Introduction and Aftermath

Shade had just woken up, covered in his wounds from the night before. "Bael couldn't take even a scratch, and look at this." Beside him, slept one of his favorite people, his soon to be wife, Loran. Feeling hungry, he made his way to the kitchen, hoping to be the only one up, therefore being first in line for coffee. Myst was out, with her vampire friends, no doubt.

Ray was putting milk and suger on his cup of coffee as he needed the boost since yesterday. Then he heard footsteps and looked to find Shade coming in sleeply and in his shorts."Good moring kid, how you feel?" He asked.

"Sore, stiff. Oh, man. My back still feels like my spine got blown out my back." Shade responded, with a level of apathy thrown in. He reached of the coffee pot, added sugar and milk to his cup, and added to coffee for last, including more sugar. "Don't ask." he said with his demonic smile.

"And don't give Me that smile Shade." Replied Ray as he went to sit down on the table while drinking his coffee in one gulp."I gotta ask, what's are kids like you doing here with Zanpakuto's for that matter" Asked Ray as he finally comepletely woke up after that coffee and looked at Shade.

"Well?"

"Fine. Most people ask why my "Bankai" turns me into an oversized Smurf. We're fugitives. I'm MIA, Myst is a blood sucker, and my other friend, he nearly got me and Loran killed. So we escaped. Of course, for about a week, I was labeled KIA, but i digress on that."

Ray just shook his head and got back up to get some more coffee, while he was doing that he was thinking about why they sounded so familiar but just decided to quit thinking about it."So how long have you been here in the world of the living?" Ray asked.

"About a month. Lets just say that, Now why dont you ask me about my Hell Blade? I love this story." Shade countered.

Ray just sighed and shook his head as he sat back down at the table."Fine, what's with you're hell blade." Asked Ray.

"I have seen both Heaven and Hell. Not many can claim that. You see, my best friend needed me, but back then, the enemy was too strong for me. So in a last ditch effert, I sold my soul. I became Bael's final Hell Hunter. Of our tiny group, I am the fastest. Of the entire demon race, I score third. My Hell Blade represents all of my hate and fear, wrapped in a small sword. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm still human, just with completely demonic DNA."

"Intresting, I've heard of that demon race I've even battled a few of them myself." Replied Ray looking at Shade with intrest, then out of nowhere Ray heared a voice coming from down the hall.

"Shade? You still here?" Loran called.

"Si sinorita." Shade answered, with bad Spanish accenting his voice.

"Well, come here. We still need to prepare for our wedding."

"What part of 'not wearing a tux' do you not get?" Shade asked, not wanting to push any more buttons on his counterpart than he already has.

"Hahaha, wedding plans huh? So why invite me to stay with you guys?" Asked Ray as he cleaned the cup in the sink and looks at Shade wondering how him and his girl woulld even think about getting married.

"Hm. You seemed like you needed a place to sleep. Sorry. Demonic intuition. And yes, I will marry that girl one day. I hope before I die again." Shade smirked to himself as he drank his coffee.

"Yeah i did need a place but i can't stay too long." said Ray going back into his room to get some more sleep.

"Hm. Good night." Shade went out to the living room to crash again, as to not incure the wrath of Loran. After a fitful moment, he drifted off into his dreams.

Ray grabbed his sword along with his other things and started for the front door but then heard snoring. He looked around and saw Shade sleeping on the couch,"Haha, you are a good kid but trust me you don't need a guy like me hanging around." Ray whispered.

He went out through the front door and shunpo'd elsewhere.

Myst, walking home, as was her wont, early in the morning picked up the scent of blood on metal, a easy feat for a vampire, she tracked Ray for what could have been hours, never resting, always on the hunt.

Ray was on top of a house sitting and meditating in the morning sun wondering what he should do next then suddenly He felt a familiar energy coming towards him."You know, for a vampire you stink at cloaking your self, Myst."

"Trust me, if I wanted to be hidden, you would never find me. Shade took about a day to feel me following him one day. I still smell his blood on your sword. Foul stuff, demon blood." Myst said as she landed behind Ray. "He told you, didn't he?"

"Oh yeah, hard to believe he was able to find himself some good friends, he always seem like a real joker most of the time." Ray laughed,"But anyway what are you doing here I thought you would be with your friends right now."

"I wanted to see my little brother, but I was pulled by the sent of the blood. So I tracked you thinking you were him. Sorry."

"Ha-ha, it's okay, don't worry about it. He's at your house resting. Listen I better get going." He gets up and jumps off the building then walks down the street.

"Ok. You know, unless you clean your blade, I can still hunt you." Myst added as she used her vampiric Flash-Step, Ketsueki Butokai.

Ray then saw her in front of him and just decided to take another route.

Myst once again tracked him, hiding her power this time. She felt hungry, but staved off that notion. More soldiers would come and attack her brothers' hideout. She was begining to understand the desire, how to fight it. It was only the demon blood she hunted for, what harm would it bring?

"I don't why you have that hunger but you wanna get me then let's up the play shall we?" Suddenly Ray shunop'd all over the place and made replications of himself as they all looked and smelled exactly like him."Find which one of us is real." Then all of them shunpo'd away.

"Wow. i just have to hunt all of you down and beat you, but the real one will get away." ''No one can do that. There has to be a limit to his power.'' The vampire headed directly for the one on her left.

The replica looked around and saw the vampire coming towards him and tried to run away.

"How can you run from Myst, the most powerful Reikon Kyuuban?" She gloated as she dashed next to the clone and swung with her nails, fadeing through it. "Fake A. Now for the one to the North." And making good on her word, she headed due North.

While she was hunting the replicas the real Ray Martinez was on the far edge of the town sitting in the park alone,"Well that should keep her busy for awhile, God that girl's a pain but she's okay." Though Ray as he got up and started walking but then suddenly felt a erie feeling in the air and something crashed right behind him.

"Haha, Finally i thought you guys would've run away after yesterday."

Adjuchas class hollows crawled out of the hole. The leader of the pack, his face hidden by smoke, hissed "Ha, you're still tired from your battle with the demon boy, and the blood sucking whore."

Myst had just caught up with her target, and took it out as well. "Drat. I still need to hunt..." She trailed off, feeling the hollows nearby. "Nix that, he is found." She said as she dashed in that direction.

"Hahahahaha, You underestimate me hollow cuz now I'm going to show you true fear." Says Ray as he focuses his energy into his Zanpakuto and yells his Favorite word."Bankai!" The energy around did the same as yesterday and transformed Ray into his lion form, Then right on the spot he goes on the attack.

Myst stood on the sidelines, knowing Ray could take the hollows down. But one of them...Felt like an Arrancar. "Just my imagination." Myst told herself.

However, one of them was. Inori, wearing a white Espada robe, walked onto the field. As his men fell, he was temped to release, but before he could, a clawed hand riped his chest. "Hm, so the kitty has claws? Well, let's play."

Ray just kept slicing every single of them until only a handful were left standing in front of him with fear in their eyes but right when he went for the pounce he stopped and stood on his hine legs as he turned around growled with anger, then out of nowhere he turned and roared very loud before he went back on all fours.

"EEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSPPAADDAAAAA, Why are you here?! Ray roared digging his claws into the ground and making electricity run through his outside body.

"There is a child you met, just last night. Somewhat tall, thin, demonic, emo. Any ideas?" Inori asked. He needed to fight Shade to settle an old score.

Myst yelped a little, not loud enough to be heard. That's Shade's description.

For the first time, Ray listened and started thinking in his Bankai form and realized that there was no way he would tell him anything."No, now leave or I will kill you."

"Childish instinct. Protect that boy, and the girl back there dies. Now, where is Shade?!" Inori growled, waiting for the next strike.

Myst was frozen in fear. Could he be the guy Shade talked about?

Ray stopped thinking and went for the attack as he shunpo'd all around the area leaving his replicas and then running around making the energy around him warp and rotate as speed got faster and faster then a tornado was around Inori as the replicas went for the attack.

"You move too slow. Now begone." Inori stabbed around himself, and knocked away the replicas of Ray. "He realy did a number on you kid. Can't even out run an old man."

But Inori didn't notice that Ray was actually behind him outside of the tornado charging his Ryuusei Keshigomu intoo one powerful blast."Eat This!".

Ray releashed the blast of energy.

Inori could never have moved out of the way, so it ripped his jacket. "Hm My Hirro isn't strong, but that could have killed me if you were fully charged."

Myst stared at the two. The clashing and twisting of their power could only be described as beautiful.

Ray roared and went again for the attack but this time before he could even move his leg gave out and he fell on his stomach trying to get back up but to no avail. Then suddenly his Bankai releashed and he went back to his normal form with blood coming out of his mouth.

"Now, tell me where the emo brat lives or the girl diesin his place, all up to you." Inori was getting ready to have vengence.

Myst jumped in to save her friend, but Inori smashed her with the heal of his hand. "Pathetic. Shade should be here, or at home. Where Is He?"

"Hahaha, You'll have to kill me before I even think about tell You anything." Snarled Ray grabbing his sword and trying to stand up.

As the two argued, a new fighter appeared. His clothing, black, his hair to match. But his eyes burned with passion, longing and fear.

"Hello Inori-sama." the dark clothed man offered. "Ten years ago, I put you in the ground. Now I will place you there again.

"Cocky words boy. Ten years ago, your powers sent me to the hear-after. Not. As you see, I am here, ready to kill you."

Shade looked at Myst. "Get Ray home, now!" Without moving, the Ice Lord rose again, he already did the ritual, but waited until the time was right.

"Hehe, You took your sweet time Shade." Ray coughed out more blood before he fainted and just laid there not moving at all.

"And, Myst, don't do that to him." Shade warned as he climbed down to meet his old master.

Myst grabbed Ray and ran.

All Ray could feel was the girl picking him up and running away and somehow in someway he felt powerful spirit energy coming from Shade and the Esapada.

"Its been years. I have evolved from one rank of hollow to the next. But, you see. I remember my whole past. That is what led me here, to you." Inori said, trying to attack Shade mentally.

"I too, have become more. In fact, I am more hollow than you." Shade walked forword, freezeing anything he could see. "I am a Hell Hunter. The fastest one. The support beam to my friends. And for harming one, and my sister too, I will kill you.

Inori simply walked forword. When Shade was in range, he lunged. "Sorry, but I must kill you." He wispered, not at all sorry.

The weapon wint in one side and left the other.

Shade simply spat blood and started to falter. It pierced his heart. He was going back to Hell.

When he woke up, the sulfurous smell was missing. It smelled like home. He woke up as a strage feeling washed over him. He bypassed Hell, givien another chance.

"Welcome back brother." Myst said happy that the only emo in her life woke up.

"Where's Ray?" Shade asked. He needed to know his friend was ok.

"Haha, you're awake. Good to know that even hell can't stop you kid." Said Ray who was awake, covered in bandages, and sitting on a chair."How you feeling?"

"Sick as a dog. Guess that happens when your heart gets destroyed." Shade said, without thinking. His body felt worse than he let on. "And you think a firepit could hold the Ice Lord?" He smiled. But his emotions couldn't stop.

"Hehe, always the joker kid." Ray said laughing."Look sorry you had to come and rescue me I guess since we fought yesterday the damage was more than i expected and with this stupid limiter on me I can't use my full power."