Warning(IMPORTANT): This story will have a lot of religious bashing, cursing, and some gore. I'll be messing with the dead and poking fun at some common views on different religions. Those of you who get offended easily and are zealous church fanatics, then please don't read. I have my own beliefs in "God", and I do not agree with a lot of the 'religious stuff'. I'm not atheist. I was born a Christian, but I rarely go to church. Please, if you read this, then bear in mind that this is fiction and all of it is made-up. This has nothing to do with my beliefs and I don't REALLY mean to offend anyone, that's why I'm giving you guys a fair warning…

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Debauched Demons Deliver the Deadliest Deals

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Chapter Five

FYI: UNBETA'D

Ichigo's mind was now on autopilot. It was just too much. His whole world was falling apart and his confusion was making him delirious. Imagine, if you will, all the confusion, the anger, the frustration, the worry, the fear being sucked into a large ball. Now picture many hands pushing down on the ball in every direction. Pushing… pushing… pushing until it literally exploded and left nothing behind but a barren wasteland.

That exactly how Ichigo was feeling right now.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

It was all too much for him, and everything was happening so fast.

He looked up when he heard a hiss and saw that Shiro's large, salivating jaws were now open, revealing a blue-ish throat. A light began to form in the back of that throat and it got brighter and brighter with each passing second.

Everything happened in slow-motion to Ichigo, and instead of him being in regular-motion, he was stuck in ultra-slow-motion. His eyes widened when he saw a spark flare and he wanted to move out of the way, but his feet felt like they were made of lead.

Grimmjow growled. He wasn't fast enough to reach Ichigo in time, so he chose the next best thing—he flapped his wings and sped over the dragon's head. Just as he was about to pass over, he whipped out his hand and grabbed hold of Shiro's left horn, making Shiro's head turn as Grimmjow continued falling forward.

Ichigo took in a shaky breath as a large pillar of bright blue flames went right over his head. It had been so close—too close. Ichigo smelt something burning and quickly reached up to find that the very tips of his orange locks had been singed. He stared at the black ash on the tips of his finger in horror, realizing that if Grimmjow hadn't done what he did Shirosaki, his brother, would've set him on fire.

Here comes the hysteria again.

Ichigo felt his breathing shake and his hands quiver, but then he jumped and clenched his fists when he heard Grimmjow's voice.

"Nnoitra! Quit standin' around like a retard! Grab Ichigo and get the FUCK outta here!"

As soon as he said that, Shiro hissed and quickly snapped his head away, making Grimmjow lose his grip and then the dragon brought up one folded wing. He snapped it open, smacking Grimmjow away and sending him into a tree.

Nnoitra shook his head then grabbed Ichigo's arm and tugged him backwards, making him stumble a little. Shiro noticed the movement and instinctually lowered himself to pounce at Ichigo. Nnoitra cursed and pushed Ichigo out of reach.

The orangette spat out the dirt that had collected around his lips and gathered himself up to look back at Nnoitra. He immediately wished he hadn't.

Shiro's long teeth were imbedded in Nnoitra's arm, right by the shoulder. The man bit his lip to keep from screaming in pain and his arm writhed and twitched in Shiro's mouth, scratching at the dragon's flat, sticky tongue as well as the ridges along the roof of its mouth. Blood was seeping down Nnoitra's side and staining Shiro's mouth red. The man growled at the creature and Shiro hissed right back at him. Nnoitra grimaced at the smell that wafted passed its lips.

Ichigo could only watch helplessly as Shiro chomped down harder on the appendage and then shook his head like a dog. This time Nnoitra couldn't hold back the scream as he felt the muscle and skin of his arm tear.

"SHIRO! STOP IT!" Ichigo shouted, crawling to his feet and then he moved to run towards his brother, but he was stopped by an arm around his waist. He looked up to see Grimmjow looking back at him and shaking his head.

"It's no use, brat. This is his true form… Zangestsu. This thing—this is what he really is."

Ichigo let out a small whimper and then switched his gaze back to Shiro just in time to see Nnoitra go flying into the air. He landed somewhere in the forest, disappearing into the treetops.

Ichigo felt tears forming in his eyes as Shiro's hungry gaze turned back to him, Nnoitra's arm dangling from his jaws. He wanted to look away as the creature wrapped its tongue around the appendage and dragged it inside its waiting mouth.

"N-no…. You're wrong."

CRUNCH…

"YOU HAVE TO BE WRONG!"

CRUNCH…

"Shiro! S-Stop this! PLEASE!"

SWALLOW…

Ichigo pushed and scratched at the arm holding him back as he reached for his brother but he stopped when the dragon merely hissed at him.

Grimmjow let out a long breath and moved his hand up to press it against Ichigo's chest so that he could hold the teen against him while he raised his other hand to his own lips. He placed two fingers against his tongue and let loose a loud whistle. Ichigo kept his eyes on Shiro as the dragon looked towards the noise. A blue tongue peeked from between its lips and slowly slid across them, the hungry look back in its golden eyes at it stared at Grimmjow.

"You like the taste a' demons, big boy?" Grimmjow asked with a smirk and chuckled when Shiro seemed to purr in amusement. "Come an' get it then." He taunted while flicking his own tail around playfully, and Ichigo's eyes widened when the dragon lowered itself, readying to pounce.

Grimmjow didn't cower or run in fear, he stood his ground, keeping Ichigo pinned against him as the teen frantically tried to get out of the way.

"Are you fuckin' crazy!?"

Shiro pressed his wings against his scaly back and snapped himself forward, jaws wide open and ready to ;devour them whole. Ichigo clenched his eyes shut and found himself turning to press his face into the blue-haired demon's chest in fear. He flinched when he felt Shiro's hot breath sear the back of his neck and he swore he thought he was going to be eaten alive.

Because he had his face buried, he didn't notice the huge black blur that soared over his and Grimmjow's head and came crashing down into Shiro.

All he knew was that 3 seconds had passed and he had yet to be devoured.

He slowly peeked over his shoulder and blinked when he saw that Shiro was rolling around on the ground and there was something big and furry attached to him. It took Ichigo a minute to distinguish the claws, the fangs, the stripes, and the whiskers of the new creature.

A giant cat-like creature was gracefully pushing at Shiro and swiping at him with sharp, hooked claws. Shiro screeched and angry smoke flared from his nostrils when one of those claws caught into the thin membrane of his wing. He tried to rip his wing away, but that only made the rip bigger.

Shirosaki snarled and snapped his jaws towards the cat, barely missing when it quickly released his wing to dodge out of the way. The dragon then spread out his wings, spraying blood across the ground from the new wound. He then got to his feet and towered over the creature so he could intimidate it, but the cat only hissed at him and then sprung forward, knocking Shiro onto his back.

Ichigo gasped when Grimmjow suddenly ducked and swept him off his feet so that he was now cradled into the demon's strong arms. Ichigo winced and yelped in pain when the horn that curled down over Grimmjow right shoulder poked him in the face, nearly catching him in the eye. Ichigo rubbed his cheek and wiped away the little bit of blood before glaring up at Grimmjow, who only chuckled and mumbled out a cheeky, "oops~"

Despite being almost blinded by the dreaded horn, Ichigo automatically wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's neck and pressed close to him as the demon suddenly ducked down. The teen couldn't hold in the terrified scream as they were suddenly launched up into the air by Grimmjow's powerful legs and wings.

The quick ascent into the sky didn't stop until they were at least 2 miles up. Grimmjow gently flapped his large wings so that they remained at the same altitude and he would expertly rotate his wings around the occasional gust of wind that would whip by. Ichigo felt his heart slam against his chest and his stomach clenched whenever he finally removed his face from the demon's neck so that he could look down.

The ground was so far away that Shirosaki and the cat-creature looked like nothing but small mice.

"Ichigo…"

Said male pulled his gaze away from the earth below to look over at Grimmjow. Their eyes locked, and Ichigo found himself fascinated by the thin pupils he found surrounded by waves of sapphire. He knew he should be scared—really he did—because he was in the hands of a demonic humanoid, who had—from what Ichigo could tell—maimed his new friends and was now technically kidnapping him. He was also aware of the fact that if he were to be dropped he would find himself very well acquainted with the solid ground beneath them.

Grimmjow smirked and shifted the male in his arms so that he could lean his face closer to the other's.

"I've been dreamin' 'bout this day for a long time. The day I finally had ya in my arms…" He let out an amused chuckle and shook his head before continuing, "But you're even more captivating then I coulda ever imagined."

'Am…. Am I being hit on?'

Ichigo couldn't stop the blush that engulfed his whole face. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't breathe properly, and it wasn't just because of the thin air.

While Grimmjow and Ichigo were busy staring at each other, they didn't notice the four people surrounding them until they heard their wings flap.

Grimmjow immediately went on the defensive: baring his teeth and snarling while holding the teen closer to him. Ichigo just sighed and had the urge to roll his eyes when he saw who they were.

"Of course you guys have wings… Have I even actually met any normal people since I left the fucking church!?" He shouted at them, making Urahara chuckle while Renji and Hisagi looked a little guilty. Yoruichi just seemed amused.

Unlike Grimmjow, whose wings were bat-like and only slightly feathered, theirs were similar to a bird's. They were large and looked soft to the touch. Each one had their own color and each of them held a weapon in their hands. Urahara's wings were gold with white specks running across the inside and he held what used to be his cane but now was a sword. Yoruichi's wings were white, but the tips of each feather looked like it had been dipped in light purple paint. She also had black cat ears poking from the top of her head and a matching tail which swung back and forth around her body aggressively. Yoruichi flexed her hands, revealing metal talon-like blades attached to her fingers. Renji's wings were a pure snow-white and clasped in his hands was a large sword with jagged hooks that sprouted from the blade. Last but not least was Hisagi. He had dark, ebony wings and in his right hand was a long, deadly looking scythe.

"There's no way ya healed them this much, Red." Grimmjow hummed with a smirk as his eyes darted to each person that surrounded them. There were only small hints that remained of their previous encounter. If he remembered correctly, Urahara had been grabbing at a hole in his stomach as he bled out while Yoruichi dragged herself towards him on broken legs, and Shuuhei's arms had been ripped from their sockets.

"You're right. Like most of us, my healing doesn't go past cuts and bruises." Renji replied with a straight face which slowly morphed into a smirk. "Good thing we have gifted friends who're here to help."

At that Grimmjow chanced a glance down towards ground and what he saw made his upper lip rise in a snarl. Ichigo pursed his lips and then looked down as well.

As high up as they were, Ichigo was still somehow able to see the two people standing by Urahara's back door. Their faces were clear as day to him, and he was surprised to recognize the person on the left.

"Is that Orihime?" Ichigo mumbled to himself, remembering the nun he'd seen at Father Sousuke's church more than once. He recalled speaking her to a few times, and she'd been pleasant to talk to. The person standing beside her he didn't recognize, but he could already tell that this pale, dark-haired man was similar to Grimmjow. He wasn't transformed, but his deep green eyes held the same threatening malice that Grimmjow held when Ichigo first saw him walk out of Urahara's house.

Ichigo's thoughts cut short and his attention snapped back to the demon holding him when Grimmjow's arms tightened around him.

"You're not gettin' him! I've waited too fuckin' long for this!" Grimmjow snarled, his tailing whipping angrily and his wings flared out aggressively as he continued to flap them.

"Grimmjow… Let him go." Yoruichi spoke this time and she was slowly inching closer to the two, but this only seemed to piss off the demon. Ichigo curled up and held on for dear life as Grimmjow suddenly spun in the air. His large wings spread out and the others flinched and had to close their eyes and raise their arms when a strong blast of wind hit them. While they were busy trying to balance themselves in the air, Grimmjow took this as his chance to escape. He folded up his wings and let him and Ichigo drop. Gravity did its job and Ichigo choked on his scream when he looked up and saw that they were diving straight towards the ground.

The teen closed his eyes and had to fight the urge to vomit when Grimmjow suddenly spread out his wings and then sped forward with powerful strokes of his wings. The others had noticed this and quickly jumped into action.

They were fast.

Grimmjow cursed under his breath when Yoruichi actually already caught up to him in a matter of seconds. She dove in front of him, forcing him to change trajectory. He was forced into another circular formation and this time Renji and Shuuhei had their weapons up and ready to attack.

A loud screech rang out and pierced the air. By the time it reached them it was already fading away, but it still made each of them look down to see where it came from. Ichigo held a hand to his mouth and gasped as he saw Shirosaki fling the large cat away. Its large body slammed against the dirt and skidded to a stop until it lay motionless. Blood was already beginning to pool around it, staining its dark blue pelt red while dust and dirt clung to the open wounds which littered its body. Shirosaki waited a moment to see if it would get back up and when it didn't, the dragon raised his head and stretched out his wings to let out a long, victorious roar.

"Pantera…"

Ichigo looked up to see the sad look on Grimmjow's face, but it was short-lived and quickly morphed into anger. The demon leaned back and kicked out with his feet, hoping to catch Renji off guard, but Urahara seemed to have been expecting that. The blonde swiftly brought his sword up, piercing it through Grimmjow's shoulder.

The demon growled and winced at the attack. His wings convulsed and his arm went slack from the pain making him lose his grip on Ichigo and the poor teen was too jostled to really get a proper hold of the man.

He found himself falling and this time Grimmjow wasn't there to stop his fall and keep him airborne. Ichigo couldn't help the panicked scream that tore its way through his throat. Renji reacted quickly; he folded his wings and dove down towards the teen. He reached out and yelled at Ichigo to grab his hand and their fingers brushed together. Ichigo tried desperately to keep calm, but when a strong wind whipped by and turned him in different directions—flipping him around and spinning him until he was upside-down—it was hard not to panic. The ground was getting too close for comfort and Renji cursed when he couldn't go any faster.

Ichigo closed his eyes and curled in on himself. The wind was so loud in his ears but he could still hear the erratic beating of his own heart as hysteria took over.

He should just accept his fate shouldn't he…?

Yeah.

This new freedom he found just wasn't meant for him.

His life had shattered the moment he left the church.

When he climbed out of that hole with Shirosaki.

Just as that thought entered his mind, Ichigo slammed against something solid.

It hurt and his head throbbed from the impact, but… he was still breathing.

Ichigo blinked his eyes open and found that, yes, he was still alive, but the clouds were still streaking past his vision, and the 'ground' he landed on was shifting and moving and breathing.

When he heard the distinct 'whoosh' of wings, Ichigo sat up and found that he had landed on Shirosaki's back, and the dragon was up in the air with the others.

"S-Shiro?!" Ichigo gasped, but the dragon didn't seem to hear him, or, if it did, then it didn't bother to acknowledge at him.

Ichigo had to dig his hands into the large beast's scaly shoulder in order to stay atop its back when it abruptly paused and tilted itself upwards. Renji and the others tried to follow the dragon as it climbed its way up higher and higher, but they just couldn't keep up.

Ichigo happened to spot Grimmjow as the demon continued to fight with Urahara. Their eyes met for a split second, and he saw anger and worry flash through those deep blue eyes. The teen blinked and then his vision was suddenly obscured when Shirosaki flew straight into a cloud.

When they finally flew out of it, Ichigo found that he was covered in beads of water and his clothes were now damp. Shiro's scales had also collected a lot of water, and Ichigo found it hard to keep hold of him.

They stayed like that for a moment, just hovering over the clouds, until the others finally caught up.

Shirosaki hissed when Renji's sword swung at him. He opened his large mouth and let loose a spray of blue flames which Renji was barely able to dodge. Shiro continued breathing fire as he swung his head around, catching Yoruichi by surprise. She yelped in pain when her right wing accidentally got caught in the spray.

"SHIRO! Stop it! Stop hurting people!"

Yoruichi was having trouble staying airborne, so Shuuhei automatically flew to her aide. She gently folded up her injured wing, which was now black and crispy but still held onto most of its feathers, and then she let Shuuhei wrap her arm around his shoulder. She continued to flap her good wing and with Shuuhei's help she was able to stay up, but now they were at Shiro's mercy.

Renji reacted quickly and sped forward, swinging his sword at Shiro's chest, but all it did was leave behind a thin scratch that was barely visible against the dark scales. It definitely got the dragon's attention though.

Ichigo watched helplessly as Shirosaki whipped out his tail, slamming it against Renji's back. He could hear the crack of bone as his frail, feathered wings were crushed beneath the weight of Shiro's strength. Renji gasped in pain and his sword slipped from his fingers as he was sent flying into the clouds below. Shuuhei cursed under his breath and quickly flew towards the direction his friend had disappeared with Yoruichi still attached to his side.

Ichigo felt a hiss vibrating through Shirosaki and he could tell that the dragon was about to give chase, so he tried to do something. Anything.

"SHIROSAKI!" Ichigo screamed and then started pounding his fists against the hard scales beneath him, but it didn't seem to do much. "You're better than this! THIS ISN'T YOU! SHIRO! PLEASE!" Ichigo felt frustrated tears welling up in his eyes and he pressed his forehead against Shiro's back as he held on for dear life.

Shiro was flying upwards again, and the air was growing thin and oh so very cold. Ichigo's damp clothes were frozen and the hairs on his arms had tiny beads of frost attached to them, but Ichigo didn't care.

He just wanted his insufferable, know-it-all, devious, caring, over-protective brother back.

"Shiro… Please come back to me." He whimpered and, without thinking, he leaned forward and let his breath gently ghost across Shiro's scales before carefully pressing his lips against them. He really didn't think it would do anything so he was surprised when Shiro suddenly stopped. As if the air had frozen every one of his limbs. "Shiro…?" Ichigo called, but all he received in answer was a soft hiss.

Shirosaki suddenly started convulsing and his body began to shrink. Ichigo found it hard to keep his hold on him when the scales suddenly began to fall away. He tried to grab onto the white flesh beneath but Ichigo found himself falling, once again.

He didn't scream this time though.

He kept his eyes locked on Shirosaki as he once again became recognizable.

Save for the horns and the wings, which were now a pure white that matched his porcelain skin, Shirosaki was back to his normal self. Ichigo smiled when their eyes locked and he saw Shiro grin back at him.

For the moment, Ichigo forgot he was falling, and all he saw was the gentle look in Shiro's eyes.

Reality came crashing down though when he was engulfed by wet, freezing air as he fell into the cloud. Ice immediately began forming around the tips of his hair and he could feel his fingers going numb.

As soon as he escaped the cloud, he found himself caught in warm, waiting arms.

His shivering body curled up into the warm embrace and he looked up to see that it was Shirosaki.

He must've flew around the cloud, because there wasn't any hint of moisture on him. How was he even that fast? Impossible. And yet here he was, holding onto Ichigo.

Ichigo shook his head and opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't speak. His throat felt thick and his teeth wouldn't stop chattering.

Shiro chuckled and then angled his new wings so that they could gently descend.

Out of all the times he's been up in the air today, Ichigo could say that this was his favorite part. Shiro's hold was gentle and Ichigo was finally able to look off into the distance to see the setting sun as it bathed the sky in its dying light. The clouds were painted a deep orange and red with a hint of maroon and it went on forever in the distance.

It was beautiful.

Ichigo sighed, suddenly feeling very tired and he closed his eyes before tilting his head so that it could rest it against his brother's shoulder.

Neither of them said anything, not even when they finally reached the ground and Ichigo was placed back onto his own two feet. He stumbled a bit and nearly fell on his face because he just wasn't used to walking right now and his muscles still felt numb, but Shiro was there to keep him steady. This is when Ichigo finally realized his brother wasn't wearing any clothing. Well, they were shredded when he turned into a dragon, but that never really registered until just now. Shirosaki smirked when Ichigo's face turned bright red, but still neither of them said anything.

"Good to see you're back to normal, Zangetsu."

Both of them looked up to see everyone as they slowly landed around them, forming a sort of circle. Everyone's weapons were either away or lowered, so they didn't seem threatening, but judging by the tense muscles and hard stares they were still a little cautious.

Ichigo glared at Renji for his comment and stood in front of his brother protectively.

"His name is Shiro." He snapped, surprising the redhead, and Shirosaki's face suddenly exploded with pure happiness. Renji blinked a few times and then looked away with a huff. When he didn't say anything more, Ichigo switched his gaze to Grimmjow. The man's arms and wings were pinned down and locked in place with thick black rope. His shoulder was bleeding profusely and there was blood everywhere on him, making it hard to tell if he had any other injuries, or if that was from someone else—judging from the injuries on a Urahara it could be a little of both.

"What now…?" Ichigo asked and he didn't receive an answer for a while.

"Let's head back to my place so Orihime can work her magic." Urahara started while gesturing to Renji's wings which looked like they'd been broken in a few places and then at Yoruichi's burnt wing which was still smoking a little. "And then maybe we can finally sit down and talk. I'm sure you have a lot of questions now, Ichigo." He continued, and the teen couldn't help but agree.

Then again—he wasn't sure if he even wanted to know now.

Maybe it was better to just stay oblivious, but when he looked back at Shirosaki who was still in his new form he felt that it was definitely far too late for that.

"Are you going to heal him, too?" Ichigo wondered aloud and gestured towards Grimmjow as everyone started making their way towards the house on foot. Grimmjow was limping, but he remained silent and determined as he was tugged forward by Urahara.

Renji sneered and then shot said demon a glare.

"I say we call up Kokuto and have this asshole brought straight to Tartarus."

Ichigo noticed how both Shiro and Grimmjow flinched at Kokuto's name, but he didn't point it out. Instead, he tilted his head curiously and said, "Tartarus? That sounds really familiar…"

Urahara waved his hand dismissively and replied, "Don't worry Ichigo. Everything will be explained to you shortly."

Ichigo huffed and went to argue, but he stopped when he felt a warm hand slide into his and fingers wind between his own. He looked back and saw that it was Shirosaki. The man wasn't looking at him though. He was staring towards the house which was getting closer and closer. Ichigo sighed and remained silent. As much as he wanted to demand answers, he knew that he'd rather be sitting somewhere comfortable, because, judging by everything that just happened this was going to be a very longgggg conversation.

"Heyyyyy~! Is everyone okay!?"

Ichigo looked up to see Orihime waving them over and once they were close enough, the auburn haired woman immediately began looking over everyone's injuries. It was really strange seeing her out of her nun clothes and in a more casual outfit. He already knew she was very… well endowed, but he couldn't help but stare. He must've been a little too obvious about it because Shirosaki snickered and elbowed him playfully while the pale man beside her glared at him.

Ichigo gulped nervously and frowned. He then jumped back and nearly gasped when a bright orange bubble suddenly appeared around Yoruichi. Shirosaki wrapped an arm around his shoulder to keep him still as they watched what happened next.

Ichigo couldn't hear anything that happened inside, but he could tell she was sighing in bliss as her wing began to heal. It was like magic. The burnt and cracked skin was mending itself and brand new feathers grew where the old ones were burnt away.

Orihime went to each person in turn, administering the same healing magic on their injuries. She paused in front of Ichigo and Shirosaki and let her eyes wander their bodies, searching for anything wrong.

Ichigo thought maybe Shirosaki would cover his shame, but when he seemed unabashed by his own nakedness, Ichigo felt the need to do it for him. Shiro raised a brow when Ichigo suddenly moved until he could block him from Orihime's view, blushing all the while.

Orihime shrugged and moved along when she found nothing wrong with either of them and then made her way towards Grimmjow. The demon bared his teeth and shrunk away from her, growling like a feral beast.

Urahara 'tsk'ed and tugged at the rope as if it was a leash on a dog.

Grimmjow snarled at the man and went to kick him, but a glowing wall got in his way. He tried to jump away, but he found himself boxed in and the rope still had his wings trapped, making it impossible to fly up and out of the box.

Orihime crossed her arms and sighed before turning towards Urahara.

"Permission to heal him and Pantera."

Ichigo looked over to the large cat-like beast that he remembers Grimmjow referring to as 'Pantera' and winced when he noticed that it had tried to drag itself closer towards the demon, leaving behind a thick trail of blood which seeped straight into the ground. Pantera's breathing was weak and it could barely keep its eyes open. Grimmjow's eyes snapped towards Pantera when he heard the pathetic whimper that escaped its gapping maw.

Ichigo saw many different emotions flit across the demon's face before anger seemed to stick and he started shouting profanities. He kicked the barrier and cursed at Orihime before she finally flicked her wrist, creating a ceiling for the box which effectively blocked out the sounds which spilled from Grimmjow's filthy mouth.

That just seemed to piss the demon off and he started ramming himself against the barrier. Blood splashed against it with every hit, and Grimmjow seemed to wince in pain, but he didn't stop.

"You want to heal that?" Renji scoffed and continued his glaring at Grimmjow.

Orihime seemed to be rethinking her choice, but Ichigo could already tell that she would heal him anyway. She was too kind-hearted—but if they tried to stop her, then it might make her decision harder.

Ichigo stepped forward slowly and pressed his hand up against the barrier. Grimmjow was the first to notice him and he paused in his rampaging. He just stood there, panting from the effort. Their eyes locked and Ichigo smiled sadly at him before turning to Orihime.

"Could you please heal him?"

The woman seemed taken aback by the request. Not because she didn't want to, but because not many people would want a demon to be brought back to full strength.

"Are you sure..?" She asked.

Ichigo looked back at Grimmjow, their eyes locking intensely, and he narrowed his eyes as if to ask, 'You won't hurt anyone, right?'

Grimmjow seemed to get the message and he quickly looked away. He stared off in thought for a little while before returning his gaze to Ichigo and nodding slowly.

"Yeah. It'll be fine."

Orihime looked to Urahara, who nodded at her and she immediately raised her hands to begin working on the demon.

"Now then… I assume you and Ulquiorra can take care of things out here." Urahara looked towards the two, who nodded in understanding. "You can meet with us inside once you're done. Shirosaki, come with me and I'll find you some clothes."

Shirosaki pouted at that.

"But I like bein' naked. Makes Ichigo blush a lot."

Just as he said that, Ichigo did exactly that.

"Shut up and go." The orangette snapped, making Shirosaki laugh.

Ichigo huffed at him and then reached behind himself when his back began to itch horribly.

Renji moved forward and scratched at his back for him, making the teen sigh in delight. Ichigo didn't bother pushing him away because during the two weeks he'd lived with him and Shuuhei, Renji had taken it upon himself to do this for Ichigo whenever the teen seemed to have trouble with his back.

After a second he grabbed hold of Ichigo's hand and the berry blushed a little at the contact, but he didn't bother pulling away as he was dragged towards the house. He peered over his shoulder to take one last look at Grimmjow. He could see those blue eyes were still following him, and he gave the demon a reassuring smile, to which Grimmjow frowned at and finally looked away.

Renji and Shuuhei sat the teen down on what was left of the couch before taking a seat on the floor beside him, waiting patiently for the others to join them. Ichigo took his time looking around the living room, which was now shredded and messy—most likely from Grimmjow. And it made him wonder if it really was okay for Orihime to heal him.

He didn't get to think on it much before Shirosaki, Urahara and Yoruichi stepped into the living room. Shirosaki was now adorned in a clean pair of jeans and a shirt that was a little too big for him, but Ichigo was just glad he was covered up.

Ichigo also noticed that they were all back in what he could only assume was their 'human' form, except Yoruichi. Her wings were gone but she still kept her cat ears and tail.

Shirosaki quickly placed himself next to Ichigo on the couch. He was practically on the poor teens lap because there wasn't that much left of the couch, but they made it work. Yoruichi and Urahara pushed some things away until they found some cushions to sit on. They passed a few to Renji and Shuuhei, who took them gratefully and then they laid out a few more for the other that were still outside.

Once they were settled Ichigo finally spoke up.

"Can you please start explaining!? This is driving me crazy!" He snapped while crossing his arms.

Urahara hummed and brought out a fan from nowhere to wave in front of his face mysterious before he spoke up.

"Welllll…. Where to begin…" The green and white hat shadowed his eyes as he peered at the two brothers. "I suppose Zang—I mean Shiro should be the one to start."

Said man tensed when eyes suddenly fell on him.

Ichigo looked at him expectantly, and he had no choice but to answer.

He sighed and rubbed at his temples.

"There any way I could 'ave tha' discussion wit' him… alone…?"

"Why? So you can run off with him to never be seen again. I don't think so." Was Renji's automatic reply.

Ichigo gave him a sharp glare, which shut him up, before turning to look at Shiro.

"Just started explaining, Shiro…"

Said man scratched the back of his neck nervously before sighing in defeat.

"Man… This is gonna suck to explain… And remember you promised not ta hate me…" Ichigo rolled his eyes and nodded before waving for him to continue. "Well… Ichi… I'm not actually your brother." Shiro winced and looked away at the shocked expression that spread across Ichigo's face. Here comes the hurt look, now the betrayed, and then the angry.

"Keep talking." Ichigo demanded.

Shiro groaned, as if saying all of this aloud was physically painful.

"I… I'm… My real name… Well my original name was Zangetsu. I'm a demon from hell."

Ichigo blinked and couldn't help it as he shifted away from Shirosaki, but the man wouldn't let him get far. He kept Ichigo close as he continued explaining—figuring it was too late to stop now.

"I was originally a guard in Tartarus. I was in charge of punishing and torturing the demons who tried to escape." He paused when Ichigo slowly started shaking his head.

"What is this Tartarus place?"

Shirosaki tilted his head in thought, unsure of how to really explain it to Ichigo. They both looked to Urahara as he coughed to get their attention.

"I can probably jump in at this point." Ichigo motioned for him to continue. "First thing's first. Renji and Shuuhei told me that you were raised by Aizen, so I'm assuming he taught you all different religions, right? Not just Christianity."

Ichigo slowly nodded his head at that. "Yeah. I mean, he put a lot of emphasis on the Catholic teachings, but he also made me study scrolls for the Egyptian gods and others like the Greeks." Something seemed to click when Ichigo said that and he turned back towards Shiro. "Tartarus! That's from Greek mythology!" Both Shiro and Urahara nodded at that.

"Yes. And knowing that you're aware of other religions will make explaining this a little easier…" He shifted on the cushion he was seated on before starting again. "You see. The terms 'Heaven' and 'Hell' are very generic, and are more or less used to describe regions. The afterlife is composed of much more than just the idea of 'good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell'. No. When a normal person dies, they stay with their body until a Grim Reaper comes to collect them." He paused to make sure Ichigo was still following along. The teen seemed to be getting a hang of it. "Once they're collected the Reaper brings them to Anubis."

"Anubis… As in the Egyptian god of mummification?" Ichigo asked, his orange brows furrowing in mild surprise.

"Yes… That's the one. Except no one mummifies people anymore, so we set him back into his original task of granting permission into the afterlife. Once you're granted a pass by him—and the only reason you wouldn't get a pass was if you were part demon—you then enter Purgatory."

"So you wouldn't go straight to heaven?"

Each of them chuckled at that, as if it was some inside joke and Ichigo scowled at each of them.

"No, no, Ichigo. The heaven that you're thinking of is only meant for creatures like us. Humans can't enter without being dissolved into nothingness. The closest they'll get is the city 'Olympus'."

"And what are you guys?" Ichigo asked. "I guess I know Shiro is a demon, and I'm assuming that's what that guy, Grimmjow, is."

Urahara nodded. "Yes that's right. There's actually three types of higher beings: Demons, Angels, and Neutrals." Ichigo rubbed his temples when he felt a headache starting up. "Demons are creatures that are born in Hell. Angels born in Heaven. And Neutrals are creatures born from the old gods. For example. I'm a Neutral because my great great grandfather is Zeus, even though my mother was an Angel, I'm still considered Neutral. And Renji here is a pureblooded Angel." He gestured towards the redhead and Ichigo looked to see him smiling sheepishly.

"Wait I thought a human could turn into an Angel when they died and were pure enough. But you make it sound like Angels and Demons are just another species."

Urahara shook his head. "That's pretty much what I'm trying to say. And purity has nothing to do with anything that goes on in the afterlife. Pure. Impure. Good. Bad. They're all such loose terms, because the only thing that decides that is your Society. In the US today it is considered immoral and bad to lock people in a cage and force them to fight each other. But during Roman times it was the highlight of their era and was considered an honor. So when a human dies they are placed into purgatory and after a certain number of years, they are given permission to move to Olympus. At that point, if they wish, they can go to their respective 'God' and ask permission to either, be reincarnated or live out their life in the city. Most people reincarnate themselves, but Buddha is actually quite picky with it."

"Okay stop!" Ichigo exclaimed while waving his hands. This was all too much and he needed to think everything through carefully.

Everyone remained silent as he sat hunched over his knees, his hands wrapped around his head.

Shirosaki slowly reached out to rub the teen's back, but Ichigo quickly slapped him away.

"I don't hate you Shiro, but don't fucking touch me right now."

Said man raised his hand in defeat but remained where he was sitting. Ichigo took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"So…. If Renji is an Angel…. Then what are you guys… I'm assuming Shuuhei is one of those Reaper things because of the scythe and black wings, but I'm not too sure… And I'll just take a wild guess and say Yoruichi is a sphinx."

"Oo~ So close! I'm actually only part Sphinx. I'm also half Angel myself."

"I am a Reaper but I'm actually retired." Shuuhei smiled at him, and Ichigo raised an eyebrow curiously at that.

"But you only look like… at most 23. How can you be retired already?"

Shuuhei laughed heartily at that and everyone else smiled knowingly.

"You flatter me~ I'm actually 261 years old."

Ichigo's eyes widened and his head spun at that. He then looked towards Urahara.

"I'm about to turn 560 in a few months."

Yuroichi, "554."

Renji, "105."

The redhead huffed and blushed when Shuuhei cooed and referred to him as the baby of the group.

"How can you guys be that old!?" Ichigo shouted in disbelief and he looked to Shirosaki for an answer but stopped when he noticed the uncomfortable look on his face.

"Zangetsu is actually the oldest out of all of us." Urahara said, a tiny smirk accompanying his words.

Ichigo blinked and waited to hear from Shiro, who huffed at being dragged into the conversation.

"1,520…"

Ichigo felt like tugging at his hair in frustration. This was way too much information all at once…

"Okay so how the fuck did you grow up with me!? I remember you being a little kid! I remember the you that was small! I remember you being there when mom gave us up!"

"Well…" Shiro seemed hesitant to say anything, and it made Ichigo sigh in frustration.

"Whatever. We'll discuss it later." Ichigo grumbled, making Shiro wince slightly. "Back to what you were saying about the afterlife." Ichigo returned his attention to Urahara. "Now what about hell? If human souls only go to Purgatory then what's to stop murderers and sinners? Shouldn't they be sent to the underworld instead?"

Urahara moved his head from side to side and made gestures with his fan. "Ehhhhh~ Yes and no. Each soul is given an equal chance when they die. If they cause trouble while they're in Purgatory, depending on how bad it is, then they're sent to Tartarus, which is like Afterlife's Prison. You see, death can really change a person, especially when you're a soul looking down at your dead body. Makes you think about all the horrible things you've done. So you're given one last chance to change your ways. It's your decision whether or not you can. However, Hell is usually just a place for Demons to live and cause mayhem and whatnot. Not to say all Demons are bad." He added that last part with a pointed look at Shiro who closed his eyes and sniffed irritably.

At this point, Orihime and the others finally decided to join them. Ichigo watched curiously as the newly healed Grimmjow slowly made his way towards him. He was back in his 'human' form and he no longer had anything tied around him, so he was free to move around as he pleased. Everyone tensed at that and kept a close eye on him, but Ichigo didn't seem bothered about it. He just watched as Grimmjow quietly sat himself in front of the teen and then leaned back until he was resting against the other's knees.

Shirosaki and Renji narrowed their eyes at that, but nobody said anything, so Ichigo shrugged.

"Is there anything else I should know before I go into the corner of the room and implode with all this new fucking knowledge that's getting rammed down my throat?" Ichigo practically growled.

He wasn't mad at anyone in particular, not even at Shiro, because deep down he knew they shared a special bond and he probably never talked about this because he was scared Ichigo would never speak to him again…

"Yes actually." Urahara spoke up and Ichigo suppressed the urge to sigh. "Has your back been bothering you at all recently?" Ichigo blinked at that and shrugged.

"Yeah, kinda. It's been pretty itchy, but that's all. Why?"

"That means your wings are about to come in..."

Ichigo jumped to his feet and nearly tripped over Grimmjow in his haste to escape. Everyone watched as the poor teen scrambled his way out the door and they all closed their eyes when they heard him slam the door shut and then crumble to the floor with a loud scream. It was a horrid sound filled with frustration and fear as well as confusion.

"He's actually taking this a lot better than I thought he would…" Renji sighed as he ran a hand through long red hair.

Urahara shook his head sadly and opened his eyes when Ichigo's screams finally subsided into weak sobs.

"Yet there's so much more that he needs to learn and not a whole lot of time to teach him…"

…

..

.

TBC

I forgot to mention in the other chapter that Bold words aren't being emphasized, it's just my way of pointing out important names and places. But I'll only do each word like that during the chapter it's first mentioned.

And I apologize for the LONGGGGGGGness of this chapter

I hope the epic fighting was entertaining enough,

because there was just a lot of information that I needed to get through

And I didn't want to leave this story at another stupid cliffhanger

Stay tuned for more~~