weapon of the Demons and held vast powers. The Hogyoku, unlike its twin, did not kill many humans at once. Instead, it erased the line between human and demon, and turned humans and demons into half breeds. Because of this power, Humans and Demons constantly debated who should own it. Humans wanted it so they could keep demons in line, and have something to threaten the race of powerful animals with. Demons wanted it because it was their oldest artifact. Humans, finally seeing that they couldn't get the demons to hand over the Hogyoku, decided to send squads of Hunters after it. Ichigo, Rukia, Tatsuki, and Orihime had been sent after it, just like many other Hunters. The Head Hunter, Shigekuni Genryuusai Yamamoto, had sent Ichigo along with high hopes, thinking that a Demon would be able to find the Hogyoku better then any Hunter. And so, this was their mission.

They had heard rumors that a group of Demons was currently hiding out in Kyoto, and they had the Hogyoku with them. That was their destination, and Rukia thought that she would be a fool if they didn't get there before others did. And as a result, she had been pushing Shirayuki, Ichigo, Tatsuki's black male horse Kage, and Orihime's silver female horse Hoshi to run faster and longer ever since they had left, with few stops for water and food. When they did stop, Shirayuki, Kage, and Hoshi were allowed to graze and drink, while Ichigo was chained to a tree with no food or water. Of course, this didn't bother him, since Shirayuki would sneak strips of meat from Rukia's pack, and bring a cloth full of water for him.

Because the Hogyoku was a Demon's weapon, Ichigo could nearly constantly sense it. It's power drew all demons closer to it, for the energy it radiated promised any who owned it great power. But there were two problems; one, Ichigo didn't want to help the Humans find the Hogyoku. He believed that the only race that could even handle the Hogyoku was the Demons. The other problem…even though he could sense it, he couldn't pinpoint it's exact location. In other words…it was like looking for a pebble in a dark mansion.

"Hey, Ichigo!" Tatsuki said, waving her hand in front of the Wolf's face. Ichigo blinked with wide eyes, and looked over to Tatsuki.

"When'd you get there?" He asked. Tatsuki stared with a blank expression.

"I've been here nearly the entire time! You zoned out!" Tatsuki answered. Ichigo smirked inwardly, but just shrugged. "Hey, do you know how long it'll be until we reach Kyoto?" Tatsuki asked.

"At the rate we're going? We'll get there tomorrow. Why? Not liking the traveling?" Ichigo asked, cocking his head.

"Uh, no, that's not it. I'm getting to tired!" The human girl complained. Ichigo choked in a laugh.

"You're tired? Shirayuki, Kuro, and Hoshi are the ones that are running while you guys sit on their backs. They should be the ones that are tired." Ichigo responded. Tatsuki opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it, looking a little confused. "Try another one." Ichigo crossed his arms over his chest, smirking at the girl.

"…uh…Saddle Sores?" Tatsuki offered. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her. "Alright! I'm not used to all the traveling yet! We've been riding almost nonstop, and I'm used to being able to sit in a chair and just stare at a wall." Tatsuki admitted. Ichigo chuckled.

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it, since we're going after the Hogyoku." Ichigo sighed. Tatsuki sat down calmly next to the Demon-Boy.

"So…what exactly is the Hogyoku?" Tatsuki asked.

"Well…like how the Hunters and Humans have the Sogyoku, we Demons have the Hogyoku. The Hogyoku can, basically, break down the wall between the Demons and the Humans, and turn both races into half breeds. After a while, the wall that separates the person's Demon side and Human side will begin to fade, and the Human will turn into a Demon, and the Demon into a Human. But if the person who's being changed can get the Hogyoku to reverse the process, then they can either return to their original self, or become a permanent half breed." Ichigo explained. "There's a legend that goes along with the Hogyoku. It's said, that 1,000 years ago, a little Demon child was running through the forest, chasing a glowing black and red bird. While he was chasing that bird, he did not notice the Hunters that were following him. They wanted to kill the young Demon, and they didn't care that he was such as small child. The Demon Child had just gotten the bird to land on his finger…when the Hunters attacked. They attempted to kill the boy…before suddenly, the bird, which had been watching the entire time, glowed even brighter then before. The bird grew and grew, until it was the size of the Demon Child himself. The bird was the first Demon that had ever been born! The bird wrapped its wings around the boy, and in a flash, the bird was gone. But the Demon Boy had gained powers nobody had ever seen before. And before the Hunters could react…the Demon Boy used his newfound powers, and compressed them into a small sphere…and named it the Hogyoku." Ichigo said. "The life force of the Hunters in the radius of seventy meters was taken, leaving them an empty husk, and this life force was morphed into a giant spear, and this spear was named the Sogyoku. The Demons, discovering that the Sogyoku had the power to kill Demons easily, abandoned the Sogyoku to the Humans with little interest, but took the Hogyoku from the boy. For the past 1,000 years, groups of demons have taken turns, running the Hogyoku from one location to the other, changing location every 10 years." Ichigo then sighed after the long tale. "And that's the tale of the Hogyoku."

"Wow…one-thousand years…" Tatsuki said in awe. "That's a long time…"

"Not to us demons. It's actually a short amount of time. Now the first Demon…he's the really old one." Ichigo chuckled, before wincing as a sudden pounding pain throbbed in the right side of his head. He laughed mentally. Gomen, gomen. He chuckled. "And not old like 'Cavemen Years'. We're talking 'Dinosaur Years'."

"But…still…what happened to the Demon Bird?" Tatsuki asked.

"The Phoenix? Some say that the Boy had taken the soul of the Phoenix and turned it into the Hogyoku. Others say the Bird merged with the boy. Others say that, since the Sogyoku's Soul is that of a Fire Bird, that the Phoenix was the one turned into the Sogyoku, and the boy was turned into the Hogyoku. Nobody really knows for sure. The tale has changed much in the minds of the ones who weren't involved." Ichigo responded.

"So then the legend you told me was just another version of it, and not what happened exactly?" Tatsuki asked. Ichigo blinked, and looked at the girl out of the corner of his eyes. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"…right." He said unconvincingly.

"Oi! Mutt!" Rukia barked from where she stood, helping up a downed Orihime. Ichigo looked up with annoyance in his eyes. "Round up the horses! We're leaving!" Rukia ordered. Ichigo sighed, but stood up anyway. He offered his hand to Tatsuki, who happily took it, and allowed the Wolf to pull her a few inches off the ground, before letting her fall to her feet.

"Get ready to leave." Ichigo said as he clicked his tongue three times. The three horses trotted over to him, and allowed him to tighten their saddles onto their backs. "We need Mikazuki here." Ichigo muttered to Shirayuki, who swished her tail and snorted. "He's nice, you know. I'm not the only nice one." Shirayuki stared at Ichigo with a blank look. "Well, I'm nice enough!" Ichigo grunted as he struggled to get Kage to take the bit of the bridle in his mouth; Kage was one of the younger, rebellious types, instead of calm and obedient, like Shirayuki. Ichigo held the horses steady as their riders climbed onto their saddles, then waited with an angry glare as Rukia unhooked the chain from the tree, and reattached the metal cuff around her wrist. With a flash and a crack, Ichigo stood in his wolf form, his tail flicking impatiently. Rukia nudged Shirayuki forward, and within seconds, the four animals were racing down the road, the horses with their riders, and Ichigo with a few bags strapped to his back and side. I'm not their pack animal, damn it! Why couldn't they get another horse for this job? Kentai would love this job…but they wouldn't love Kentai. Ichigo thought absentmindedly to himself, thinking of the Horse demon that had been a friend to him since he was in his pup years. Technically, he still was a pup; just an older, larger pup. The Wolf released a quiet sigh from his massive lungs as he followed Shirayuki at her left side, just a few feet from being neck-and-neck with her. The sun was already beginning to go down; it looked like another all-night run was coming up.

:::The Next Day, Kyoto:::

Ichigo groaned to himself as his feet ached when they touched the ground. After running throughout the night, the horses had been left in a stable at the entrance of Kyoto to rest and get food and water, while Ichigo had been forced to come with the others to carry anything and everything they needed. And because of this, he had a bag slung over his shoulder, and one tied to his back. Even in human form I'm a pack animal! Ichigo snapped in his thoughts, then hissed as insane laughter went through his head. The crowd, at first, stayed clear of Ichigo, for the black wolf ears, and the wolf tail. But once they noticed how he was dressed as a slave, and had a metal collar and a chain around his neck, the crowd began to fill back in, yet stared at Ichigo with disgust. Whispers were going through the crowds of people, and a little kid had even thrown something at him. Rukia sneered at the Wolf, while Tatsuki and Orihime looked sorry for him. Ichigo, on the other hand, didn't care much. For the years that he had spent with Rukia, this was close to nothing.

"What are we even looking for?" Orihime asked innocently.

"Any Demons or Humans that we can question." Rukia responded, her eyes darting back and forth through the crowd. Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he sensed the familiar aura of a batch of snake demons. He growled angrily, making a few in the crowd skitter away from him.

"What is it, Mutt?" Rukia asked over her shoulder, looking slightly interested. Ichigo pointed off to his right.

"Snake demons. In that shop. There." Ichigo responded. Rukia nodded, and walked into the wooden building. She looked around as the other three crowded in after her. Suddenly, a man shouted, the sound being low and angry.

"We don't serve his kind here!" The owner of the shop snapped, pointing at Ichigo with disdain on his face. Rukia smirked at Ichigo, before looking back to the man.

"Don't worry. He wont be touching anything. He's my pet, and a good little mutt at that." Rukia said with a sickeningly-sweet smile. Ichigo snarled quietly at the girl, but didn't say anything. The owner's hand twitched towards a sword at his belt.

"Fine. You have two minutes." The man growled, and stormed off to calm a frantic mother. Rukia turned to Ichigo.

"You heard that man. Where's the other demons?" Rukia ordered. Ichigo narrowed his eyes, but looked around the shop, his wolf ears twitching. Each Demon, even in human form, had a strange sound when walking. Demons that had pads on their paws had quiet footsteps, all sounding different in some small, almost unnoticeable way. Snakes and Dragons had quiet whisking sounds, like scales scraping against the ground softly. Ichigo waited, before:

"There. Group of three, to the left, four feet." Ichigo said, pointing without even looking. And when he turned, indeed, there stood three people, two tall and skinny and the other short, with sharp, retracting fangs in their mouths. Rukia strode forward quickly, and grabbed the smallest one, and looked to the taller two. She smirked at the shock in their eyes at seeing a Hunter.

"You three will be coming with us. And if you don't, I will cut you down where you stand." Rukia ordered lowly.

"What if we don't want to? You don't scare us, Hunter." The tall male sneered, even though he was eyeing the smaller one with a protective gleam. Ichigo cleared his throat, and walked up to the three.

"I'm sorry, Snakes. You seem like nice demons…" Ichigo said in the strange language that Demons snakes spoke. To him and the Snakes, it sounded like words. To other humans, it sounded like strange hissing that was coming from behind a wall. "…but we need you three to come with us. I promise as a Wolf Demon, that I wont let this Midget Bitch harm you." Ichigo promised, cracking a small smile. The female looked between the small boy and the tall man.

"We don't care about what happens to us…just as long as our son is okay. He was the only one who hatched out of the four eggs that we've had…" The female Snake said. Ichigo looked down to the little boy, before crouching in front of him.

"Don't worry. You, your mom, and your dad wont be harmed." Ichigo said, before looking up at the two Adult Snakes. "Will you come with us?" He asked.

"We will come with you." The two said. Ichigo sighed in relief, before standing up, and looking to Rukia.

"They'll come with us." Ichigo said, nodding. Rukia spun around with a huff, and strutted importantly out of the shop. Ichigo was jerked along not after, and the three Snakes followed next to him, with the little Snake hatchling clinging to his side.

"Why do you let her push you around?" The mother Snake whispered to Ichigo. The Wolf opened his mouth, ready to reply, before pausing, and closing his mouth.

"…I have no idea…" He replied, causing the two older Demons to laugh. "Probably because of this chain around my neck. If I do something she thinks is out of line, or is 'To high for a miserable like me', then this damn collar tightens around my throat and chokes me. Disobeying her…not a good idea." Ichigo muttered. The two nodded in understanding.

"What does she want us for anyway?" The father paused. "It is a she, right?" He asked. Ichigo nodded.

"The Hunters are after the Hogyoku." Ichigo whispered to them. The three Snakes let their eyes widen; apparently even the little boy knew.

"The Hunters want our artifact? They cant do that! We already allowed them to keep the Sogyoku!" The father hissed in anger and annoyance. "Humans just don't know when to back off!"

"I agree." Ichigo sighed. "And…I know something they don't know." Ichigo said, then whispered to the three something that nobody but a Demon of the Snake race could understand. The Snakes eyes widened again.

"Are you serious? The Hogyoku…is like that?" The little boy asked. Ichigo nodded down to the boy, and rubbed his head.

"Yes, it is. Even if they found it, it wouldn't matter. Besides…we Demons wont take that. If they find it, that is. It's like trying to fine a chipped marble in a lake of perfect marbles. It wont be found, but it's fun to watch people freak out over finding it." Ichigo said. The Snakes nodded in understanding as they were led into a patch of trees. Rukia suddenly whirled, and pulled out her sword, and pointed it at the Snakes.

"Now. I want you three to tell me anything you know about where the Hogyoku is in Kyoto, or I'll slice you all to pieces." Rukia growled.

"We've heard rumors that the Hogyoku was being carried by a group of Cat demons. Why don't you search for those?" The father suggested, his eyes narrowing to slits as he stared at Rukia.

"You know more then that." Rukia said, pushing her sword forward a little more, towards the small hatchling. Ichigo's fists clenched as he watched silently.

"No, we don't." The mother hissed. Rukia suddenly grabbed the small boy again, and held the tip of her sword to the side of his head.

"Tell me, or this kid gets a sword through the head." Rukia ordered lowly. Ichigo suddenly reached forward, and grabbed the sword in his right hand. With a sizzling sound, the palm of his hand and his fingers turned red, and with a quiet snap, half of Rukia's sword snapped right off, having been melted in half.

"Stop." He growled, throwing the sword half behind him. He turned to the Snake Demons. "I told you that you wouldn't get hurt. I'm going to live up to that. Go. Hurry." Ichigo said. The two Snake Adults grabbed their son, and raced off, towards the western exit. Rukia whirled on Ichigo, and slapped him across the face, sending him sprawling to the ground, holding the side of his head that now held a throbbing pain.

"You little Mutt! They had more information, I know it!" Rukia snapped in pure anger.

"They did not! They told you everything they knew! And then you had the nerve to go and threaten the only son that has survived! What the hell is wrong with you and your race? All humans are IDIOTS!" Ichigo screamed back, climbing to his feet, and pointing a finger at the smaller girl. Rukia whacked it aside with the flat of her blade, making the finger crack uncomfortably.

"Don't go pointing your finger at me, you damn Dog! You're nothing! Your entire race is nothing! All Demons are nothing! You are all just evil, mindless animals that can do nothing but kill! You're the stupid ones, and we Humans are the superior ones! Don't you DARE point at me!" Rukia spat at the Wolf.

"Oh you're the superior race? Then why is my kind the one that has the Hogyoku? Why are we the ones with the power to make the weapon that gave you Hunters your stupid weapons from the Sogyoku? Why are we the ones that can escape horrible injuries while you Humans die from a paper cut?" Ichigo yelled, his voice rising with each word. "Face it, you damn Hunter! We Demons are the ones that beat you Humans any day!" Rukia suddenly punched Ichigo in the jaw, sending him crashing into a tree. Rukia's eye twitched as she was practically smoking from the ears. Before Ichigo could do anything, he was chained to a tree with only one foot to move in any direction, and right on the edge of groove of trees. Rukia then began to storm away.

"Let's see how well you fare with being tied to a tree for five days with no food or water, Mutt!" Rukia yelled over her shoulder. "Tatsuki, Orihime, come on!" Rukia ordered. The two girls scampered after the shorter girl as Ichigo straightened his body, and leaned back against the tree he was chained to, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Even though she's a midget female Human, she's still got a really hard punch." Ichigo grumbled as he wiped the blood from his fist, to his dirty pants. I wonder if she's really going to be leaving me here for five days. Ichigo said, then paused.

'I wouldn't doubt it.' Said a deep voice from, seemingly, somewhere off to Ichigo's right. Ichigo just nodded his head without much thought.

:::Five Days Later:::

Rukia walked towards where she had tied up the Demon. She would never admit it…but her investigation of the Hogyoku had gone…horribly. She hadnt found one person who knew anything, or what she was even talking about. She didn't exactly want to say it…but…she needed the Mutt to help her sniff out the Cat demons that the Snakes had mentioned. So when she was heading towards the area the Wolf was chained up, she almost ran, excided about finding the Hogyoku before any other Hunter. When the spot came into sight, what she saw…shocked her. Blood was all over the ground, and the Wolf was sprawled on the grass, cuts covering his body, and a dagger pinning his right shoulder to the dirt. His eyes were closed, and it wasn't just because of the blood that was running into his eyes from the cut on his forehead. The grass around the Wolf's body was torn to shreds, and spears and swords covered in the dark blood of a demon covered the sharp, cold metal. The three females just stared with shock, before Orihime and Tatsuki ran to the Wolf. "Ichigo!" The gasped.

Ichigo? Who the hell is that? Rukia thought to herself as she watched the two girls help the Wolf into a sitting position.

"Ow." He muttered as his fingers brushed the hilt of the dagger. "You think that's gonna leave a mark?" Ichigo asked sarcastically.

"What happened to you?" Tatsuki asked worriedly,

"This is what happens when you leave a Demon chained to a tree for five days." Ichigo responded, glancing to Rukia shortly. She looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes.

Why do I feel guilty? He's a demon! Rukia thought to herself, before a yelp reached her ears. She turned back to Ichigo, who was cradling the hilt of the dagger.

"Don't do that!" Ichigo yelped. Tatsuki wiped her hand free of the demon blood on the grass.

"Well, you cant walk through Kyoto with a dagger in your shoulder!" Tatsuki insisted.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that you can just go and pull it out!" Ichigo protested, wrapping his fingers around the hilt of the dagger. "I can do that on my own." He suddenly ripped the knife from his shoulder with a sickening squelch, and threw it to the ground. He covered the hole with the heel of his palm. He glanced to Rukia, before looking down to her feet. "We leaving? Did you find the other Demons?" Ichigo asked.

"…no, we didn't…we're still looking." Rukia said slowly, before unhooking the chain from the tree. But instead of putting the cuff on her wrist, she just held it. "Come on." She said. Ichigo staggered to a stand, and followed behind her, still clutching his wound. She suddenly turned into a large brick building, and walked up to the counter. She whispered to the lady behind the wooden desk, who suddenly jumped up, and raced out of the room. She returned seconds later, with a man dressed in expensive clothes following. She pointed to Rukia and then Ichigo, and talked quietly and quickly. The man nodded, before looking to Ichigo.

"You're a Demon, correct?" The man asked. Ichigo nodded slowly. The man then smiled, and clapped his hands together. "Good. Just confirming it! I know for a fact that Demons have a different body makeup then we Humans do, and that's really important in my line of work! Now! What kind of Demon are you?" The man asked.

"…Wolf." Ichigo replied in a low voice. The man clapped excitedly. Oh my god…if he tries to kick me in the face…he might be my dad's twin. Ichigo thought.

"Oh really? A Wolf? I havent seen a Wolf in a long time! What pack are you from? SnowPack? MountainPack?" The man asked. Ichigo shook his head.

"LunarPack. In the Moon Territory." Ichigo responded.

Moon Territory? There's actually living creatures in that area? And Demons have Packs and Clans? Rukia thought.

"Oooo! I didn't know there was a LunarPack. I've heard rumors, but never actually proof! Anyway, my name's Mr. Aki. I'm the Doctor of Kyoto, and I've treated Demons before. You'll be good as new before you know it." Mr. Aki said, and then waved his hand behind him. "Why don't you follow me? Ms. Kuchiki and your friends can wait out here." Mr. Aki said. Ichigo looked between Rukia and the man. Rukia nodded and waved her hand towards the man. With a deep inhale of breath, Ichigo followed the doctor away. Once the door closed behind them, Rukia wiped her hands on her hakama pants.

"I'll be right back." She said, and then left.

:::An Hour Later:::

After an hour, Rukia, Orihime, and Tatsuki were allowed to see Ichigo as he sat in a bed in a room. As soon as they entered the room, Ichigo turned his gaze to Rukia. "What are you playing at?" Ichigo asked, trying to keep back a growl from his voice. "Why did you do this for me?"

"Because. It's my fault you got hurt, and…and…" Rukia said, then bit her bottom lip. "And you're…you're not like…I felt guilty!" Rukia improvised. Ichigo blinked as Rukia turned around. "If I hadnt snapped like that, and hadnt left you there, then you'd be fine, and you wouldn't have to be in a Hospital, and you wouldn't be like you are now, and we could probably be on our way back to Headquarters with the Hogyoku by now." Rukia said. All was silent.

"Thank you." Ichigo mumbled. Rukia looked over her shoulder.

"Huh?" She asked, slightly shocked.

"Mr. Aki said that I could have bled to death. Thank you." Ichigo repeated. Rukia tossed a bundle at Ichigo, and then walked out of the room.

"Get better fast. We're leaving in two days." Rukia said over her shoulder. Ichigo looked at the bundle, and pulled it apart. He blinked down with shock at what was held in his hands, and then read the note that was in the middle.

Get well soon, Wolf.

:::The Next Day:::

Ichigo walked out of the room he had been in, and stretched. That had been the first night in years that he had slept in a real bed, and it had felt great. He looked down at the bundle that Rukia had thrown at him the day before. She had given him new clothes, and, compared to everything else she had thrown at him over the years, this was the best. He now had an burnt-orange hakama that hid his tail, and a white kimono top. Tied in his hair was a black bandana, covering his ears. He actually looked…Human. It was a little weird. Rukia walked around the corner, snapping the cuff of the chain back around her wrist. She looked up at Ichigo. "Does it fit?" She asked. Ichigo nodded uncertainly. "Good. You shouldn't get attacked by Humans anymore, and your Demon scent will hold off other Demons." Rukia said.

"Uh…thanks." Ichigo said again. She just nodded.

"Do you think you can find the Cats?" She asked. Ichigo's nose twitched, and his pupils narrowed into thinner slits as he caught the scent of Cat. Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, I can. In fact…they're close." Ichigo said. Rukia jumped up and down, squealing happily.

"Lead us there then." She said, quickly composing herself. Ichigo stared down with wide eyes.

"Uh…alright?" He responded, and led the group out of the Hospital. He weaved through the road, until he suddenly reached down, and pulled up a silver domestic cat that screeched and to claw his arm to shreds. He just held the cat out of the way by the scruff of its neck. "Hey. I know that you're a Demon." Ichigo said. The cat stopped hissing, and then sniffed the air.

"And you're a Wolf." The cat spoke as Rukia, Orihime, and Tatsuki finally caught up. "What do you want?" Ichigo looked down to the other five cats that the first silver female had been with. He looked back to the cat.

"One question. Do you have the Hogyoku?" Ichigo asked. The cat's eyes widened, before narrowing.

"Why? You're chained to a Hunter; why should we tell you anything?" The cat asked. Ichigo's eyes narrowed, and he held a claw to the cat's throat.

"You know…living around Hunters for a few years, you pick up on some Human interrogation techniques. I don't have a sword…but I do have claws." Ichigo said. The cat's eyes widened again.

"No, we don't have the Hogyoku. We're just carrying a decoy so others wont find the original location. And no, we don't know where the original location is." The Cat replied. Ichigo dropped the Cat, and turned to Rukia.

"Sorry. Looks like it was a dead end." Ichigo said. Rukia scowled at the ground, before turning.

"Oh well…I'll send word to Headquarters, and see what they want us to do. Come on…looks like we have to go find an Inn that takes Demons." Rukia said. Ichigo's eyes widened before he was jerked along behind Rukia. "Sorry." She muttered.

An Inn that takes Demons? I'm staying in an Inn, not outside? Damn, she must feel pretty guilty. Ichigo thought as he followed along behind her. He smiled slightly. Maybe I should get hurt more often.

Told you. It was like a filler chapter. The next update is going to be Vulpes Alveus. I'm going on Vacation to Michigan (Bet you don't care where I'm going! But you will! There's no Wireless Internet there! Le Gasp!) from the 18 till the 29, so I wont be updating…at all. Unless my family MIRACULOUSLY got a computer at the house, then I wont have any chance to put anything up. Alright…it's 1:06 as I finish this…right, night, bye.

~Kitsune-242