Chapter 26: The Weight Of My New Blade 1/2

Well, I wasn't sure if we would be able to do it, but here it is, a new chapter at the beginning of the month! Technically it was ready yesterday but...College got REALLY busy. Trust me, I couldn't have uploaded this if i tried.

Some of you have commented on how this story feels similar to "A Grim Tale of Reapers."...Well, thats because my writer, GreatKingrat88 is one of the co-writers of that story. If you haven't checked it out, I would suggest you do so, its a very interesting take on Bleach. Speaking of which, hereare a few words from my friend.

Greatkingrat88: "Hi guys, Greatkingrat88 here again. I've been pretty quiet up till now, but I have a thing or two to say. First off, two chapters in one month? "GKR, you handsome stallion, what prompted this utter madness?"

I'm glad you asked, imaginary representation of our readers! Let me treat you to a bit of backstory: a good long while ago, Vogo got me to start writing a crossover for Fairy Tail and Bleach. Due to a miscommunication, I was under the impression that it was generic and unremarkable, and as such I was poorly motivated to write (Vogo had a plan, much grander than I thought, and claims he told me- I can't for the life of me remember that, because I would have had far more motivation if I knew). It got to a point where I delayed so much he told me that either I shape up, or he changes writers. So I made a deal: one chapter each month, a deadline I've stuck to till then.

I'll admit it: at first, this fanfic was a chore. It didn't excite me. I had no idea where it was going, and the premise didn't interest me. But with time, that changed. Around the time Aizen was introduced- one of the all around most fun people to write- I began to get invested. Over time, I became more and more intrigued, and by now I DID know the greater plan- which I won't spoil for you here. So now, years later, I am finally syked enough to actually write on my own volition.

A few things:

At least two of you pointed out that "hey, this fic reminds me of Calamitas Wrath's "A grim tale of reapers!"

...y'all need to read your descriptions better, pardon my 'murican. Cal is a good friend of mine, and it's not just his fic- I am the co-author of it. Half of the content in there is all me. So yeah, that would explain it. And as we are not too far from the soul society arc, if you see more and more similarities, that's why- and I do intend to re-use any and all good ideas Cal and I had that would work for this fic.

Bleached Guest, in his/her latest review, mentioned fillers. Let me just state my position clearly: I think shonen fillers in general range between mediocre to pure cancer. Ironically, the first filler arc of bleach is better than most of post-hueco mundo bleach, despite being bland and stupid, but that's another discussion. In short: barring one of the movies, we are not doing ANY fillers whatsoever. Fillers are crap- Vogo doesn't feel quite as strongly about them as I do, but nevertheless, fillers will not be a thing.

KishinoKurobi, we notice and appreciate your e-peen.

Well, that was about it. Enjoy Erza going full Gunnery Sergeant Hartman on Ichigo."

Yes, GreatKingratt dosnt share some of the fondness that I do for some of the fillers. I enjoy all of them atleast SOMEWHAT. That means no bounts, no Amagi, no zanpaktou arc. I only added Nozomi because of how much I love her character and I wanted to see Aizen kill a filler villain. However, I MIGHT do something with movie 1, and WILL do something with movie 4. I mean, its HELL, that's a missed opportunity I wont let go by. I want to do the zanpaktou arc, but I dont really know how to work it in properly myself...I feel its a huge missed opportunity personally, but one I dont know how to have it go if we were to do it at the moment.

Anyways, I also wanted to take a moment to tell you all about another story ive just updated as well, "A quincys fairy tail." More or less, its like this story, but instead of it having a character from fairy tail end up in bleach, its the other way around. Which character? My favorite Quincy Bambietta Basterbine. I know some of you don't think that sounds interesting, but i think you'll be pleasantly surprised once you give it a read.

With that all said, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please, feel free to leave us a review and give us your thoughts.

Thank you once again Greatkingrat88.

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.

Ichigo blinked.

"Wait, you're real?" He said, in utter disbelief. Seeing those red locks, that staunch face, something long forgotten had resurfaced- a memory from a time when he was very young, when princess Crimson had come in through a window, no fairy tale but flesh and blood, as real as he was. As usual, when his mother had mentioned it, she had got a funny look on her face, and dismissed it. Princess Crimson, the brave warrior hero who stood up to the evils of the kingdom-

And then, a second later, reality caught up, and he saw the face of the new arrival clearly.

"Auntie Erza?" He said, his disbelief somehow climbing even higher, now somewhere in between Charles Darwin and Richard Dawkins.

"What- I mean, um- what?!" Was all he managed. She looked different, like a westerner of some kind, and her hair was a bright red, like something out of an anime, but it was definitely her. Her voice, the same; her face different but unmistakably Erza Scarlet, his aunt, long-time babysitter and all around fiercely protective pillar of support.

"There is much to discuss." She said sternly. "More than we can cover in one evening, and you still need your sleep. Still, some things you must know."

"Well, speak then!" Ichigo said loudly, throwing his arms up. "Because this is just getting nuttier by the second! One moment I think I'm a lunatic who just sees ghost, the next I'm a monster-slaying soldier, and now you- you are a shinigami too?"

"I have been since before you were born, yes," Erza said, nodding slowly. "More than a century, actually, but that's beside the point."

"What the hell is going on?" Ichigo insisted. "How- I mean, have you been one all along? Are you with Rukia? With the other shinigami?"

"I am not with the other shinigami, no," Erza said firmly. Somewhat evasively, she continued, "You could say I'm a… freelancer of sorts. It's a long story."

"Well, what is it I need to know, huh?" Ichigo said, still reeling from the shock. "About how hollows are evil and scary? Because I already got that part!"

Erza looked him in the eye. He was familiar with the stare, how harsh she could be, but she had always been soft on him and his sisters. Now, she looked cold and matter-of-factly.

"You have been granted power, Ichigo. Great power unlike anything most souls see in a lifetime."

Ichigo flexed uncomfortably. "Um, yeah, Rukia's power. I know that. Shinigami must be really powerful. Well, I guess you'd know…"

"No, Ichigo," Erza said, shaking her head. "It is true you absorbed her power, and that it won't last forever. But you have always had power- all she has done, in the end, was awaken them."

"What?" Ichigo said confusedly, with a sinking feeling in his gut.

"You have always had power." Erza repeated. "And once Rukia's powers drain away, you will need to find a way to manage it. It burns brightly now, and hollows will be drawn to it like a moth to the flame. I am here, because you need to learn how to fight, to defend yourself and your loved ones."

"…what?" Ichigo said again. "You- you come here, out of nowhere, dropping all of… thi on me, and never mind that you've basically been lying to me my whole life, and now you expect me to just-"

There was a sharp pain across his left cheek, as Erza lashed out and slapped him. She looked furious, her eyes blazing with a cold and quiet rage.

"I have not lied to you." She insisted.

"Yes, you did!" Ichigo spat, putting a hand to his cheek. She had never hit him before- what the hell? "For god-knows-how-long, you've known I was strong, right? If you're a shinigami, that means you can tell stuff like that, don't it? You've known, and never filled me in! Now you barge in here and expect me to just… accept all of this? This is some crap, auntie!"

A look of guilt flashed across Erza's face. "I wanted to, believe me, but… it was not my place. I have kept you and your family safe for as long as you have lived, not that you would know!"

"Your place?" Ichigo murmured. He was both angry and confused; this whole spirit world thing was confusing enough without this piled on top of it. Erza was one of his favorite people in the world, practically family and part of his life for, well, all his life- and now it turned out she had hid this secret for so long?

"Yes, my place," Erza said. "I won't say anymore on that, but I had my reasons. For respect, and family."

"Family?" Ichigo said. "You mean mom and dad-"

"Enough!" Erza said firmly. "I am not saying another word on the subject. What matters is that you have entered a world beyond your understanding, and there is no going back. Rukia may think you are an ordinary human, but believe me, you are not. One day you will be strong, Ichigo, but until then it is my job to protect you- until you can protect yourself."

"I handled myself pretty well back there," Ichigo said, thinking back to the hollow he had just purified, only minutes before.

"No, you did not," Erza said bluntly. "You are like a child playing with fire. You have no form, and while you have talent, you have no practice, no routine, no anything. You are a complete beginner, and likely to get yourself killed if you keep going this way. Rukia is truly desperate."

Ichigo felt a bit like a balloon deflating at Erza's blunt assessment. He had beaten a hollow, he had done it well enough, and he had felt good about it. If course a seasoned shinigami would think he wasn't good, but… that was harsh.

"Whatever…" He mumbled, unable to mount a comeback.

"If it were up to me, your training would have begun long ago," Erza said. "But that was not my decision to make. As it is, your power is awakened. Starting tomorrow, I will begin training you until you have grasped at least the basics."

There was no room for disagreement, and Ichigo was used to being ordered around by her anyhow.

"Umm… after school, then?" He murmured lamely.

"No." Erza said. "Call in sick. The whole week. Two weeks, probably."

"What?" Ichigo protested. "But- what about your kendo?"

"I'll take a leave of absence." Erza said. "This is more important. I am not letting you take another step like this."

"…but…" Ichigo tried lamely.

"Meet me here tomorrow at seven hundred hours." Erza said, completely ignoring him. "Eat a healthy breakfast. We have training to do. If you are late, I will personally drag you out of bed, kicking and screaming if I must."

"…right." Ichigo murmured. What the hell had he got himself into?

At the crack of dawn the next day, the two of them headed out. Erza had all but given Ichigo a heart attack, giving him a rough awakening in his very own bedroom. Things like modesty had never concerned his auntie, and he was only glad nobody had seen his outraged fumbling as she towered over him by his bed. She had ignored his protests, and handed him a small pill- something called a "mod soul". At her insistence, he had swallowed it, and found himself catapulted out of his body, in shinigami form. It really was a lot more convenient than Rukia's glove, as- according to Erza, at least- the pill contained an artificial intelligence that would look after his body while his soul was out of it.

With that done, and a quick breakfast in the form of a sandwich to eat on the go, they sped out into the city. Ichigo would have asked where they were going, but was too sleepy to bother. They did not go too far- well, quite far, but not more than fifteen or so minute's worth of running; it was fascinating just how fast you could go in this form, jumping across roofs in a single bound like it was nothing. He watched Erza from behind as he followed. Knowing she had hidden this truth for so long had made him hurt, angry, but deep down he was also impressed. He was a complete novice, but even he could sense her power, radiating out from her with the slow, steady thump of a heartbeat. It felt enormous, so much greater than anything he had ever seen… and she wanted him to have power like that.

It was hard to admit, but the idea was appealing. As madly dangerous and scary as that first time had been, the rush of power had been incredible. The entire world had felt right, like he was awake for the first time in his life; it had been like… well, it was indescribable. The closest he could come was the times he had had to fight punks in the street, when his blood was pumping and adrenaline surged through his body. He was far from comfortable with this scenario, but at the same time he was much more accepting of it than he thought he should be. Power… strength. Unlike anybody else. Who wouldn't want that?

Before long, they landed in front of a seemingly innocuous candy store, quiet and grey in the morning light. It was a strangely humble place, for where it was placed in the city- tall buildings were not far off, yet here in the middle of town, almost hid away, was this one building.

"Um," Ichigo began, "is this…"

"Quiet." Erza said firmly, and marched up to the store. Fishing out some keys from a pocket, she unlocked the door and walked inside. Ichigo followed, knowing better than to disagree at this point.

The inside was as unremarkable at the outside. Simple goods, packaged pastries and candies; a small selection for a small shop. What was the idea here?

"Are we really supposed to train here?" Ichigo said, letting out a yawn.

"I said quiet," Erza said, her voice level. "You'll see soon enough."

And see, he did. Erza went to the back of the store, and in a storage room she opened an inconspicuous part of the floor, a trap door. Confidently, Erza jumped down, ignoring the ladder placed just by it. Ichigo followed suit, and a second later, he had landed. What he saw was yet another surprise in this time of surprises- if this was the basement, then it was a basement unlike any other. From the gloomy shop, lit only by the early morning sun, he had ended up in an open landscape where the sun was beaming down brightly on what looked like rocks and dirt, stretching for miles, as far as he could tell. He had to look back up, toward the ladder and opening they had come to, to convince himself he hadn't been teleported to some strange, new world. The dirt under his feet felt real. The rocks- which ranged between huge boulders to pebbles in size- looked very real. The sun looked real. There was even a slight breeze, keeping a cool and pleasant temperature.

"Whoa…" he said, looking around.

"This is where I go to train," Erza said bluntly. "It is an artificially created environment, designed to withstand power like mine. If you wonder how, don't ask, because I don't know. It was created by an unsavory but industrious person, the same man who owns the store above."

"Well, um, crap," Ichigo murmured. "I… I guess this isn't that big a stretch. I mean, if there can be ghosts and shinigami and monsters, why not a place like this?"

"Good attitude," Erza said, nodding. "You'll learn to keep an open mind in this world. Now, let's get started."

"Wait," Ichigo said, knowing it was at his own peril, "this… whole thing, training, with you… I mean…" He paused. What could you really say? "I mean, what the hell?"

"You have exactly thirty seconds to clarify yourself before I come at you," Erza said coolly.

"Look," Ichigo said, finally having shaken himself awake, "you're asking a whole lot. And I know you'll say it's necessary, or whatever, but… I mean, you can't just spring this on me like that and expect me to be ready to… do whatever this is, okay?"

To his surprise, Erza's face softened a little.

"I understand, Ichigo."

"You do?" Ichigo said, a little surprised.

"For all this time, you thought you knew me. And you did- no matter what you may find out about me, not one second of the time I spent with your, with your family, not one second of that was fake."

She said the words with conviction, and Ichigo believed them, but it was not quite enough.

"And now it turns out that there was… more to me than you thought. A lot more. It's a lot to take in. If I had any other choice, I would let you take some time to breathe, to accept this." Slowly, she pulled her sword out from its sheath.

"But there is no time. Your power is awake, and until you learn at least basic control and skill, it is a potential danger to you and to everyone close to you. I do not have the time to hold your hand until your feelings are calm, Ichigo. You are not five years old. When I was your age, I had gone through things you cannot even imagine- so believe me when I say that you are strong enough, in body and in mind, to keep going."

"Um…" Ichigo said hesitantly, "Was that a really roundabout way of saying 'tough break, suck it up'?"

"Just about," Erza admitted, and shrugged.

"Well." Ichigo said. This whole thing had left him all but speechless. What had she gone through? What else didn't he know about her? "I… I want to know what the hell this is, okay?"

"You know enough." Erza said. "Shinigami, ghosts, hollows. Magic. An afterlife. A corps of shinigami working to send souls on their way and purify hollows. I will tell you the full story later, but right now… I am not wasting any time."

"…okay then," Ichigo said, figuring this was as much as he'd get out of her. He reached for its sword, and pulled it off his back, assuming a basic stance. "So, how do we do this?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Erza said. She was holding her own sword down, at ease.

"Training?" Ichigo murmured confusedly.

"You think you are fit to spar with me?" Erza said dismissively. "You learn to run before you learn to walk, Ichigo. First, I will test your endurance. Drop down, and do pushups."

"…are you serious?" Ichigo said with disbelief. "All this power, a whole mystical world hidden from humanity, I'm supposed to train to become a freaking death-god, and your idea of training is… push-ups?"

"Once I know the limits of your strength, I can adapt. I need to know how far I can push you." Erza said resolutely, and Ichigo began to realize that training might look less glamorous than he imagined. "Get down. Start."

"…you're serious." Ichigo said flatly. "Okay. Fine, I guess. You know, with this kind of power, I'm pretty sure I can do thousands of pushups before I'm done."

"You're right." Erza said. "Which is why I'll make it harder. Get down."

Somewhat defeated, Ichigo dropped down, and began pushing himself up and down, not sure what 'harder' would mean. He would not have to wait long, as Erza held her sword up. Before his eyes, it transformed, from a sleek Japanese longsword into an enormous, black hunk of metal, only vaguely in the shape of a sword.

"Whuh?" Ichigo said.

"Keep still." Erza said. Holding the sword, she sat herself cross-legged on his back, putting the enormous blade across her lap. She kept the balance remarkably well, although that was the last thing on Ichigo's mind, as he nearly collapsed under the weight. It was quite the shock that he did not, actually, fall flat on his chest. As it were, he let out a loud, pained grunt under the strain of the added weight.

"What are you waiting for?" Erza said, knocking him on the head with her knuckles. "Start doing those push-ups. I'll keep count."

"This is insane!" Ichigo grunted, just barely getting the words out.

"Start." Erza said mercilessly, knocking him on the head again. Grunting angrily, Ichigo pushed up, and let himself go down, nearly collapsing again.

"One." Said Erza. "Keep going."

"What the hell even is that sword?" Ichigo grunted, as he painstakingly pushed up again. "Aren't they just supposed to be…" He didn't finish, his sentence ending in a strained groan.

"That is advanced class," Erza said. "Two. Shut up, and keep going."

Ichigo had lost track of time when he finally collapsed. Erza's physical weight was not quite according to the regular laws of physics, he realized, even with the monstrosity of a sword across her lap. Her energy was overwhelmingly powerful, as he felt it up close, and it was like a mountain on his back.

Finally collapsed, and barely conscious, Ichigo let out a whimper, long having lost the energy to even groan anymore.

"Three hundred and fifty-six," Erza said, sounding pleased. "Get on your feet."

"Mmmmhrhfffffgg…" Ichigo said, which, in his mind, translated to 'fuck off'. His muscles were burning, and he'd have given up a long time ago if not for Erza's voice, constantly pushing him, constantly encouraging him to keep going against everything, against the pain, the strain, the common sense, his aching muscles that just wanted relief.

"Get on your feet." Erza said again. His every muscle screaming in protest, Ichigo just barely managed to push himself up to a sitting position. It took him the whole of three minutes to finally gain the energy to stand up- yet, strangely, he found he could stand perfectly well, despite the exhaustion. He had been exhausted before, but this… spiritual form had far more energy, far more resilience, than his regular body ever had.

"What no-ow," He groaned, grabbing at his poor, aching back.

"You may rest for a bit." Erza said. "Sit."

"I can sit?!" Ichigo said incredulously. "You just made me stand!"

"Sit." Erza said, and Ichigo simply did not have the energy to disagree, and slumped down to the ground.

"You need to learn to stand up, even when it feels impossible." Erza said. "You will many times feel like you are at your limit, but that is a lie your body tells you. Your limit is not reached until you are physically unable to move."

"Well thanks, mister Miyagi," Ichigo said, and rolled his eyes. He huffed, and took in long, deep breaths. Sweat was running freely all over every part of his body, and he was sure he'd feel the hurt from this for weeks to come.

"Hum?" Erza said.

"Never mind," he murmured, finally having the energy to groan and moan again. They sat there in silence for a while, Erza cross-legged, her sword now turned back to its original shape, and Ichigo just barely sitting up, rested on his arms for support.

After a while, he said,

"So, um… this place of shinigami…" He wanted to ask, to know more, but was half afraid of prodding where he shouldn't, and half lacked the energy to form a coherent sentence.

"I was once a shinigami." Erza said. "I still am. It depends on your definition."

"Definition?"

"I have the powers of a shinigami," Erza explained. "I carry a zanpakutou. I know their techniques and their magic. Yet, most shinigami would not consider me one of their own."

"Why?" Ichigo asked, genuinely curious.

"We come from the Soul Society," Erza said. "Rukia might have said as much. There are thousands of us. In the heart of the afterlife lies the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, the thirteen companies in which our corps lies. To be a shinigami is, to them, not just having the powers and skills of one, but to follow their laws, their culture, to be as they are and do as they do."

"And you didn't?"

"I was… different." Erza said evasively. "I am powerful- I do not brag, but I tell you without hesitation that I was one of their very strongest."

"Why did you leave?" The question was so obvious, so clear to ask, yet Erza seemed phased by it. Her face was inscrutable, stoic, and she fell quiet.

The silence might have gone on long enough to become awkward, except Erza's head suddenly snapped toward the opening they had come through, through which somebody could be seen climbing. Even some ways away, Ichigo recognized the figure- it was Rukia. And in her tow was Tatsuki and Orihime, following behind her.

"Oh, crap," Erza murmured. Slowly she stood up, and Ichigo followed suit. Rukia, it seemed as she got closer, was not in a good mood. At first, Ichigo thought she was mad at him, for having disappeared like this- but then he saw the look of utter fury on her face, as she made her way toward Erza- toward her, not him.

"Get away from her, Ichigo!" She cried. "Get away- she's dangerous!"

Ichigo, unsure what to do or say, stood still. What was going on?

"You!" Rukia all but snarled, marching up to Erza. She raised her palm, and cried, "Ye Lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!"

A blue energy formed in her palm, surging toward Erza. Before Ichigo was able to cry out, Erza had caught it, and with as much effort as she would put into swatting a fly, she threw it aside, and the spell- Ichigo presumed that's what it was- sizzled out into the air.

"You are powerless now, Rukia," she said calmly. "and even if you weren't, you'd be no match for me. Let's not fight."

"TRAITOR!" Rukia cried, and this time she really did snarl. Her hand shot out, slapping Erza across the face. Erza did not even react, just taking the hit.

"Are you done?" She asked.

"We are not nearly done, betrayer!" Rukia shouted angrily.

"Well, that's a hell of a reunion," Tatsuki said with a grin, watching from the background with Orihime.

"What the hell is going on?" Ichigo said loudly.

"She is a traitor to our organization, that's what." Rukia spat. "She is dangerous, and you need to stay away from her."

"Traitor?" Ichigo said. "I don't understand."

"And you wouldn't even if I told you. Not yet, anyhow," Erza said. "For now, all you need to know is that 'our organization' are no angels, and I had a good reason for leaving."

"You stay away from him!" Rukia said. "You ran away- there was evidence-"

"Listen carefully, Rukia," Erza said, her tone firm and cold, "nothing in the world will stop me from training him. Your desperate little idea only barely works, and is liable to get people killed. And think about it- if I were truly some evil traitor, then I could have killed any of you whenever I wanted to. I know you have no reason to trust me, but you are out of options. Be angry with me if you think it helps, but I am training Ichigo."

"Erza, what… what happened?" Ichigo murmured.

"Later." Erza said. "Suffice to say I got involved in something very serious, and it went wrong."

"'Wrong' is one way of putting it, terrorist," Rukia said.

"Enough." Erza said. "Ichigo, training. Now. And no questions. Is that understood?"

"Um. Yes, ma'am," He murmured. Today was confusing as hell, and he was almost grateful for the distraction of pain.

"Now then," Erza said, leading him off for a bit, "let's start with the basic kendo stance…"

As Erza began teaching Ichigo the basics, how to stand and how to swing, Tatsuki walked up to Rukia. She and Orihime had, after Rukia had gone asking them if they knew where Ichigo was, decided to skip school to go find him. For all they knew, he could have been hurt, or worse. The trail, such as it was, had led them here- where, of all people, Erza was showing him the ropes. A very different Erza.

"So… what the hell was that?" Tatsuki said. "You seem like you hate her. What'd she do?"

"You heard it plain and clear," Rukia said, anger still in her voice. "She was one of us. Now, she is not. That makes her a traitor."

"Sounds awfully personal, doesn't it?" Tatsuki said. "Or are all you shinigami just frothing at the mouth whenever somebody blasphemes against your little shinigami organization?"

"She's right, Rukia," Orihime said sweetly. "You sound like you know her."

"…that was a different time." Rukia said stiffly. "Besides, you have no reason to know- you are not shinigami."

"Classified, got it," Tatsuki said, rolling her eyes. "But in general?"

Rukia sighed. "She was… one of our best once." She said the words hesitantly, as if convincing herself to speak. "And you're right. She was one of my friends. She was a friend to a lot of people. She seemed so… dependable. She helped me through something… hard." Rukia shook her head, a strange look on her face like she had just remembered something deeply unpleasant. "And then she is arrested for conspiring against… our organization. For terrorism and acts of sabotage. There's hard evidence. And somehow, she escapes and runs away. She left a lot of hearts broken that time. She's a criminal. Evidence doesn't lie."

Tatsuki gave a whistle. "Plan terrorism, then escape and be part of a family for over fifteen years? Sounds like a diabolical master plan to me."

"That would be TOTALLY diabolical though," Orihime said. "Like, going into hiding…" She shook her head. "I mean, you're wrong, Rukia." Her voice was unusually calm and resolute. "She's cared for me since I was like twelve years old. She loves his family, and she loves me. She's the greatest person in the whole world."

Rukia shook her head. "You don't know half of who she is, Orihime. I'm sorry, but you don't. She's been alive for over a century."

"I believe in her," Orihime said resolutely.

"A lot of people did," Rukia murmured. Sullenly, she looked at Erza, training Ichigo. Even in her state as it was now, she could read her reiatsu. She was in fine shape, no doubt about it-stronger, perhaps, than when she had left. Her swordsmanship was impeccable. A traitor she was, but there was no denying she made a good teacher.

Three hours later, during which time Tatsuki and Orihime had the time to go buy lunch and eat it, lazily looking on as Ichigo got thoroughly worn down by Erza, in one exercise after the next, Ichigo was finally as done as done could be. Unable to even walk by himself, Erza half supported, half dragged him toward his friends, and unceremoniously dumped him on the ground.

"Hhhufnnnnr… fffuh… buh…" Ichigo said- although 'said' was a bit of a glamorization; it was more like a series of incoherent groans and huffs. He lay on the ground, oblivious of the harsh, uncomfortable pebble-filled dirt surface that it was, just deeply relieved to be at rest. For five minutes he lay still, letting out only the odd groan, while the rest kept silent. Rukia shot Erza vicious glares, Erza avoided responding, and Tatsuki and Orihime took their time finishing their lunches.

Finally, Tatsuki kicked Ichigo lightly, and said,

"Oi, sloth-boy, get up. We saved you some dumplings, on account of you being a young shinigami who's still growing and needs his vitamins, and stuff."

"Shaddap," Ichigo groaned. "I wish I was dead or something," he groaned melodramatically. "Fifteen years of being sweet, kind and supportive, and then she snaps and turns out to be a harpy…"

It was probably not the wisest of moves to insult Erza in her presence, but Ichigo was well past caring.

"Technically, you are dead," Erza said.

"What?!" Ichigo said, looking up. He was not nearly as exhausted as he seemed, Erza decided.

"In that form, at least. 'Death' is really just the separation of body and soul."

"But I'm still alive, right?" Ichigo said anxiously, still lying on the ground. "I mean, I have a body and everything!"

"True, true," Erza said. "I don't know exactly how it works, but I'm pretty sure it will work as normal, aging and everything. Your soul, though… well, you'll probably have this look for decades. Maybe a century or more."

"Brilliant," Ichigo murmured.

"Hey, don't knock semi-eternal youth," Tatsuki added cheerily.

"Erza," Orihime said, interrupting what was sure to be yet another not-so-friendly argument between Tatsuki and Ichigo, "I think it's time you explained some things."

"Oh." Erza said, this time sounding quite guilty- Orihime had that effect on her. "Well. Er. Yes. Explanations."

"This should be good," Rukia murmured, her arms crossed.

"I'm sure there's a good reason for all this," Orihime said sweetly, "but… there seems to be a lot I don't know about you. So, please?"

Erza could do many things; face down impossible odds, slay giant monsters and fight the system at the cost of everything she had, but denying Orihime was not one of those things.

"All right," she said, and sighed. "I'll start from the beginning."

"All ears," Ichigo said, his voice a little muffled- despite still being on the ground, he had accepted Tatsuki's offer of dumplings.

Erza took a deep breath.