Sonido to the Future! û The King, the Horse and the Sword
Disclaimer: Bleach is the intellectual property of Tite Kubo.
ôSandal-Hat! Sandal-Hat! Sandal-Hat!!ö
He paused for a moment as he recognized the voice calling out that nickname. æWait a minute! That sounded familiar!Æ
He then felt a pair of arms grip his shoulders and whirl him around. ôSandal-Hat!!ö
One look at the intruder was enough for the scientist to let out an undignified scream of shock. ôAAARRRGGHH!!! W-w-whaà ?!ö
The intruder had the same orange hair, brown eyes and youthful look as Kurosaki Ichigo and he could make out the familiar handle of the young manÆs zanpakuto but the top left side of his face and the bottom right side of his jaw were covered by pieces of a Hollow Mask. He wore a long shredded white cloak with pieces of black fabric sticking out from multiple angles. A black sash was wrapped around his mid-section while a small bit of his chest could be seen along with the hole where his Chain of Fate used to be. The rest of his outfit consisted of a white hakama, black socks and white sandals.
ôOkay, relax Urahara. ItÆs me! ItÆs me, Ichigo!ö
Kisuke wildly shook his head in denial. ôNOOO!! It canÆt be you!! I just sent you back to the futureà as a Shinigami!!ö
Ichigo tried to get the man to calm down. ôI know. ItÆs a long story about how I turned into an Arrancar but you did send me back to the future. Now IÆm back from the futureàà and I need your help.ö
After a long silence, Urahara finally uttered the only words appropriate for this situation.
ôàà Great Scott!ö And with that, he fainted due to the overwhelming shock and his exhaustion catching up to him.
ôUrahara? Come on, manà wake up!ö After groaning once, Ichigo picked up the manÆs body and headed for the chamberÆs exit to deposit the unconscious scientist on to a couch or something.
He didnÆt get too far though because as soon as he left the chamber, he was confronted by the large muscular man known as Tsukabishi Tessai. ôHalt, uninvited guest!!ö
ôOh, for the love of-ö
**********
When Urahara started coming to, he recognized the outlook of his living room and could hear some music coming from the TV. A theme song for some programà
ôHailing from the Emerald Planet and armed with the æGlobe-MeterÆ, itÆsà SUPER GIANT!!ö
æAh, yesà the network is re-broadcasting the last movie to raise public interest in the upcoming filmàÆ After shaking that thought out of his head, he fumbled around to find his notebook so he could record his thoughts down. Just as he found the book, he heard someone come into the room.
ôI see youÆre awake, Kisuke.ö
The man looked at his old friend. ôSo youÆre the one who brought me in here? Thank goodnessà I just had the craziest vision that Kurosaki-san has come back from the future.ö
Yoruichi just grinned at the mention of the name. ôThat boyÆs an interesting one, huh?ö
Before he could reply, he heard a high-pitched female voice from behind him. ôYo, Sandal-Hat.ö
Urahara slightly twitched before he turned around to see a small girl with curly brown hair (complete with a pink bow), green eyes and a very pink outfit. She was just barely on top of the couch. ôàà let me guess. ThatÆs Kurosaki-san in there with my latest gigai?ö
ôYup! IsnÆt he just adorable?ö Before either of the two males could blink, the former Covert Ops commander had flash stepped to crush the small gigai to her chest.
While gasping for air, Ichigo managed to get out a death threat. ôI swearà with Aizen-sama as my witnessà that I will get youà back for this humiliationàö
The slip of the tongue caught the attention of the other two occupants in the room. ôAizen-sama?ö
ôSorryà my mindÆs feeling a bit jumbled. ItÆs like a poorly done fusion of my memories and personality and his memories and personalityàö Ichigo paused for a moment. ôActually, I can explain it better on the notebook if you can let me go first. Pass me that pen too.ö
After the small girl got her notebook and pen, she drew a straight line. ôThis is the timeline of the me that you two first encountered with Soken about a week ago. When I got sent back to the future, I travelled to this timeline, which weÆll call timeline B for reference purposes, instead.ö She drew another straight line just parallel to the first one before connecting the two with another line. ôThe Ichigo native to timeline B was the original dominant personality. From what I can recall, as soon as I arrived at my destination, I was trapped in his soul until he accidentally released me. Since then, I have been the dominant personality for the most part but at times, there are aspects of Ichigo BÆs behaviour that leak outà such as me addressing that bastard Aizen as Aizen-sama.ö
Yoruichi merely groaned at all of this. ôWhoa, this is heavy.ö
ôOkay, letÆs back up for a moment. How do we know that youÆre the genuine Kurosaki Ichigo that weÆre all familiar with? There has to be a test that we can run-ö
ôIf you try and make me say that damn Justice Headband incantation or perform the Time Warp song, I will personally show you my resurrecci¾n,ö replied the time traveler in an irritated tone.
ôàà I guess this is the genuine article. But why the gigai, Yoruichi?ö
ôI canÆt blame you for not understanding since you havenÆt been able to compare the spirit pressures but I can tell you that this new Ichigo is more than twice as strong as the original one I sparred with. IÆm not sure how much spirit pressure that this base of yours can conceal from Soul Society but I figured it would be best to play it safe and stuff him in the gigai to prevent his spirit pressure from leaking out too much.ö
ôI see.ö Urahara sighed for a moment before turning to Ichigo with a serious look. ôI want to know more about timeline Bà the one where you addressed that man as Aizen-sama.ö
Before he could speak, Tessai entered the living room carrying a tray of tea and some miso soup, fish, seaweed and rice. A white bandage was wrapped around the top of his head. ôI have prepared some breakfast for everyone.ö
ôThanks. Sorry about earlier, Tessai.ö
The apology from the little girl made the larger man feel a bit unsettled. ôErà yeahàö He quietly slipped away to get some rest.
After consuming some food, the little girl began her long story. ôThe actual trip through time didnÆt seem any different. It was how it ended that actually caused me to realize that something was wrongàö
(Updated 7-17-08, 6:28 PM EST)
Once again, Ichigo was experiencing that feeling of eternal pain and the ripping sensation of his spiritual body but he continued to endure it. Then exactly fifty seconds later after he made his jump, he found himself in the driverÆs seat of some vehicle. His hands were clutching the steering wheel tightly while his right foot was secured against the gas pedal. All he could see was a long stretch of road surrounded by darkness. As soon as he realized that he was driving, he started to panic which caused the car to start swerving.
ôWhat the hell type of driving is that?!ö screeched a familiar voice. The orange haired youth turned to his right to see his Hollow self in the passenger seat right next to him with the same white hair and skin and the same inverted Shinigami uniform.
ôWhat are you doing here?!ö
ôDammit, keep your eyes on the road!! Fix that steering wheel and get yourself straight!!ö
ôGah!!ö He continued swerving for a bit before finally settling down enough to straighten the vehicle on the road.
ôGod, if I wanted to die, I can think of much better ways of going out instead of dying a fucking stupid death because of your dumb driving. HavenÆt you played a racing game before?!ö
Ichigo concentrated to keep his eyes on the road while talking to his passenger. ôI did play a little bit of Initial D an-ö
His Hollow self immediately cut him off. ôOh rightà youÆre Kurosaki Ichigo. The moron who canÆt bother doing normal teenager stuff like playing video games and drooling at hot chicks. Instead, you have to try and cultivate a detached image while-ö
ôOkay, how about we just move the subject on as to why IÆm driving a car and why youÆre in the passenger seat!!ö
Before his Hollow self could reply, the darkness surrounding the road lifted, revealing a rather black and white world with ruined office buildings. While Ichigo tried to get an idea of his surroundings, his Hollow self started to screech again. This time in a rather panicked and frantic tone. ôHit the brakes!! HIT THE BRAKES!!ö
ôHuh?ö He turned back in time to notice that he was getting rather close to a large concrete wall. ôGAH!!!ö His right foot immediately stepped off the gas pedal and slammed the braking pedal as hard as he could, bringing the vehicle to a complete stop just inches away from the wall.
It took a few seconds for the two vehicle occupants to figure out how to open the door. Rather than swinging out to the side like a normal vehicle, it swung up instead. As soon as he stepped out of the car, he took a good look at it and wondered what the hell he was doing in a genuine De-Lorean that seemed to be pulled right out of that American time travel movie.
ôHoly shit!! What the hell is wrong with you?! I swear to God that getting that driverÆs license is going to be a pain in the ass if that splendid display of driving back there is any indication of how youÆre going to do on the Road Test!!ö
That was when another avatar in the same area tried to get their attention by clearing his throat. ôAhem.ö
ôHey, I was thrown into that situation with no warning whatsoever!! The way I drove back there isnÆt a good indicator of how I would drive in real life!!ö
ôJust how much Initial D did you play again? God, your scores must have really sucked.ö
ôSince when did this turn into a discussion of my gaming ability?!ö Before Ichigo could go on with his tirade, his instincts took over and he ducked just as the wall in front of the De-Lorean exploded from a cero blast.
He glanced over at his Hollow counterpart who had ducked as well. ôI didnÆt do it.ö
ôThat would be me.ö Ichigo froze as the voice sounded very similar to his own. He turned his head to see a white clad version of himself with the same orange hair and normal skin colourà except there were bits of his Hollow mask on his face. He continued to speak as he reached for his version of Zangetsu on his back. ôI do not understand the meaning of this but since it was because of your presence that caused me to enter this realm, the only option of escape would be to kill you both. Howeverà I am curiousàö
æàà an Arrancar?!Æ He reached for his zanpakuto but realized that it wasnÆt on his back. A quick glance at the vehicle revealed that both versions of Zangetsu had been tied to their respective sides of the vehicle against the door. They quickly fetched their weapons and allowed the wrapping to slip off before pointing their blades at the third warrior.
ôWho are you precisely? And why do you resemble me so much?ö
Ichigo scowled. ôKinda rude to demand who the hell someone else is without introducing yourself first.ö
ôVery well. I am the Primera Espadaà Fresa Abismo.ö
This caused the Hollow version of Ichigo to swear. ôSon of a bitch!! You better get outta here, partner. This shit is gonna get ugly quick.ö
ôWhat are you talking about?! We can probably take him down if we worked together!ö
ôDonÆt give me that shit, dumbassà if IÆm going to have any chance at kicking this guyÆs ass, IÆm gonna need to go all out. And youÆll just be in the way. Besides, you have a more important job to do. YouÆre gonna need to find out when and where we fucked up that got us into this shithole.ö
He figured out just what exactly his Hollow doppelganger was hinting at. æàà and I can do that while in the Espada body while he and Fresa keep each other occupied. Now the question isà just how strong is he?Æ
Before he could ponder it over, Fresa made the first move. With a brief static sound, he used sonido to get within striking distance of Ichigo but before his blade could land on his target, the Hollow avatar moved in to block it. ôJust let me worry about how strong this guy is!! Get your ass moving!!ö
ôàà donÆt die on me! IÆll still be needing your power for later!!ö With that said, Ichigo flash stepped out of the way to safety.
ôHAH!! I should be the one telling you not to die on me!! Whatever you do, Kingà donÆt fuck up in front of that bastard Aizen!!ö
ôNobody talks about Aizen-sama that way!!ö roared Fresa.
ôLooks like I hit a nerve!! Do your worst!!ö
As the battle intensified behind him, Ichigo made his way towards the sole source of light in this drab and weary world.
(Updated 7-18-08, 1:10 PM EST)
He could feel himself lying on a bed according to his sense of touch as soon as he started waking up. Just ahead of him, he could barely see the silhouette of a well endowed woman with long hair. ôM-mom? Is that you?ö croaked Ichigo in a hoarse voice. He didnÆt know why he said mom in the first place but her presence felt quite maternal.
The woman slowly approached him on the left side of the bed. ôJust relax. YouÆve been asleep for about four hours.ö
He groaned once as he raised his right hand towards his head. ôI had this horrible nightmare. It was terribleàö
ôWell youÆre safe and sound, back in good old Las Noches.ö
Ichigo bolted up from the bed from her answer. ôLas Noches?! Argh!ö This allowed him to get a good look at his surroundings. The room was pure white with little basic furniture such as a desk and some chairs. There was also a small stack of scrolls neatly organized in a corner next to an open storage chest which had Zangetsu and a second sword the size of a standard katana sticking out of it.
And then of course, thereÆs that well endowed woman right by the left side of his bed. She had long green hair and golden eyes, with a strange little red streak painted just across her face underneath her eyes. Her Hollow mask looked like a goat skull that rested on top of her head. As for her attire, she was dressed in what appeared to be a white jumpsuit with a pair of white gloves. A black strap that allowed her to keep her sword at her side was attached to her waist.
Ichigo pointed a shaky finger at her. ôYou're my-my - my...ö He paused when he realized that he had no idea who this woman is. ôWho are you?ö
Lucky for him, she didnÆt seem to recognize that he was being serious. In fact, she seemed quite amused at his behaviour. ôI suppose I should be thankful that youÆre trying to lighten up as Ichimaru-san suggested but I think youÆre going a bit overboard, Fresa.ö
ôàà yeahàö Before he could think further, there was a knock on his door. ôUhà come in?ö
As it opened, it revealed two other Arrancar on the other side. One was rather large, with traces of his Hollow mask covering his eyes, hair and his forehead, making him look like a masked superhero of sorts. The other was smaller with his mask decorated the same way as the other with this mask bearing some resemblance to an insect. The two were wearing similar white uniforms with a basic long sleeved shirt, hakama, black socks and sandals. ôHow is Fresa-sama doing?ö asked the large one.
The woman turned her head to greet the new visitors. ôHeÆs okay although IÆm not sure what could have caused him to pass out like that back there. But then again, he may not have been getting the proper rest. You know how he is when he receives assignments from Aizen-sama.ö
The smaller of the two visitors chuckled. ôHow true. Do you want to go get dinner now, Neliel-sama?ö
ôSounds good to me! LetÆs go, Fresa!ö She took his hand and before Ichigo knew it, she was dragging him out of his room and into the white corridor with the two other Arrancar following them. They had the courtesy to bring out one sword each from IchigoÆs storage chest.
ôWhoaà wait a minute! I can walk by myself you know!ö
Her only response was to turn around and smile warmly at him. ôSorryà even though I know that youÆre the Primera Espada and I should act more like a subordinate colleague, youÆll always be my little Fresa.ö She paused for a moment as if relishing a particular memory.
ôAre you okay?ö
ôIÆm fineà itÆs been a while since you called me mom earlier. Hearing that again just made me feel a little happy.ö Ichigo merely stood there in shock at her statement. Before he could speak, he heard someone sniffle from behind him.
ôItÆs good to see Fresa-sama being a loving son again!! WAAAAAHHHH!!!ö The large Arrancar who was carrying Zangetsu started crying at the sentimental moment.
ôThere there, Dondochakka,ö murmured the smaller one while awkwardly patting the other on the shoulder with his free hand.
ôFresa, you mentioned having a horrible nightmare. What did you dream about?ö
ôWellàö Just as he was going to think up of an answer to give to his apparent maternal figure, he heard a swishing sound that signified the use of flash steps and saw a dark skinned male, dressed in a similar white uniform except he had black gloves, a sleeveless top, and an orange accessory hanging around his upper torso along with a white visor.
ôMay we be of assistance, Kaname-sama?ö asked the green-haired woman in a polite but rather professional tone, completely the opposite of her warm tone earlier.
ôNeliel Tu Oderschvank. Fresa Abismo. Your presence is requested by Aizen-sama. I trust that you will not be tardy.ö With his message delivered, the former Ninth Division Captain vanished from their sight.
As soon as he vanished, the words of his Hollow self rang through IchigoÆs mind.
ôWhatever you do, Kingà donÆt fuck up in front of that bastard Aizen!!ö
æEasier said than doneàÆ
A light irritated sigh from Neliel interrupted IchigoÆs thoughts. ôI guess weÆll have to put dinner plans on hold. LetÆs go.ö
Chapter 2 Preview!
ôEhhh?! Now an Arrancar woman has entered the picture?! WhatÆs with this?! ArenÆt we good enough for Ichigo-dono?ö
ôHmmmmmmàö
ôI mean, IÆve got good body proportions! At least, I think I do! What do you think, Lisa?ö
ôI believe I now understand the reasoning for this latest addition, Hinamori-kun.ö
ôEh? What do you mean?ö
ôIchigo-san has Hisana and Rukia to fulfill any twin fantasies he may have. Then thereÆs Karin and Yuzu who can fulfill the little sister fantasiesà although you may be able to be used in that respect as well. If he desires a partner with a large bust, Rangiku will do. Nemu fulfills the slave fantasy andàö
ôGet to the point already!!ö
ôNeliel is there to act as a target for any type of Oedipus complex that Ichigo-san may have. In simple terms, she fulfills the MILF fetish.ö
ôàààö
ôHey, you wanted to know.ö
OMAKE: ShinigamiÆs Cup Golden!
ôWhat the hell type of driving is that?!ö screeched a familiar voice. The orange haired youth turned to his right to see his Hollow self in the passenger seat right next to him with the same white hair and skin and the same inverted Shinigami uniform.
ôWhat are you doing here?!ö
ôDammit, keep your eyes on the road!! Fix that steering wheel and get yourself straight!!ö At that moment, both Ichigo and his Hollow self then noticed that ahead of them was a dead end concrete wall. ôOkay, change of plan. Hit the gas pedal and get up to 88 miles per hour while I set a time and date on the time circuits!ö
ôAre you insane?! IÆm hitting the-ö He trailed off as he saw the wall from behind him collapse and the road disappear. And then thereÆs that big ball with a single light that just appeared out of nowhere and started following them. ôThe fuck?!ö
ôItÆs the Capturing Flow. If we get caught in that, weÆreà is that the Capturing Thrust?!? DAMMIT!! Hit the gas pedal!!ö
ôWeÆll die if we hit the wall!!ö
ôYouÆre not thinking fourth dimensionally, dumbass!! If we hit 88 miles per hour, weÆll activate the flux capacitor and travel through time to safety! Are you too chicken or something to go faster?!ö
At the mention of the word chicken, IchigoÆs attitude complete changed to one of pure determination. ôNobody calls me chicken!! IÆll show you that IÆm no yellow bellied coward!! Hang on!!ö He pressed his foot against the gas pedal to accelerate the car even further.
As hot sparks flew around the vehicle, Ichigo blinked. ôJust what time period are we going to anyway?ö
That was when the Hollow realized that he had totally forgotten to set the time circuits while arguing with the King earlier. ôOh, shi-ö
Before he could pronounce the ætÆ, the vehicle vanished into the time stream just as the Capturing Thrust collided with the wall.
Disclaimer: Bleach is the intellectual property of Tite Kubo.
ôSandal-Hat! Sandal-Hat! Sandal-Hat!!ö
He paused for a moment as he recognized the voice calling out that nickname. æWait a minute! That sounded familiar!Æ
He then felt a pair of arms grip his shoulders and whirl him around. ôSandal-Hat!!ö
One look at the intruder was enough for the scientist to let out an undignified scream of shock. ôAAARRRGGHH!!! W-w-whaà ?!ö
The intruder had the same orange hair, brown eyes and youthful look as Kurosaki Ichigo and he could make out the familiar handle of the young manÆs zanpakuto but the top left side of his face and the bottom right side of his jaw were covered by pieces of a Hollow Mask. He wore a long shredded white cloak with pieces of black fabric sticking out from multiple angles. A black sash was wrapped around his mid-section while a small bit of his chest could be seen along with the hole where his Chain of Fate used to be. The rest of his outfit consisted of a white hakama, black socks and white sandals.
ôOkay, relax Urahara. ItÆs me! ItÆs me, Ichigo!ö
Kisuke wildly shook his head in denial. ôNOOO!! It canÆt be you!! I just sent you back to the futureà as a Shinigami!!ö
Ichigo tried to get the man to calm down. ôI know. ItÆs a long story about how I turned into an Arrancar but you did send me back to the future. Now IÆm back from the futureàà and I need your help.ö
After a long silence, Urahara finally uttered the only words appropriate for this situation.
ôàà Great Scott!ö And with that, he fainted due to the overwhelming shock and his exhaustion catching up to him.
ôUrahara? Come on, manà wake up!ö After groaning once, Ichigo picked up the manÆs body and headed for the chamberÆs exit to deposit the unconscious scientist on to a couch or something.
He didnÆt get too far though because as soon as he left the chamber, he was confronted by the large muscular man known as Tsukabishi Tessai. ôHalt, uninvited guest!!ö
ôOh, for the love of-ö
**********
When Urahara started coming to, he recognized the outlook of his living room and could hear some music coming from the TV. A theme song for some programà
ôHailing from the Emerald Planet and armed with the æGlobe-MeterÆ, itÆsà SUPER GIANT!!ö
æAh, yesà the network is re-broadcasting the last movie to raise public interest in the upcoming filmàÆ After shaking that thought out of his head, he fumbled around to find his notebook so he could record his thoughts down. Just as he found the book, he heard someone come into the room.
ôI see youÆre awake, Kisuke.ö
The man looked at his old friend. ôSo youÆre the one who brought me in here? Thank goodnessà I just had the craziest vision that Kurosaki-san has come back from the future.ö
Yoruichi just grinned at the mention of the name. ôThat boyÆs an interesting one, huh?ö
Before he could reply, he heard a high-pitched female voice from behind him. ôYo, Sandal-Hat.ö
Urahara slightly twitched before he turned around to see a small girl with curly brown hair (complete with a pink bow), green eyes and a very pink outfit. She was just barely on top of the couch. ôàà let me guess. ThatÆs Kurosaki-san in there with my latest gigai?ö
ôYup! IsnÆt he just adorable?ö Before either of the two males could blink, the former Covert Ops commander had flash stepped to crush the small gigai to her chest.
While gasping for air, Ichigo managed to get out a death threat. ôI swearà with Aizen-sama as my witnessà that I will get youà back for this humiliationàö
The slip of the tongue caught the attention of the other two occupants in the room. ôAizen-sama?ö
ôSorryà my mindÆs feeling a bit jumbled. ItÆs like a poorly done fusion of my memories and personality and his memories and personalityàö Ichigo paused for a moment. ôActually, I can explain it better on the notebook if you can let me go first. Pass me that pen too.ö
After the small girl got her notebook and pen, she drew a straight line. ôThis is the timeline of the me that you two first encountered with Soken about a week ago. When I got sent back to the future, I travelled to this timeline, which weÆll call timeline B for reference purposes, instead.ö She drew another straight line just parallel to the first one before connecting the two with another line. ôThe Ichigo native to timeline B was the original dominant personality. From what I can recall, as soon as I arrived at my destination, I was trapped in his soul until he accidentally released me. Since then, I have been the dominant personality for the most part but at times, there are aspects of Ichigo BÆs behaviour that leak outà such as me addressing that bastard Aizen as Aizen-sama.ö
Yoruichi merely groaned at all of this. ôWhoa, this is heavy.ö
ôOkay, letÆs back up for a moment. How do we know that youÆre the genuine Kurosaki Ichigo that weÆre all familiar with? There has to be a test that we can run-ö
ôIf you try and make me say that damn Justice Headband incantation or perform the Time Warp song, I will personally show you my resurrecci¾n,ö replied the time traveler in an irritated tone.
ôàà I guess this is the genuine article. But why the gigai, Yoruichi?ö
ôI canÆt blame you for not understanding since you havenÆt been able to compare the spirit pressures but I can tell you that this new Ichigo is more than twice as strong as the original one I sparred with. IÆm not sure how much spirit pressure that this base of yours can conceal from Soul Society but I figured it would be best to play it safe and stuff him in the gigai to prevent his spirit pressure from leaking out too much.ö
ôI see.ö Urahara sighed for a moment before turning to Ichigo with a serious look. ôI want to know more about timeline Bà the one where you addressed that man as Aizen-sama.ö
Before he could speak, Tessai entered the living room carrying a tray of tea and some miso soup, fish, seaweed and rice. A white bandage was wrapped around the top of his head. ôI have prepared some breakfast for everyone.ö
ôThanks. Sorry about earlier, Tessai.ö
The apology from the little girl made the larger man feel a bit unsettled. ôErà yeahàö He quietly slipped away to get some rest.
After consuming some food, the little girl began her long story. ôThe actual trip through time didnÆt seem any different. It was how it ended that actually caused me to realize that something was wrongàö
(Updated 7-17-08, 6:28 PM EST)
Once again, Ichigo was experiencing that feeling of eternal pain and the ripping sensation of his spiritual body but he continued to endure it. Then exactly fifty seconds later after he made his jump, he found himself in the driverÆs seat of some vehicle. His hands were clutching the steering wheel tightly while his right foot was secured against the gas pedal. All he could see was a long stretch of road surrounded by darkness. As soon as he realized that he was driving, he started to panic which caused the car to start swerving.
ôWhat the hell type of driving is that?!ö screeched a familiar voice. The orange haired youth turned to his right to see his Hollow self in the passenger seat right next to him with the same white hair and skin and the same inverted Shinigami uniform.
ôWhat are you doing here?!ö
ôDammit, keep your eyes on the road!! Fix that steering wheel and get yourself straight!!ö
ôGah!!ö He continued swerving for a bit before finally settling down enough to straighten the vehicle on the road.
ôGod, if I wanted to die, I can think of much better ways of going out instead of dying a fucking stupid death because of your dumb driving. HavenÆt you played a racing game before?!ö
Ichigo concentrated to keep his eyes on the road while talking to his passenger. ôI did play a little bit of Initial D an-ö
His Hollow self immediately cut him off. ôOh rightà youÆre Kurosaki Ichigo. The moron who canÆt bother doing normal teenager stuff like playing video games and drooling at hot chicks. Instead, you have to try and cultivate a detached image while-ö
ôOkay, how about we just move the subject on as to why IÆm driving a car and why youÆre in the passenger seat!!ö
Before his Hollow self could reply, the darkness surrounding the road lifted, revealing a rather black and white world with ruined office buildings. While Ichigo tried to get an idea of his surroundings, his Hollow self started to screech again. This time in a rather panicked and frantic tone. ôHit the brakes!! HIT THE BRAKES!!ö
ôHuh?ö He turned back in time to notice that he was getting rather close to a large concrete wall. ôGAH!!!ö His right foot immediately stepped off the gas pedal and slammed the braking pedal as hard as he could, bringing the vehicle to a complete stop just inches away from the wall.
It took a few seconds for the two vehicle occupants to figure out how to open the door. Rather than swinging out to the side like a normal vehicle, it swung up instead. As soon as he stepped out of the car, he took a good look at it and wondered what the hell he was doing in a genuine De-Lorean that seemed to be pulled right out of that American time travel movie.
ôHoly shit!! What the hell is wrong with you?! I swear to God that getting that driverÆs license is going to be a pain in the ass if that splendid display of driving back there is any indication of how youÆre going to do on the Road Test!!ö
That was when another avatar in the same area tried to get their attention by clearing his throat. ôAhem.ö
ôHey, I was thrown into that situation with no warning whatsoever!! The way I drove back there isnÆt a good indicator of how I would drive in real life!!ö
ôJust how much Initial D did you play again? God, your scores must have really sucked.ö
ôSince when did this turn into a discussion of my gaming ability?!ö Before Ichigo could go on with his tirade, his instincts took over and he ducked just as the wall in front of the De-Lorean exploded from a cero blast.
He glanced over at his Hollow counterpart who had ducked as well. ôI didnÆt do it.ö
ôThat would be me.ö Ichigo froze as the voice sounded very similar to his own. He turned his head to see a white clad version of himself with the same orange hair and normal skin colourà except there were bits of his Hollow mask on his face. He continued to speak as he reached for his version of Zangetsu on his back. ôI do not understand the meaning of this but since it was because of your presence that caused me to enter this realm, the only option of escape would be to kill you both. Howeverà I am curiousàö
æàà an Arrancar?!Æ He reached for his zanpakuto but realized that it wasnÆt on his back. A quick glance at the vehicle revealed that both versions of Zangetsu had been tied to their respective sides of the vehicle against the door. They quickly fetched their weapons and allowed the wrapping to slip off before pointing their blades at the third warrior.
ôWho are you precisely? And why do you resemble me so much?ö
Ichigo scowled. ôKinda rude to demand who the hell someone else is without introducing yourself first.ö
ôVery well. I am the Primera Espadaà Fresa Abismo.ö
This caused the Hollow version of Ichigo to swear. ôSon of a bitch!! You better get outta here, partner. This shit is gonna get ugly quick.ö
ôWhat are you talking about?! We can probably take him down if we worked together!ö
ôDonÆt give me that shit, dumbassà if IÆm going to have any chance at kicking this guyÆs ass, IÆm gonna need to go all out. And youÆll just be in the way. Besides, you have a more important job to do. YouÆre gonna need to find out when and where we fucked up that got us into this shithole.ö
He figured out just what exactly his Hollow doppelganger was hinting at. æàà and I can do that while in the Espada body while he and Fresa keep each other occupied. Now the question isà just how strong is he?Æ
Before he could ponder it over, Fresa made the first move. With a brief static sound, he used sonido to get within striking distance of Ichigo but before his blade could land on his target, the Hollow avatar moved in to block it. ôJust let me worry about how strong this guy is!! Get your ass moving!!ö
ôàà donÆt die on me! IÆll still be needing your power for later!!ö With that said, Ichigo flash stepped out of the way to safety.
ôHAH!! I should be the one telling you not to die on me!! Whatever you do, Kingà donÆt fuck up in front of that bastard Aizen!!ö
ôNobody talks about Aizen-sama that way!!ö roared Fresa.
ôLooks like I hit a nerve!! Do your worst!!ö
As the battle intensified behind him, Ichigo made his way towards the sole source of light in this drab and weary world.
(Updated 7-18-08, 1:10 PM EST)
He could feel himself lying on a bed according to his sense of touch as soon as he started waking up. Just ahead of him, he could barely see the silhouette of a well endowed woman with long hair. ôM-mom? Is that you?ö croaked Ichigo in a hoarse voice. He didnÆt know why he said mom in the first place but her presence felt quite maternal.
The woman slowly approached him on the left side of the bed. ôJust relax. YouÆve been asleep for about four hours.ö
He groaned once as he raised his right hand towards his head. ôI had this horrible nightmare. It was terribleàö
ôWell youÆre safe and sound, back in good old Las Noches.ö
Ichigo bolted up from the bed from her answer. ôLas Noches?! Argh!ö This allowed him to get a good look at his surroundings. The room was pure white with little basic furniture such as a desk and some chairs. There was also a small stack of scrolls neatly organized in a corner next to an open storage chest which had Zangetsu and a second sword the size of a standard katana sticking out of it.
And then of course, thereÆs that well endowed woman right by the left side of his bed. She had long green hair and golden eyes, with a strange little red streak painted just across her face underneath her eyes. Her Hollow mask looked like a goat skull that rested on top of her head. As for her attire, she was dressed in what appeared to be a white jumpsuit with a pair of white gloves. A black strap that allowed her to keep her sword at her side was attached to her waist.
Ichigo pointed a shaky finger at her. ôYou're my-my - my...ö He paused when he realized that he had no idea who this woman is. ôWho are you?ö
Lucky for him, she didnÆt seem to recognize that he was being serious. In fact, she seemed quite amused at his behaviour. ôI suppose I should be thankful that youÆre trying to lighten up as Ichimaru-san suggested but I think youÆre going a bit overboard, Fresa.ö
ôàà yeahàö Before he could think further, there was a knock on his door. ôUhà come in?ö
As it opened, it revealed two other Arrancar on the other side. One was rather large, with traces of his Hollow mask covering his eyes, hair and his forehead, making him look like a masked superhero of sorts. The other was smaller with his mask decorated the same way as the other with this mask bearing some resemblance to an insect. The two were wearing similar white uniforms with a basic long sleeved shirt, hakama, black socks and sandals. ôHow is Fresa-sama doing?ö asked the large one.
The woman turned her head to greet the new visitors. ôHeÆs okay although IÆm not sure what could have caused him to pass out like that back there. But then again, he may not have been getting the proper rest. You know how he is when he receives assignments from Aizen-sama.ö
The smaller of the two visitors chuckled. ôHow true. Do you want to go get dinner now, Neliel-sama?ö
ôSounds good to me! LetÆs go, Fresa!ö She took his hand and before Ichigo knew it, she was dragging him out of his room and into the white corridor with the two other Arrancar following them. They had the courtesy to bring out one sword each from IchigoÆs storage chest.
ôWhoaà wait a minute! I can walk by myself you know!ö
Her only response was to turn around and smile warmly at him. ôSorryà even though I know that youÆre the Primera Espada and I should act more like a subordinate colleague, youÆll always be my little Fresa.ö She paused for a moment as if relishing a particular memory.
ôAre you okay?ö
ôIÆm fineà itÆs been a while since you called me mom earlier. Hearing that again just made me feel a little happy.ö Ichigo merely stood there in shock at her statement. Before he could speak, he heard someone sniffle from behind him.
ôItÆs good to see Fresa-sama being a loving son again!! WAAAAAHHHH!!!ö The large Arrancar who was carrying Zangetsu started crying at the sentimental moment.
ôThere there, Dondochakka,ö murmured the smaller one while awkwardly patting the other on the shoulder with his free hand.
ôFresa, you mentioned having a horrible nightmare. What did you dream about?ö
ôWellàö Just as he was going to think up of an answer to give to his apparent maternal figure, he heard a swishing sound that signified the use of flash steps and saw a dark skinned male, dressed in a similar white uniform except he had black gloves, a sleeveless top, and an orange accessory hanging around his upper torso along with a white visor.
ôMay we be of assistance, Kaname-sama?ö asked the green-haired woman in a polite but rather professional tone, completely the opposite of her warm tone earlier.
ôNeliel Tu Oderschvank. Fresa Abismo. Your presence is requested by Aizen-sama. I trust that you will not be tardy.ö With his message delivered, the former Ninth Division Captain vanished from their sight.
As soon as he vanished, the words of his Hollow self rang through IchigoÆs mind.
ôWhatever you do, Kingà donÆt fuck up in front of that bastard Aizen!!ö
æEasier said than doneàÆ
A light irritated sigh from Neliel interrupted IchigoÆs thoughts. ôI guess weÆll have to put dinner plans on hold. LetÆs go.ö
Chapter 2 Preview!
ôEhhh?! Now an Arrancar woman has entered the picture?! WhatÆs with this?! ArenÆt we good enough for Ichigo-dono?ö
ôHmmmmmmàö
ôI mean, IÆve got good body proportions! At least, I think I do! What do you think, Lisa?ö
ôI believe I now understand the reasoning for this latest addition, Hinamori-kun.ö
ôEh? What do you mean?ö
ôIchigo-san has Hisana and Rukia to fulfill any twin fantasies he may have. Then thereÆs Karin and Yuzu who can fulfill the little sister fantasiesà although you may be able to be used in that respect as well. If he desires a partner with a large bust, Rangiku will do. Nemu fulfills the slave fantasy andàö
ôGet to the point already!!ö
ôNeliel is there to act as a target for any type of Oedipus complex that Ichigo-san may have. In simple terms, she fulfills the MILF fetish.ö
ôàààö
ôHey, you wanted to know.ö
OMAKE: ShinigamiÆs Cup Golden!
ôWhat the hell type of driving is that?!ö screeched a familiar voice. The orange haired youth turned to his right to see his Hollow self in the passenger seat right next to him with the same white hair and skin and the same inverted Shinigami uniform.
ôWhat are you doing here?!ö
ôDammit, keep your eyes on the road!! Fix that steering wheel and get yourself straight!!ö At that moment, both Ichigo and his Hollow self then noticed that ahead of them was a dead end concrete wall. ôOkay, change of plan. Hit the gas pedal and get up to 88 miles per hour while I set a time and date on the time circuits!ö
ôAre you insane?! IÆm hitting the-ö He trailed off as he saw the wall from behind him collapse and the road disappear. And then thereÆs that big ball with a single light that just appeared out of nowhere and started following them. ôThe fuck?!ö
ôItÆs the Capturing Flow. If we get caught in that, weÆreà is that the Capturing Thrust?!? DAMMIT!! Hit the gas pedal!!ö
ôWeÆll die if we hit the wall!!ö
ôYouÆre not thinking fourth dimensionally, dumbass!! If we hit 88 miles per hour, weÆll activate the flux capacitor and travel through time to safety! Are you too chicken or something to go faster?!ö
At the mention of the word chicken, IchigoÆs attitude complete changed to one of pure determination. ôNobody calls me chicken!! IÆll show you that IÆm no yellow bellied coward!! Hang on!!ö He pressed his foot against the gas pedal to accelerate the car even further.
As hot sparks flew around the vehicle, Ichigo blinked. ôJust what time period are we going to anyway?ö
That was when the Hollow realized that he had totally forgotten to set the time circuits while arguing with the King earlier. ôOh, shi-ö
Before he could pronounce the ætÆ, the vehicle vanished into the time stream just as the Capturing Thrust collided with the wall.
