Darkness Rises Chapter 2

GoldDragonZ: Let's just get into it. I don't own Bleach. Please support the official release.

District 42 was not as low class as the other districts. It was made up of farms and villages that traded with each other. It was there that a friendship between two small girls began. Orihime Inoue lived with her brother who worked in one of the fields close to her village. Sora Inoue was 18 years old and was raising Orihime as his own daughter because their parents were very abusive and neglectful. They often drank rice wine and smoked opium. Ironically, Sora could only find work as a collector of Poppy heads, which created the opium. Orihime was nine years old, the same age as Ichigo. She had auburn colored hair. Other children would pick on her. She would sometimes come home with mud in her hair as some children tried to help 'color' her hair. Sora did his best to soothe her, but he was always tired from his work in the fields. He tried to always get her to smile. He brought home small trinkets and treats to improve her mood. It was during one day when Orihime was being bullied by some hurtful boys when another girl named Tatsuki Arisawa came and fought them. She had been trained from a young age to be a fighter. She took no for an answer and was very aggressive. She was the very opposite of who Orihime was. Orihime was timid by nature. She would not fight other people. She resented fighting with her brother, and tried to hide the hurt that she felt. Tatsuki offered her hand to Orihime.

"Hey, please don't cry." Tatsuki said to Orihime. "Smile for me okay."

Orihime wiped her eyes and she took Tatsuki's hand. From then on, they would be the best of friends. No other child would dare hurt Orihime because if Tatsuki found out, they would pay dearly. And with the friendship and love she got from Tatsuki, Orihime blossomed into a lovely, bright little girl. She influenced everyone she met. Her innocent, imaginative and kind nature would make anyone happy to just be around her.

General Gin Ichimaru stood with his army as they stood at attention. Other Generals and several other higher ranking soldiers were gathered together. They had all met at a pyre that had been built to cremate the dead. On the pyre was General Sosuke Aizen's body. Oil was poured on the wood underneath the body. It was set ablaze by one of the priests. Aizen's family members were present and they were much shaken at his passing. His mother was crying as she clung to his father's chest. Kaien Shiba was there, fuming that he could not stop the creature that took his wife from taking Aizen. He wished he could have been there to defeat The Grand Fisher before he could kill anyone. He wished his wife was at his side even now. Kaien's anger knew no bounds. He was filled with hatred for the being that took his wife, and Aizen. However, things were very peculiar. Ichimaru seemed to be smiling. It was as if he was thinking about something funny while his General's body burned on the pyre. However, no one paid him any heed as he was always acting peculiar. Then, Kaien felt a hand on his shoulder.

"General Ukitake." Kaien said as he looked to his General.

"Let's go back to barracks." General Jushiro Ukitake said.

"Sir, the service is not over." Kaien said, looking to the other mourners.

"Kaien, you're shaking." Ukitake said. "You're so angry, I need you to relax. Do I have to make it an order?"

"No sir." Kaien said.

With that, General Ukitake and his Lieutenant left the funeral and made their way back to the barracks for army 13. They met with the soldiers who were at their posts. Others were training within the barracks, while others were just filling out paperwork. Rukia had not been invited to Aizen's funeral so she stayed within the barracks. She ran up to the General and his Lieutenant.

"General Ukitake!" She exclaimed. "Lieutenant, how was the funeral?"

"It was sad." Ukitake said. "I knew Sosuke for several years now. I thought he could have at least put up a fight, but it looks like the Grand Fisher had taken him completely off guard. Sosuke's parents were there. They were sad of course. He was a true friend and ally. I will miss him."

"I can't wait until my sword tastes the Grand Fisher's flesh." Kaien said. "He will pay for what he's done to us."

"Kaien, as your superior, I can safely say that your anger may cloud your judgement." Ukitake said. "It might affect your duties, so I want you to take a little respite from your duties. I want you to mourn properly for your wife. With the Grand Fisher contained, I do not believe that your family will be in any danger anymore."

"Who will take my place to train the newbies?" Kaien asked.

"Rukia, I choose you." Ukitake said. "You will welcome the newcomers to the army and teach them the basics."

"I'm a newcomer myself, General." Rukia admitted. "How on Earth am I supposed to teach the new soldiers?"

"You know how to use your swords with precision." Ukitake said. "You can teach others to learn the basics at least."

"Thank you for having faith in me, General Ukitake." Rukia said, bowing humbly.

"You'll make us proud, Rukia," Kaien said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

With that, and a heavy heart, Kaien left his fellow soldiers to contemplate his life. What would he do now that the love of his life was gone? What was the point to living anymore? All he had to hope for, like children, dying with Miyako at an old age, and even celebrating life's milestones were now dashed. He felt relief that Ukitake was not forcing to talk about his problems. He looked back at Rukia and General Ukitake who were in the midst of a discussion on how Rukia was to tackle her new orders. Kaien felt a swell of pride for his comrade. It had been some time since Rukia joined the army and Kaien was sure that Rukia would know what she was doing. With that, he left the barracks, and went to see how his sister and brother were faring. He just needed to change out of his uniform...

For soldiers of the Seireitei, all soldiers wore traditional black and white uniforms once within the walls, similar to army soldiers of today, however they wore their trusty katanas on their hips to show status. Several specialists, such as Generals and lieutenants had specialized weapons as well. Outside the walls, they would wear special armor depending on the environment that the armies would find themselves in. For example, if they would go to a wooded area, they would wear chain male under cloth clothes, and hiking gear. In a desert, they would only wear uniforms and specialized cloaks that protected them from the sands. In the frozen mountaintops, they would wear armor and thick furs to keep them warm. Now, if they needed heavier armor for special missions, they would be outfitted with armor suited for the terrain and types of battles they would be engaged in. Karakura's army had special wartime animals that were fully trained in the art of combat. They had attack and tracking dogs. They had elephants and rhinos that could carry their gear. Of course, they had horses that could help carry soldiers and gear with them as well. For snowy areas, they also had dogs to help pull sleds to their destinations. They had camels as well for hot desert plains. They kept these animals fed by using farms on the outskirts of the country, in several of the districts. They also made sure that all of the trade routes were clear of debris and people, ogres and the like who would ransack envoys carrying food. That was one of the functions that Aizen's army was out and about. They were protecting trade routes. There was a need for many farms as many people and animals depended on them for food, spices, sake, and opium.

The humans and elves that made up Karakura's population would also trade with other peoples such as other tribes of elves and dwarfs. Dwarfs were busy mining the mountains for gold, silver and rare gems. They were known to use heavy tools and weapons, making them strong. Even the dwarf women were said to have superhuman strength. One of the well-known tribes of dwarfs was known as the Bount dwarfs. The king of Karakura had an alliance with these dwarfs, and their leader, Jin Kariya. They would trade special metals, and gems for food and other necessities that the dwarfs could not find underground. The king of Karakura made sure to send some of the finest foods for the dwarfs so that it would entice them to keep the alliance that they had together. The bakers and chefs of Karakura, primarily within the Seireitei would cook and bake to their heart's content and send these packages of food for the dwarfs.

Within the Seireitei, there would be several festivals that the cooks and bakers prepared for. The Shiba clan was in charge of the fireworks displays that were set off. Children would be able to play with small sparklers that dazzled them with delight. The Commander General Yamamoto would use his wizardry powers of fire and make a display at the end of each night. He would like the sky up with fires of red, orange, blue and green flames. It would fill the spectators with awe as they looked on at the display of power that the Commander General displayed. Other Generals, including the Sorcerer Supreme, Tessai Tsukabishi would also show their powers if it caused wonder and amazement, and yet was safe to use around people. Those who had powers over water and ice created ice sculptures during the hottest summer nights. Fireworks and other fire related techniques were used year round if the sky was clear. During fall, people from all around Karakura would come together to celebrate the Harvest festivals that were happening around the country. The Kuchiki elves would plant and grow sakura trees all around the Seireitei, and when the time came, their pink leaves would fill the air. It was rumored that the Kuchiki elves hailed from a forest filled with the trees. Something happened generations ago that made them leave their home in the forest and find refuge within the heart of the Seireitei. They brought their magic and skill to Karakura, and taught other people about magic and fighting as well as growing trees and crops that they used to grow themselves. They also brought weapons and riches from the forest. It appeared that the elves mined as well, and had different jewels and swords that they had made.

Byakuya Kuchiki was well known throughout the Seireitei and beyond as the best looking soldier in the whole army. He had honor and acted proudly. He followed his orders, and made sure to dot his i's and cross his t's. He wanted to make his parents proud even though they were no longer there to support him. He followed a ritual. In all his years of life, he only went against his parents' wishes once, which was when he married Hisana. Hisana was the only woman he ever loved. He would never love again. From the time after her death, he vowed that he would never break the rules ever again. He poured himself into his duties. Whenever he had time off, he would pray to Hisana's soul in heaven and would train. He trained his body and mind to make himself into the perfect soldier. He practiced martial arts on servants who would put up a fight. He trained by moving boulders with his bare hands. He trained wielding his swords in and out of armor and different states of dress. He meditated daily with incense and perfumes in the air so that his body could relax. He filled out paperwork for his section of the army and made sure they were training hard as well. He made sure they knew how to practice writing their names. He would visit with other members of his family and made sure they had enough food to eat, and things to do within the confines to the Seireitei. He trained with them, and read diaries and scrolls that were left by his predecessors about battles and strategies. Byakuya also made sure he looked presentable. His uniform was always pressed and ironed. His hair was long and ended just below his neckline. He wore something similar to a crown in his hair called Kenseikan.

The only fault that Byakuya had was that he was emotionally distant and always put up a cold front in front of everyone, even his own family members, including Rukia. His Lieutenant Renji would be the one taking care of the soldiers under him. There had been several missions that the Kuchiki Army had to attend to. Renji would be the one to make sure that the wounded soldiers and the ones who experienced conflict were taken care of properly. Renji interviewed the soldiers and would make notes on how they were doing. He would keep a log of all the soldiers under him. He made sure to look after their emotional states. It was tedious work, but someone had to do it. His work as Lieutenant was very busy. That being said, the fourth army, which was also known as the Medical Healing Corps, contributed in the mental and physical health of all peoples within the Seireitei and the armies, so Renji was not the only one taking notes or dealing with the welfare of his subordinates. All lieutenants were tasked with welcoming the new recruits from the academy. In the same way Kaien trained Rukia, Renji would do the same for his coworkers as well.

Kisuke Urahara and his army, the Research and Development branch of Karakura were tasked with coming up with different weapons, and the investigation into the powers used against the army by trolls and goblins. The goblins of the world knew how to use dark magic. They could fly; they could be invisible, just like The Grand Fisher. They could make potions and could affect the weather. General Urahara had his workers test out poisons and torture techniques on creatures that they caught. They needed to know how to defeat their foes, which were all too willing to destroy innocent lives.

The reason that Karakura employed such a vast army was so that the districts could be safe. Everything seemed to be quiet these days; however there were reports that the goblins were attacking farms, which were vital for the country's survival. It was not known if the goblins farmed crops themselves, or if they lived primarily on meat. Some theories stated that the goblins were carnivores and only hunted large prey. Some even suggested that they resorted to cannibalism.

There were also reports of individuals starting trouble. They would pick fights because they wanted to know who would be the strongest. They would kill at will. These types of people would upset the other citizens as they would terrorize the towns surrounding the Seireitei. It was the King, Central 46, and the Generals' duties to make sure that these threats were eliminated. The Commanding General would assess the issue and dispatch an army according to the threats that they would face. Several members of the Punishment army would scout out areas with the most trouble, and would report back to either their Lieutenant, Marechiyo Omaeda, their commander, General Soifon, or to the generals of the armies all together in the meeting hall that they would all meet in depending on the severity of the threat that they would be facing. The decision would be considered by the Central 46 and the king would be notified, again, depending on the severity of the situation.

Within the confines of the Seireitei, a special device was being developed, secretly, without the knowledge of Central 46 or even the king. Only four Generals knew about it; Kisuke Urahara, Sosuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Soifon's predecessor, Yoruichi Shihouin. This device had been in development for years. It had to do with the immortality of Elves, such as the Quincy or Kuchiki clans, as well as dark magic that goblins employed. With the usage of the device, regular humans could be granted great powers. The only thing that they were doing for now, was using the device on animals. There were many failures and setbacks. They could use the device on an animal, and it would work for a while. The animal's abilities seemed to change, however they would transform into monsters. Thus, they all needed to be destroyed. However, there were four animals that could be considered successes. A small yellow bird was given human features, and her name was Ririn. She had the power to create illusions with magic skills. One was a turtle that stood on its hind legs, and was almost as tall as a human and had the power to open portals. His name was Noba. One had the ability to transform into different shapes and disguises, however for only a limited amount of time. His name was Kurodo, and he was a pink rabbit. However, the biggest success was with Kon, the lion. Although the lion's abilities were already awesome, it was given other powers, such as the ability to leap over tall buildings. Its legs were given immense power. Also, it could turn into a human form with powerful legs as well. Kon also had the ability to minimize himself. Thus he could be used for covert missions. These animals all had ability; they could talk and express themselves. It was as if these beasts were given souls.

With the success of these four animals, their increase in powers, their abilities and magic, the device could now be considered to be used with human subjects. Aizen and Urahara had been the ones working together to create and change the device. They named it the Hogyoku. Aizen wanted to start using the device on human trials right away. Urahara said it was too risky, and that they did not know how the animals would turn out, let alone human subjects. They needed to spend a few years testing Kon, Ririn, Noba and Kurodo. However, one day, Kon overheard an argument that Aizen and Urahara were having about the usage of the Hogyoku. In a fit of rage, Urahara said that the Hogyoku and the entire test subjects, no matter if they were success or not, had to be destroyed before they fell into the wrong hands. Aizen was adamant that they continue trials and experiments with the device. Kon rushed as fast as his legs could carry him into the secret rooms where the other modified creatures were and told them about what he overheard. Not one single being believed him. They thought that they were really special and that Urahara would not follow through with killing them outright. Not knowing what to do, Kon secretly tailed Urahara one night. He learned the spell to open Urahara's chambers and he stole the Hogyoku. Kon and the device went missing overnight.

When Aizen and Urahara found out that the device was gone, they became frantic. The device and one of the test subjects were gone. Now, it could happen that over time the device would become unstable and destroy itself. Kon's body might deteriorate as a result of the magic that was used to change Kon from something natural to something unnatural. But like all things, it was uncertain. Urahara dispatched several of his underlings to try and recapture the beast. Their names were Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsumugiya. They were young soldiers within the army but they were faithful and honored Urahara. Aizen had to put a brave face on things. That was when he decided that he would find the device for himself. Unbeknownst to all parties, Aizen and Ichimaru were working together. They had come up with a smaller version of the Hogyoku for themselves and traveled the land, conducting experiments secretly. Their first experiment together was on the Arrancar goblin that attacked the Quincy Elves, namely Masaki Kurosaki, eleven years ago. Aizen had thought that the being he and Ichimaru had created was an expert killer. Now it seemed that the being was not so efficient. Aizen was furious and he vowed that he would have his vengeance against Isshin and Masaki who killed the being actually named 'White'. Aizen used a magic spell on a bird and it would follow Masaki and Isshin for years. It would make sure that they told no one of the encounter. If news spread, it could get back to the Central 46 and he could be charged with a crime against humanity for what he did to a goblin as he gave it powers that it would never find by itself. Aizen continued his work, separate from Urahara. And then, he found out where Kon was. He devised a plan that would end up with Masaki dead, although no one knew about the two Hogyoku devices at all. He found the goblin The Grand Fisher, and gave him powers. In return for the power, the Grand Fisher would do Aizen's bidding. And thus the Shiba clan seemed to be the target when it was really Masaki and Isshin who were was his targets.

Aizen was a very vengeful person. When he was younger, his meager town was informed that they would be the host of the king. The King of Karakura was coming to his town! That was unheard of. Why would the king come there? And then they found out a comet was due to pass over their land. The king had spent his time learning and watching outer-space. He saw that the comet was coming. This town was overlooking a cliff. The sea was right there, and it made for a great place to watch the night sky. The king used his magic powers and saw that the comet would indeed come in the next few days. The whole town was evacuated to leave room for the King and his Royal Guard that would be present. Aizen had to stay with his family who had to set up camp several kilometers away from his home. Why did the king feel the need to make all of the people, his people stay away from their homes? What reason could the king possibly have for doing this?

The sun set, and Aizen and his family had no idea what was going to happen. No one was supposed to get anywhere close to where the king would be staying. There were servants and soldiers everywhere. They helped themselves to the food that the town had gathered previously. They erected a large tent for the king. Aizen secretly climbed on top of one of the buildings that were close by. He was ever so smart so he made sure to wear dark clothing so the soldiers could not see him on the roof top. He watched as the king came out of his tent. Standing seven feet tall, the King was truly a being to see. He looked alien as there was no one that looked like him. The king was wearing royal white and gold clothing with a red and gold cape. There were designs on his clothing that looked like Chinese dragons. There were several gems sown into the fabric. It was truly beautiful. And who could forget the elf's face? He was immaculate. He had something in his hand but Aizen could not see what it was. Night came and the night sky was filled with the soft glow of all the stars. And then coming from the Northeast, a comet lit up the sky. The sky turned dark red as the red light from the comet consumed the very stars themselves. The king raised his hands and then something happened. The energy from the comet itself started to swirl and started moving towards the town itself. Aizen cried out in surprise and fear. He fell off the roof. Pain took him as he felt something in his leg snap.

He looked down at his leg, pulling up the pant leg. There was a bump on his leg that was not there before and it hurt quite a lot. Soldiers rushed him. They grabbed him roughly and brought him to the king. While that was happening, the comet itself seemed to disappear, going into the item that the King had been holding. The earth shook with the immense force such an occurrence would cause. Buildings nearby fell over. The building that Aizen had been on top of was destroyed. Somehow, this force did nothing to the soldiers and even to Aizen himself. It seemed all of the soldiers had a spell over them to protect them. The pain in Aizen's leg was getting worse. He felt dizzy and nauseated. He felt that he would faint. And then he was brought up to the king.

The King would know what to do with him is what his soldiers thought. The king was holding a gold device. It looked like a paperweight, and Aizen did not know what this item could do.

"What is this?" The King asked the soldiers who brought Aizen to him.

"Your majesty," One soldier said. "We found this boy spying on what you were doing. What would you have us do?"

"Cast him out." the King said. "We have achieved what we came here for. My seal has been completed. Leave this town to rot. It is unsightly."

With that the king had his servants take down his tent. The King's Guard looked for more spies, and found none.

"You're not going to just leave us like this?" Aizen said angrily at the fact that the king, who everyone thought was legendary, was treating the town as if he owned it.

He cared not for the citizens and their homes. Now, they would have to rebuild the town from the bottom up. And resources were scarce. The king showed no remorse for what he had done, and Aizen vowed that one day he would rise and lay claim to power over everything. The king was now his enemy. When his leg was better, Aizen started his training. He trained physically to be a supreme warrior. He learned how to use a wooden sword when he was very young. He begged his parents to send him somewhere to learn how to read. He listened to the older gentlemen who knew more about the world than anyone else. He learned a few magic spells. And then, he found out that there was a library somewhere in Karakura which held great spells that Aizen could learn and use to his advantage. He traveled to this library and started learning all that he could about becoming a leader, learning about combat and what weapons would be useful on the battlefield. He learned and trained for many years. When he was 21 years old, he enlisted into the army. He started attending the academy for the Grand Army of Karakura and continued learning how to fight with various weapons and about magic spells. His teachers were amazed at his hunger for knowledge. He would not attend parties that some of his classmates had. Instead, he stayed in the academy's library and learned as much as he could about great wars that were waged between Karakura and neighboring countries. Whenever he had time, he would hone his sword skills and practiced using magic spells. He presented himself as a humble student and a hard worker. Others started becoming increasingly jealous at his expert usage of the sword and the pen. He knew how to draw calligraphy. He would take breaks however, and would visit his home town. He would help his parents whenever he could.

When he joined the army, he quickly moved up the ranks, and became a lieutenant of one of the armies. He volunteered for the most dangerous missions, and took command of his army with an iron fist. And yet, this was still not enough. His anger knew no bounds as he would sometimes see the king standing in the highest tower at the largest window, looking over the kingdom. It was not fair! How could such a being such as the King of Karakura achieve such a status and not care about the people under him? Aizen made it his mission to topple the king, and so enlisted a few people to his cause. One such person was Gin Ichimaru, who had been a child prodigy similar to Aizen. They found that they had many things in common. After years, Aizen's General retired and Aizen himself was promoted to General. He made sure he was nice and polite to all of his soldiers. He would teach classes at the academy so that people would learn from him. He would also conduct his experiments and sought the aid of Urahara. With his supposed death came a great sense of loss for all of the soldiers in the army. They now seethed with just hatred for the Grand Fisher, who had killed Aizen.

However, they would not know the truth until it was far too late. Aizen was filled with hatred for the King, and although he did not want to do it, some things needed to be sacrificed. Some people needed to be sacrificed. With the knowledge that he attained, Aizen learned very peculiar magic spells. He learned how to be very proficient in casting spells, and although he taught some students of his some things, he kept the more advanced spells to himself. Not even his fellow Generals knew about what he had learned and had been learning for quite some time. He only let Ichimaru know such news. They were working together to overthrow the regime that stood over them. However, they could not act until they acquired the true Hogyoku once more. And so, the hunt began for Kon and the missing device.

With the Hogyoku being missing, Urahara was getting increasingly paranoid. If someone found out what he had been doing, experimenting on animals, casting spells to create new beings with strange abilities, Urahara was afraid that something worse was about to happen. He needed to come clean. He had no idea that Aizen had been behind his apparent death, however he needed to tell all of the Generals about his findings. He called for a meeting among the top Generals. Most were there, however, Sōjirō Kusaka, General of Army 10 was not present. His division of the army had been put on an important mission guarding the trade routes against ogres that were terrorizing the outer territories. In his stead was a messenger who would take notes to carry to the General. Urahara told everyone about what he had been up to. Ichimaru was there, representing the 3rd army as its General. Urahara and Ichimaru had not discussed what they needed to disclose, so Urahara took it upon himself to take the full blame. Ichimaru liked that however, there should be a quid pro quo. What Urahara did by keeping Ichimaru and Aizen's involvement with the development of the Hogyoku a secret made it necessary for Ichimaru to feel as if he owed the other General. Of course, no one knew that Aizen was in fact still alive, hunting for Kon and the lost Hogyoku. With the knowledge that Urahara had been conducting these experiments, the Commanding General Yamamoto had no choice but to relieve Urahara of his post. Central 46 were informed and they decided to talk to the now ex-General. Urahara told them that he had been trying to find a way to give beings different abilities; some magical and some physical. Urahara told them that one of the subjects, Kon had stolen the device that would give beings incredible abilities. Central 46 decided that these experiments were unnatural. All the experiments, notes and anything related to the Hogyoku needed to be destroyed. Urahara was henceforth banished from the Seireitei. He could still live in Karakura, but all of his work needed to be confiscated. And thus ended Kisuke Urahara's tenure as the head of the Research and Development branch of the army. As one last gift, Urahara transformed the three remaining test subjects back into animal forms. Without the Hogyoku, however, he could not erase everything that had been endowed to these creatures. Ririn, Noba and Kurodo were sent to live out the rest of their lives with Urahara, who still had some influence within the community. They were supposed to be destroyed, but the army thought that Urahara had undone what the Hogyoku had caused. Urahara sent word to Jinta and Ururu that he was no longer their superior, and that they needed to report to the Commander General Yamamoto right away. Urahara's lieutenant, Mayuri Kurotsuchi was promoted to General. He was a cold and evil man, and would bring pain to his underlings, unlike Urahara, who valued human life.

Not knowing where to go next, Urahara decided to find out where Isshin Kurosaki was residing. He found out from the Shiba clan where exactly their relative was living, down in one of the districts. Urahara took Ririn, Noba, and Kurodo down to the district where Isshin and his family were living. He would surprise them and live with them for a while until he could open his own candy shop. Urahara Shop and the Kurosaki Clinic stood side by side. Isshin, Ichigo, and the girls Yuzu and Karin helped Urahara build and maintain his store and home. Ichigo went back to the Tower of Scrolls where he would learn more from the scholars and the librarians of the tower. Isshin did not want to tell Urahara the truth about why Ichigo was seeking knowledge. He only told Urahara that it would be good for Ichigo to learn more about the world through the scrolls.

Kon was hungry. He had not been fed for days. He now had to rely on instinct in order to eat. He silently made his way to a farm during the night, when all was quiet, and everyone was asleep. He could detect the scent of the animals residing in a barn close by. He moved as silent as he could. He crept to the door to the barn and then, saw that there was a wooden plank that locked the barn so that the animals could not get out. Kon used his powerful front legs to raise the plank. He was about to open the door when he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye, behind him. An arrow sore passed his head. Someone was hunting him. He roared loudly, not caring about anyone or anything hearing him. Being a lion, he could see well at night. He focused, and even still could not quite see the being that was stalking him. He saw a glint of steel, and another arrow came at him. He dodged to the right, and then something struck him from behind. He roared again and bent sideways, trying to scrape the arrow that had pierced his flesh. Darkness suddenly took him. He had been holding the Hogyoku within his mouth, but as the poison from the arrow took him, he felt his jaw slackening. And then, a voice within the Hogyoku itself crept into his ears.

Move. It said, and with that, it seemed the poison erupted from his skin, and Kon flew into the sky with more power that he needed. Aizen looked up, shocked. He knocked another arrow into his bow, and shot at Kon. Kon's tail slapped it away. With amazing speed, Kon disappeared into the night. Aizen seethed with astonishment. It seemed that the Hogyoku that he and Urahara worked on had more power than he realized. He had used his own Hogyoku to find the other, however it seemed that his Hogyoku was still quite immature and had less power than the other one. It had already given Kon immense power within his legs, but during the tests that were done on him, Kon never moved with such speed. Aizen was sure that the type of poison he used would have worked. It seemed that the Hogyoku was working against him. He used magic and opened a portal. He needed to keep his presence a secret as he did not want anyone interfering with his hunt of Kon.

More than a year passed. June 17th marked the anniversary of Masaki's death. Ichigo and his family met up at the Tower of Scrolls. Ichigo only had one thing on his mind, and it had been all that he could think of for the past year. He wanted to see his mother again. So for his birthday, his father agreed to take him and his sisters to where he last saw Masaki. It took them one and a half days to reach the spot where Ichigo had seen the lure of The Grand Fisher. It was summer time, and the temperature was nice and warm. It was a clear set of days, and no rain fell. The Kurosaki's set up a picnic. Ichigo went to the water's edge, and thought about his mother. Yuzu and Karin came on either side of him and took his hands. Isshin lit a cigarette and waited for a while as he watched his family who were silent. Time seemed to stand still. The wind blew through a few reeds that were growing. Birds were chirping. Isshin decided to start making the meal that he and his children would be having. It consisted of three rabbits that he set up skewers for; nice, fresh golden chips; carrots, herbs and spices. He started a fire in order to cook the meat. Isshin took out a massive wooden board. He found some rocks by the water way and created a small table that he and his small children could eat at. He took out four wooden bowls. He placed them on the makeshift table. They had come with the horse and were able to bring many things. To celebrate Masaki's life, Isshin had a painting of his wife there. He lit candles and incense. Tears welled up in Isshin's eyes. And then he heard his daughters laughing. Ichigo was doing his best to make them feel happy to be together. He pretended to slip and fall. He fell into the river, however it was not too deep as rain had not fell for several weeks. He made sure to be careful, however and he came out of the water.

"Oh man!" He said, jokingly. "I peed myself."

"Eww, Ichigo!" Yuzu said as Karin laughed.

And then, they heard a mighty roar. The children looked up in fear. Isshin rose from the ground and grabbed the nearest weapon he could reach; a knife that he was using to prepare the meal. Kon came out of hiding behind of a huge boulder. Isshin had not used weapons in years, and was quite certain that another tragedy was about to happen to his family. He thought quickly and grabbed one of the rabbits. His hand was burnt as he pulled it from the skewer that he had fixed near the fire. He threw the rabbits close to the lion. Kon dropped the Hogyoku and lunged for the rabbits. He was skinny. He had not eaten in such a long time, and he was consistently been hunted by Aizen. As Kon ate, Yuzu came up to him, her curiosity getting the best of her. Kon looked up and she touched his snout gently. He closed his eyes, and then Kon purred.

"Hey, you're not a bad kitty." Yuzu said to Kon.

Isshin ran forward and grabbed Yuzu, lifting her into his strong arms. He backed up away from Kon, his eyes remaining on the lion. Kon continued eating the rabbit. He licked his chops and looked up to Isshin, Yuzu, Karin and Ichigo.

"Please don't be afraid." Kon said. "I mean you no harm. Thank you for the rabbit and I apologize for scaring you guys."

"You can speak?" Isshin said, astounded.

"I can do more than speak." Kon said. "I can turn into a human."

Kon stood on his hind legs. His tail gently shrunk and sucked into his back. His Fur remained long on his chest and back. His front legs transformed into two strong arms. He changed into his human form. He picked up the Hogyoku.

"I am looking for Kisuke Urahara." Kon said. "I have something of his."

Kon explained to Isshin about everything that had happened. He told Isshin the tale of what happened to Urahara. The Hogyoku had given him more powers than he ever had. The more he held onto the device, the more it started taking a hold of him. It wanted to go back to its master, Urahara, and searched the planet for him. Somehow, it knew that to find him meant to talk to Isshin. It had given Kon sight beyond sight. Isshin took out his own cloak and draped it over Kon's shoulders. The family ate together and eventually went home. Ririn and Kurodo were playing with each other in the yard. Noba was just watching them play by the entrance to the candy shop. Isshin, his children and Kon came up to the shop with their horse and wagon. Kon was holding the Hogyoku. Ririn's head lifted as she sensed Kon's approach.

"Kon!" Ririn exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

Kon came out of the wagon in his humanoid form and he went to the bird like creature, and showed her that he was carrying, the Hogyoku.

"They wanted to destroy us all." Kon said. "They gave us these abilities all for nothing. They were going to kill us because we were too dangerous to be left alive. How did you guys manage to stay alive?"

"Master Urahara swore that he would watch over us." Kurodo said. "He took a blood oath and we also agreed that we would live with him and not cause any trouble for the King, Central 46 and the Generals of Karakura."

"Yes I did." A voice came from the inside of the shop as Kisuke Urahara came out, his eyes red, his hair scruffy, and his clothes wrinkled.

"We have to get inside." Isshin said. "It's dangerous as it is for you all to be out in the open."

Isshin put his horse in his stable. He told Yuzu, Karin and Ichigo to stay within the Kurosaki clinic as he went to Urahara Shop in order to speak to the shopkeeper and his wards. Isshin went into Urahara shop with Kon, Ririn, Kurodo and Noba. Urahara spent time telling Isshin about the Hogyoku and what the device was meant for; super soldiers and advanced magical powers to be granted to normal soldiers. His curiosity getting the better of him, Ichigo had crept onto the roof, and crept through an open window of the Urahara shop. He heard Urahara tell Isshin about the tale of how the animals within the shop were experimented on. He heard that the device had so much untapped power. Ichigo's eyes widened. This device might be the key into bringing his mother back from the dead. Urahara and the other beings went down into a secret cellar that they had dug in the soil beneath Urahara shop. Urahara used an advanced magical technique and placed a barrier around the Hogyoku. Ririn used her power and made it appear that nothing was in the cellar.

Kon explained that he was being hunted by someone. He never saw who this person was, but it had to be someone who knew about the Hogyoku. Urahara was certain Aizen was dead, and thought maybe the person hunting Kon was not after the Hogyoku and was after Kon alone.

"Isshin, you have to know that I never wanted to bring this to you." Urahara said. "I don't want to put your family in danger. I have no idea who might be after Kon, but I need you to keep the Hogyoku a secret, for your family's sake."

"I know, Kisuke." Isshin said. "I think it would be best if my family and I moved to the Tower of Scrolls with Ichigo so he could continue his studies and so that my children will be safe."

The Hogyoku needs someone who is able to perform magic spells to use it. Ichigo thought as he heard the two men speaking about the experiments that Urahara and Aizen had conducted with the device. I'm still not ready to use it then.

Ichigo made sure that he was silent as he made his way back into his own home. Isshin continued to speak with Urahara for some time, and then he came into their home. Isshin looked and saw that his children were worried.

"What did mister hat and clogs say, father?" Yuzu asked.

"We have to leave this place." Isshin told his family. "It's for the best if we went with Ichigo to the Tower of Scrolls."

And that was when it was decided that the Kurosaki would move to the town that was surrounding the Tower of Scrolls.

Aizen had followed the family as carefully as he could. He had used his magic as well as his own Hogyoku to keep from being sensed. He saw the Kurosakis enter their home, and saw Isshin, Urahara and the animals they had experimented on enter the shop. Aizen thought about it, and decided that for now, he would leave Urahara and the original Hogyoku alone. As long as he knew where it was, he could always come down and steal it for himself. However, he needed to build his strength. With the original Hogyoku, Urahara could be hard to defeat in battle so Aizen thought to himself that he needed to find allies. And thus, Aizen set his sights on a kingdom that was next to Karakura. The King of Karakura had been on good terms with the King of this other country. The country's name was Hueco Mundo...