The Hollow Queen

The New Espada

Soul society is potentially in the worst possible situation they could be in, one of the two people they have that could hope to defeat Aizen has now been kidnapped and none of them know it. With Rukia's abduction by Ulquiorra, Ichigo's human allies are left with one option, get to soul society. Without a soul reaper to guide them through the Dangai they will have to make a run for it. Thankfully the entities known as cleaners ignore people who have soul tickets but that doesn't mean they want to spend another minute inside this strange dimension. "We need to get there fast, god knows what Aizen has planned for her so we need to move." Uryu declares before the group of three empowered humans sprint through the strange precipice world between life and death. What the group isn't aware of, is that time in this world runs slower than that of the real world. A single hour on the outside is nearly three months in this realm, the moment that Rukia stepped out of the dimension time for her would stop relative to Uryu, Orihime and Sado. The time they spend sprinting through the precipice world may feel like hours to them but to the outside a single millisecond hasn't passed since they entered the void and when they exit. The three spill out of the exit gate of the senkaimon, tripping over the slightly raised edge of the circular portal. As they do, they pile up in a heap at Ichigo's feet, a brief distance behind him is Captain Ukitake and Captain Kuchiki expectantly waiting for their arrival and Rukia's return.

"Yo, what's got you all in a rush?" Ichigo asks as the group collect themselves from the floor, though a brief moment later he doesn't sense Rukia's spiritual pressure. His friends immediately feel a shift in his normally warm reishi, turning cold, sickly and anxious. "Where's Rukia?" He says, still half expecting her to walk through the still open senkaimon.

"We were ambushed." Uryu confirms Ichigo's worst thoughts. "An Espada appeared while we were traveling through the dimension, he said his name was Ulquiorra Cifer and that Aizen wanted Rukia." The anxious feeling of Ichigo's reishi gets colder and is replaced with fear.

"Why didn't you stop him?!" Ichigo yells, grabbing Uryu by the collar of his quincy garb and jerking him upwards off the ground.

"He was going to kill us!" Sado declares raising his voice to stress the severity of the situation. He pushes himself between Uryu and Ichigo stopping the orange haired man from doing anything drastic. "He said that if she didn't go with him, Aizen said for him to kill us to force her to come."

"N-no no, she wouldn't go willingly. She's smarter than that and she wouldn't let herself get pulled into a trap so easily." Ichigo tries denying the situation exists but when Byakuya lays a solemn hand on his shoulder his fears are realized.

"Aizen wants her to get you to come to him. Rukia is the bait for the trap he set for you. He wants you to go to Hueco Mundo. Either to defeat you there or launch his attack on the human world while the only two people who can defeat him are not in that dimension." Byakuya says as he pulls Ichigo to look at him. "Rukia knows that this is a trap and she's too valuable to Aizen for him to just kill her as he needs her to get to you. You are not strong enough to defeat Aizen as you are, don't fall into this trap when it's this obvious." Ichigo's breathing begins to quicken, his heart begins pounding out of his chest as the reality of the situation begins to set in.

"Kurosaki. You need to remain calm, Rukia is more powerful than any of us except Kenpachi and the head captain. It's likely that she's doing this to buy you some time to get stronger so that you two can take down Aizen." Ukitake says trying to continue to reassure Ichigo, but the substitute lieutenant falls to his knees clasping a hand over his chest as he hyperventilates.

"Ichigo! Snap out of it!" Uryu declares before smacking the orange haired substitute across the face. "This is exactly what Aizen wants. He wants to lose control of your powers and come running right into his hands. Rukia will be safe and we can use this time for you to train, you've already trained with your hollow and shinigami powers but you need to use your mother's powers if you want to take down Aizen."