Insanity of Betrayal

Abandoned

Whatever 'ability' he has will help him blend in with the rest of the hollows... He's probably already started searching for an exit without us, anyways... we'll run into him eventually... he can take care of himself... we need to focus on getting out of here first... if we go off to find him, we'll just get lost, and then we'll never escape!

"Itsygo?" Nel interrupted his downgrading thoughts.

Mustering up the strength to pull himself upright, he leaned against the trunk of the tree for support. "Yea, Nel?" He answered hoarsely.

"Where... are we...? Where's... Nel's friends...?"

The innocent questions crushed Ichigo's shattered heart. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that they had abandoned them.

"We fell down the hole, and got seperated," Ichigo said, flinching guiltily at the white lie. "Don't worry, we'll find them... eventually. Until then, let's focus on getting stronger so we can get out of here."

The child swallowed the lie, falling asleep in Ichigo's arms.

I swear, he vowed. Nel will never have to know the feeling of being abandoned by the ones she trusted. I will never betray her.

Unlike them.

***

The duo rested up, then left.

Several weeks later...

After a long couple of weeks of training, surviving, and killing hollows, Ichigo and Nel grew immensely.

With a lot of trial and error, Ichigo was able to partially seal the crack in Nel's skull mask, resulting in an explosive growth in form and spiritual energy. Now, she looked like a 14-15 year old teenager, with a chin length bob of mint hair.

Ichigo had almost mastered his hollowification, and was able to hold it for several minutes. His own hair had grown longer, too. It was long enough that anyone who looked at him could tell he hadn't had a proper hair cut in a while, but short enough that he didn't look like a hobo.

Now, Nel and Ichigo's names were known throughout the Menos Forest. Some hollows cowered before them, fleeing the second their presence was made known. The more powerful hollows seeked the glory of consuming 'The Hollow Hunter' and the 'Green Haired Knight.'

But they all ran in vain, whether they ran towards their spiritual pressure, or away.

No one escaped.

"Hey, Nel!" Ichigo called to his companion. He stood on a branch, his sand colored cloak settling around him, his hollow mask formed.

"Sup, Itsygo?" She replied, scaling the tree to the top branches, where Ichigo was.

"You ready to try and get to the surface?"

Nel grinned. "I was born ready. Let's blow this place."

After several extremely powerful Getsuga Tenshous, and a lot of sand raining from the tree tops, they were free. And right outside Las Noches.

With relative ease, they waltzed into the palace, killing any Hollow on sight. With their combined strength, they managed to take down some of the arrancars, and even an espada.

Add they were headed towards Orihime's cell, Nel stopped.

"What is it, Nel?" Ichigo inquired.

"I can sense them... The ones who came with you..."

Ichigo hid his surprise well. He opened his senses until he could feel their spirit pressure.

"It feels like they were captured. They're probable in the dungeons."

"Should I go get them? I'll be quick, I promise!"

"No."

She looked at Ichigo quizzically.

"I'll send Shirogo, it'll be faster."

Nel nodded. "You should probably summon him now, before you lose to much energy."

"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo rolled his eyes. He concentrated, and another being started to take form.

He looked exactly like Ichigo in every way, except for his platinum hair, and snow white complexion.

And his eyes. They held none of Ichigo's warmth, and were black eye yellow irises. Not unlike the eyes under his mask when he hollowfied.

"Shirogo." Ichigo said.

Shirogo grinned. "Y'all want me ta' go rescue your friends? Tch, I was hoping' you'd let me sleep in, King."

It took all of Ichigo's strength not too strangle the newcomer.

"Just go, already."

"You bet, King!"

With that, he flash stepped away.