Uryuu carefully adjusted his position on the weather-worn roof beam and swung his feet in the air as he stared out at the forest, wondering how far Urahara had gotten, wondering what the man had seen so far, wondering what this world was like—

He sighed and shook his head, trying to shove his thoughts aside; he should be worrying about how to get back to his own world, not… not being fascinated by this one.

But it really was a strange one, Uryuu admitted to himself as he stared down at the gigantic bones on the far shore of the lake below. It was a world of real live dragons and fairies and knights, mercenaries and mages… all the things of the fairy tales he’d long since outgrown but never quite abandoned.

It would be so, so easy to just… forget himself. To lose himself in this world and hide away forever.

(What did he have to return to, anyway?)

(Ichigo dead and Aizen… possibly dead?)

(And if he returned, would everyone blame him for Ichigo’s death?)

(Would he be alone again?)

Uryuu took a ragged breath and scrubbed at his eyes with a hand, knocking his glasses askew in the process.

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t go back to… to before. Not again. Not when he’d begun to get used to having someone around!

(*Tch, ya still got us, no matter what happens,*) Shiro piped up, leaning into Uryuu’s mental presence.

(*The others wouldn’t abandon you either,*) Ichigo declared firmly, confidently, despite the relative exhaustion that he was clearly still feeling.

(*As you say*,) Uryuu murmured as he settled his glasses back in place, inwardly doubting that the other teens would stick with him, after everything that had happened. Or if they didn’t just drift away, wouldn’t it only be for the chance to speak with Ichigo still? That… that didn’t sound like it would do any of them any good, though he couldn’t say that for sure.

(Maybe it would be best if he just stayed here forever.)

(Let the others mourn for both of them, let the break be clean and clear and forever no matter how much it hurt to consider—)

Ichigo flicked his awareness, sharp-intent-exasperated, and said, (*The decision is yours, but don’t decide just because it’s easy to stay here. Talk it over with… well. Our older self,*) he said, then paused and added, (*That’s so damn weird to say.*)

(*Try actually interacting with him,*) Uryuu said dryly, thinking about how odd it was to listen to Urahara Kaito and realize that the man was supposed to be him. He didn’t think he’d ever become used to how… how playful Urahara Kaito appeared to be.

The sound of wingbeats caught his attention, and he glanced over to see Midgardsormr taking off from the floating island — an actual, honest to goodness island that was floating in midair — not far from the castle. The great dragon cast a look his way, head tipping in curiosity, and then flew closer, circling the worn and roofless tower that Uryuu had retreated to.

“A delicate place to roost,” Midgardsormr said as he settled on a nearby wall, wings half-spread for balance.

Uryuu shrugged awkwardly and let his feet swing a bit more. “It’s peaceful up here,” he said, biting back the urge to add ‘or at least it was’; he didn’t know the dragon well enough to push his luck like that.

Midgardsormr gave a deep, rumbling chuckle and cast a glance at the courtyard below. “Yes, they are quite the inquisitive bunch, aren’t they?” he asked. “Humans are such odd creatures, always striving towards something new.”

“Don’t you?” Uryuu asked before he could think better of it, then twitched as Midgardsormr swung his head around to fix him with a thoughtful look. “I mean… I don’t think it’s so odd…”

“Yes, perhaps you wouldn’t,” Midgardsormr mused, his reddish-orange eyes sharp. “Your powers are nearly right, but those forms that you and your companion wear…”

Uryuu swallowed, unable to tear his gaze away from Midgardsormr’s sharp, triangular head as it came closer; whatever Midgardsormr had previously decided about Uryuu and Urahara, it was clear he was reconsidering now, and Uryuu had no idea what that meant for him.

(Was Midgardsormr about to demand he leave?)

Midgardsormr’s eyes narrowed as he drew his head back, giving Uryuu space. “Peace, young one,” he said calmly. “Whatever you are, I sense nothing truly amiss about you beyond the damage to your powers.”

“What exactly do you sense from me?” Uryuu asked warily, wondering how his situation felt to the other.

The pause that followed was not precisely encouraging, nor was the piercing, direct look that Midgardsormr fixed him with. Uryuu struggled not to squirm under the dragon’s regard — he’d asked, after all! — but the longer Midgardsormr observed him, the harder it was to keep himself still.

(Was it truly so terrible?)

(Did he stand out so much?)

“Whatever wounded you, it tore your very being apart,” Midgardsormr finally said, tone grim. “And while you were vulnerable, another’s strength slipped into the gaps and merged with your own. That likely kept you alive, but it has changed you.”

Uryuu winced and looked away, staring at the gigantic bones across the lake instead of at Midgardsormr, unable to face the dragon. “I… suppose that is close enough,” he murmured.

Midgardsormr sighed and adjusted his position, talons scratching against stone and wings rustling as he awkwardly moved around on a perch barely large enough for him. “You have nothing to fear here,” he said simply. “As the Windwyrm, my power stretches across this forest and all within it. Euden, too, will fight for you if necessary.”

“I don’t need any of you fighting for me,” Uryuu grumbled as he slanted a glare at Midgardsormr. “I’m not weak.”

“But you are injured,” Midgardsormr said easily. “And neither you nor your companion seem to fully grasp the powers within your control. If you are to become a force to be reckoned with, you will need to master your new strength and settle into your new role in the world.”

“New… role?” Uryuu frowned over at Midgardsormr, wondering exactly what the dragon meant by that.

“Whatever you once were, you are nearly a dragon now,” Midgardsormr said as if his words made any sense at all. “Whether or not you can fulfill a true dragon’s place in the world is yet to be seen, but I will not have you wandering around causing harm to the world through ignorance.”

Uryuu froze, desperately hunting for a way to refute the dragon’s words — he was a human! Well, a Quincy, but Quincy were humans! — but all he could think of was Urahara with clawed hands and feet, his tail swaying gently and a horned mask set upon his head. If he ignored that Urahara had no wings, then the man had definitely appeared to be draconic in that moment.

(“Don’t call your mask unless you want a surprise,” Urahara had said.)

(What had this world done to them?!)

Something solid thumped against his chest, nearly knocking him from the beam, and a deep voice rumbled, “Breathe, young one, I will do my best to teach you and your companion.”

Uryuu sucked in a shaky breath and locked his legs in place on the beam, staring up at Midgardsormr in dull shock as he tried to process the dragon’s words. This close, he could feel the way power flowed into Midgardsormr and back out, almost like the the dragon was breathing power instead of just air. It was a strange sensation, and Uryuu couldn’t resist tracing the flow, feeling the way it wove itself into the natural power all around them, guiding-guarding-strengthening the currents of power in the area.

(Was this what Midgardsormr meant?)

(He was clearly doing something, tying himself to the area in a way that Uryuu couldn’t quite understand, but was that just something Midgardsormr did or was it something all dragons did?)

“Can I… think about this?” Uryuu forced out, hoping his voice sounded steadier than he felt.

Midgardsormr drew back and inclined his head. “Of course. At the moment, it is best if you take time to heal and rebuild your strength, so I would not begin teaching you soon in any case. And remember, if you have any questions, feel free to speak with me.”

“R-right,” Uryuu muttered, dragging a shaking hand through his hair. He gave Midgardsormr one last, wary look, then shoved himself off the beam and fell back to the tower floor, dried leaves crunching underfoot as he landed and darted back into the relatively safety of the castle itself.

It was time to find a different place to hide.

(This world was so weird.)

(Maybe he didn’t want to stay after all.)

(…maybe…)