Title: Last Hope
Fandom: BLEACH
Pairing(s): IchigoRukia
Genre: Drama/Angst
Rating: PG-13
Status: On-going
Summary: Hollow!Ichigo had taken over and Soul Society has to stop him from destroying the world. Can they, with a powerful Hollow on the loose, and Aizen hell-bent on achieving his goal?
Disclaimer: BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite.

Author's Notes: Rating subjected to change. This story will contain spoilers.

Prologue:

Hello and Goodbye

In the end, it was unavoidable.

Even as he fought, even as he lowered his pride and asked the Vizards for help, he could feel the Hollow in him fighting back and inching towards its goal slowly. He wasn't as dense as people made him out to be. He knew - he could feel it! - that it was only a matter of time before it took control of him completely.

Yet, true to his nature, he refused to give in. He fought, struggled and came to a slow end.

His former comrades could only watch in horror as he changed shape and as his lips turned up into an evil smirk. They had tried to kill him while he was still transforming, but a barrier protected him - it - from outside interference.

If there was any word that could describe how they felt as they witnessed their friend change into the monster they fought against, it was horrified.

As the creature took its final shape, it took a few seconds to take in the air and its lips turned into a larger, more sinister smirk.

Then, it laughed.

It laughed at the horror on the Shinigamis' face. It laughed at getting freedom at last. Most of all, it laughed at a foolish human boy's fruitless and meaningless fight. His hopes to contain it inside his body forever - it was laughable.

It bared its fangs.

As the first Shinigami charged towards him, zanpakutou drawn, it stopped the razor-sharp katana as if it was merely an annoying fly. It grinned sinisterly.

"Did you really think that I was just going to let you kill me, Shinigami?" It snarled. What came out as its words, came out in his voice. "You foolish, foolish Shinigami."

Rukia roared, pain and hate laced in her words, "let him out you monster! Give him back to me!" Rangiku stood in agreement, "give him back or else…"

Its grin only got bigger. "Or else what? Kill me? Can you do it? When you hear him as I speak." It taunted. "No you can't," it continued without letting them answer, "why? Because deny it all you want, but here's the bottom line: I am him, and he is me now. You don't want to kill him do you?"

Renji growled, "you bastard… Hoero! Zabimaru!" As his zanpakutou took a larger, saw-like appearance, he hurled it towards the Hollow. It stood its ground and with just a fist, shattered the blade into a million pieces.

"Zabimaru!" Renji cried.

"Is that all you've got, Shinigami?" It mocked, "I'm disappointed. With comrades like these, it's no wonder I was able to take over him." The other Shinigamis went crazy. Charging towards it with their zanpakutous drawn, they gave a unison battle-cry.

It was supposed to be difficult to escape a group attack from a captain, a vice-captain, three other powerful Shinigamis but it did it. It managed to dodge each and every one of their attacks with ease.

"I was right. That's all you Shinigamis have got. I truly am disappointed." It taunted again, "it has been fun, but the game's over for now. We will meet again, and the next time we do, I will destroy Soul Society." It gave one last smirk before disappearing into thin air.

Rukia fell to her knees. She had failed him, just as she had failed Kaien.

From that day on, he was no longer Kurosaki Ichigo, Shinigami representative. He was Kurosaki Ichigo, Hollow.

To be continued…

Author's Notes: Please review! Constructive criticisms are more than welcomed. Flames would be ignored.