Where You Belong
*A/N: Hello, it's Sgt. Assassin. Some of you may be wondering, "Why is he writing another fic while he's already got one in the works?" Well, here's your answer to that question, and the other one you also probably have: "Why hasn't he continued said fic?"
I could very well blame Tite Kubo for being such an awesome writer, but I have to decline on that (he's still an awesome writer, though). Lately, my focus has shifted from Naruto to Bleach, and I cannot seem to wrap my head around it as of right now. I have a half-finished chapter for JKNR: TCW, but I can't, for the life of me, seem to find the correct way to end it (the chapter, not the story).
So, I'm going to keep at it, but at the same time, I figured I'd go ahead and write this one that's been buzzing in my head for quite some time. I've decided to go ahead and add an OC character to the story, and while it will change things, I am keeping the main pairing of Ichi/Rukia (not enough are made, IMO), while there will be a slightly less main pairing of OC/Soifon.
So, without further ado (and my rambling to go with it), I give you my second fic. Enjoy!
Chapter 1: Reminiscence
17 months...
17 months since Kurosaki Ichigo lost his Shinigami powers. 17 months since Aizen's defeat at the hands of "a mere human". 17 months since Ichigo unwittingly got exactly what he'd so longingly asked for: To just be a normal human living a normal life.
How he regretted it. Losing his powers was a necessary evil, he knew. He had no regrets about what took place between him and Aizen. The man had a convoluted God-complex, and he needed to be put down like a dog with rabies. Still, the ramifications of what he'd done were not as prominent at the time. He had one sole thought on his mind: Defeat Aizen.
Well, that wasn't exactly true. He didn't want to defeat Aizen. He wanted to destroy Aizen. Tear him apart. Make him rue the day he fucked with his friends. Regret the thought of even TRYING to use his hometown of Karakura as a sacrifice to obtain omniscience. Make him suffer, beg, and plead for his life, knowing that his cries would go unheard.
Yes, Ichigo would have liked nothing better than to wipe that smug smirk off that bastard's face, and he got to do just that.
Flashback
"Kurosaki Ichigo..."
Ichigo looked to the side, not even acknowledging Aizen's words as he gazed at Ichimaru Gin, the man laying crumpled in a pool of his own blood, his right arm missing completely as Matsumoto Rangiku hovered over his prone form.
"Are you really...Kurosaki Ichigo?" Aizen's repeated question had Ichigo turn his seemingly uninterested gaze back to the traitor.
"...What do you mean?" he asked.
"If you are really Kurosaki Ichigo...then I am most disappointed. I do not sense a particle of reiatsu from you. Even if you were concealing it, it would not vanish entirely. It is impossible to completely erase one's presence through concealment." he droned. "You have failed at attaining evolution. You have taken the last feeble chance I gave you, and have tossed it aside like so much worthless trash."
Despite his grievous and life-ending wounds, Gin's ice blue eyes never wavered in their gaze back, the two men staring at one another as if each could read the other's thoughts.
Regarding Ichigo's new appearance, Gin managed a small smile. 'Ahh...he has the eyes of a warrior now.' he thought, chuckling as he remembered back to just an hour ago, when the same man before him had been on his knees in complete despair over Aizen's new acquisition of power, the Hogyouku now completely fused with the man's body. He'd offered the youth the chance to flee, to run and hide as Sosuke Aizen proceeded to wipe Karakura from the face of the planet. Normally, Ichigo would have vehemently protested even the THOUGHT of doing that, but his fear had clogged his throat, making voicing his opinions all but impossible.
'I'm so glad. I can go now, knowin' it's okay...to trust you with the rest of it.' Gin's smile never left his lips, even as his eyes closed for the last time.
Reaching a hand out in a mock gesture of sympathy, Sosuke Aizen smirked. "It's really too bad, Kurosaki Ichigo-"
"Aizen."
Suddenly interrupted, Aizen's smirk left his face, replaced with a small frown. "Let's take this somewhere else." Ichigo continued, looking over to where Tatsuki, Keigo, Chizuru, Kanonji, Mizuro, and Zennosuke were standing in complete awe of the two titans in front of them.
Tatsuki's earlier thoughts were echoing though her head. 'I don't feel anything. This isn't right! From this man, I feel an overwhelming spiritual presense, so much so that it feels as though him being here is crushing my bones to dust! But from Ichigo...from Ichigo, I don't feel anything.'
Aizen's smirk returned. "The words that have left your lips are nothing more than a meaningless proposal. Those words are reserved solely for those with the power to pose a challenge to me. However, you need not worry yourself. I will leave the destruction of Karakura Town until after I-"
Once again, Aizen found himself abruptly and rather rudely cut off, this time with a hand slamming into his face. He felt the fingers grip around his head with vice-like tension, and he was suddenly airborne, his eyes wide as he was hurled though the air, Ichigo's grip not slacking in the slightest as he forcibly removed Aizen from Karakura.
The only thought that was able to make its' way to Aizen's dumbfounded mind was complete and utter shock. It was quickly replaced by the sensation of being thrown downwards, a thought that was proven correct as his back impacted with the hard rock of Seireitei, the ground giving out as he impacted.
Clutching his face, Aizen's shock was still very much visible. 'I-impossible! W-with his bare hand...he drove me this far?' Hearing the sound of feet meeting the ground, Aizen looked up to see Ichigo look at him with a disinterested stare. Yet, there was a hint of utter loathing behind his diamond-edged glare.
Ichigo's next words got his attention, even if the hand to the face hadn't already. "Let's begin, Aizen. I'll finish this in an instant."
Aizen's brain repeated those words, and he smirked once more. "Finish this in an instant, you say? I think I understand now, Kurosaki Ichigo. Why you have apparently lost your spiritual pressure." Ichigo's dull stare only urged him to continue. "You have not lost it, per say. You have merely parted with it, or rather, thrown it away."
"While the method with which you accomplished this is unclear even to me, you have managed to convert the entirety of your massive spiritual pressure into your spiritual body's physical strength. It enhances everything from your muscular strength to your footwork, grip strength, throw strength, speed, and even agility. In exchange for drastically improving every facet of your spiritual body's prowess, you have sacrificed your reiatsu completely."
Not finished with his self-explanation, he continued. "You finally accepted the fact that you could not and can never challenge my reiatsu with your own. Nevertheless, I must now bring despair upon you. For even with this last-ditch attempt at victory with your physical strength, you cannot hope to even come close to the power I've now achieved."
Seemingly satisfied with his speech, Aizen glowed with an ethereal light, and the wings on his back spread out, giving him a slightly more menacing appearance...about as menacing as you can look while having butterfly wings attached to your back.
Ichigo looked on, one of his eyebrows raising ever so slightly. "...What?"
Within the blink of an eye, Aizen seemingly vanished amid a bright flash of light. His eyes casually scanning the surroundings, Ichigo looked to his right just before Aizen reappeared, his sword already in motion. Bringing his own blade around, Ichigo effortlessly deflected Aizen's strike. The two blades clashed, then separated, and the resulting shockwave turned the upper part of a nearby plateau into rubble, the rock seeming to disintegrate under the harsh assault.
Leaping back from one another, the two combatants separated, Aizen's small smirk never leaving his face. "Very well done. However, you must be rather shocked. The very earth bends to my will with a single stroke of my blade. This is just a taste of the power I've obtained. Yet, I must confess. Even I had not suspected my power level to rise this extremely."
Ichigo merely let Aizen continue, his eyes never leaving the transcendent being before him. "If you haven't been able to tell, I am rejoicing, Kurosaki Ichigo. Thanks to you, I will be able to test these powers that transcend both Hollows and Shinigami alike to my heart's content."
Grinning now, Aizen leapt forward, very much intent on inflicting bodily harm to the man before him. Ichigo merely raised his blade in a defensive block, the blow veering off to the side and annihilating a nearby cluster of rocks. This continued for some time, as each of Aizen's wild strikes were deflected by a noncommittal block from Ichigo. The terrain around them was drastically being reshaped, as each strike produced a shockwave that ripped though rock and sand like a knife through wet paper.
"I'm hardly finished, Kurosaki Ichigo!" proclaimed Aizen, and he made for another strike. This time, Ichigo simply dodged, using a soundless Shunpo to land on a nearby plateau.
"Did you think I would not be able to follow such slow movements?" came a voice, and Ichigo looked up to see Aizen descend upon him, the transcendent's blade carving easily through the rock where Ichigo stood moments before, another Shunpo carrying the orange-haired man away from harm.
Landing once more, Ichigo looked to the right out of the corner of his eye, and seconds later, Aizen appeared, swinging his blade in a downward arc. This time, their blades met without the resulting shockwave, and they locked blades while looking at one another.
"It is rather curious that both of our supposed evolutions have wrought the same end, as both of our right arms seem fused with our Zanpakuto." Aizen began. "Perhaps this is the form that all Zanpakuto should take? Could it possibly be their true form?" Aizen then chuckled, causing Ichigo to raise an eyebrow slightly.
"What's so funny?"
"Indeed it is as I had suspected." Aizen continued. "Just now, as we clashed, I was able to deduce something from our exchange of blades. As I thought, your evolution and mine are on different levels altogether." Grinning, he brought his sword back in an arc across his chest, preparing for a rather fierce blow. "If I so much as wish it, I can shatter your blade in a single stroke!" Finished cocking back, Aizen swung his sword, a slight glow coming from his blade as he poured more power into this strike then the ones he'd previously used.
Unblinking and seemingly uncaring, Ichigo took a second to let the blade get closer, before deciding to put a crack in Aizen's self-confident armor. Lifting his hand, he nonchalantly caught the blade, his expression betraying nothing short of boredom. The reaction from Aizen was immediate. His eyes widened considerably, and only grew larger as the ground immediately behind Ichigo cracked, fractured, then broke entirely, the fissure stretching for several yards.
'I-impossible! He caught it?! I suppose I could understand if he dodged it. Even so, he shouldn't have been able to even dodge it, but I would understand if he did. Yet, he caught it?! He caught my strike?!' Aizen's thoughts were clearly portrayed on his face, and Ichigo decided to dig the knife a little deeper.
"Why are you so surprised?" he asked. Getting a startled gasp from Aizen, he continued. "Is it so unbelievable to think that I could catch your sword?"
'What?'
Ichigo continued, twisting the emotional knife that he'd stabbed Aizen with. He figured that, since turnabout was fair play, he'd use Aizen's own words against him. "Are you scared? Scared of something that you have no comprehension of?"
Aizen seemed to pause, remembering his own words that he'd spoken to the youth. It seemed ages ago since he'd mocked the young man, but now it was coming back to bite him in a rather peculiar way. He chuckled, getting a raised eyebrow from the other man. "How very interesting, Kurosaki Ichigo."
Pulling his sword away, he leapt back several feet, getting distance between himself and Ichigo. "Something that I have no comprehension of? Perish the thought. Do not let your momentary victory cloud your judgment. Your physical strength momentarily exceeded mine. That is all, nothing more. Miracles like that happen from time to time, so it is to be expected. However, I am a being that has transcended even that."
Raising his arm and pointing to the sky, Aizen began to glow a dark purple, hints of black seeping out from his aura. "Therefore, in order to prevent such a miracle from occurring again, I need only crush you to atoms with Kido!" He then began to recite the chant:
"Nijimidasu kondaku no monsho,
Fusonnaru kyōki no utsuwa,
Wakiagari hiteishi,
Shibire matataki,
Nemuri wo samatageru!
Hakosuru tetsu no ojo,
Taezu jikaisuru doro no ningyo!
Ketsugōseyo! Hanpatsuseyo!
Chi ni michi onore no muryoku wo shire!
Hado no Kyuujuu! KUROHITSUGI!
(The Seeping Crest of Corruption,
The Insolent Vessel of Madness,
Boil Forth and Deny,
Petrify and Flicker,
Disrupt the Slumber!
The Iron Princess Who Crawls,
The Mud Doll, Ever Disintegrating!
Unite! Oppose! Fill the Earth, and Know Your Own Impotence!
Hado #90: Black Coffin)"
The second he finished, the Black Coffin began to form, building itself around the unfortunate soul who had the misfortune of having a Level 90 Kido used on them. "Now that I have transcended both Hollows and Shinigami, I can cast a Kurohitsugi with a full incantation! It's gravitational power is enough to distort space and time itself! The likes of you cannot even BEGIN to comprehend this...KUROSAKI ICHIGO!"
Ichigo stood there, his eyes never leaving Aizen, even as the Kido began to complete itself, slowly but surely closing him off completely, until he was consumed by the Black Coffin, the last piece falling into place with a resounding THUD. Aizen stood before his creation, a small smirk on his face.
The Coffin lasted about 10 seconds, before a sharp CRACK was heard, the sound like that of broken glass. Aizen's eyes widened and he gasped as Ichigo swung his hand in an arc away from him, the pressure shattering the Kido and causing it to fall apart before him.
Aizen could only watch in horror as his Level 90 Kido with a FULL INCANTATION was destroyed. Not only that, it was destroyed with merely a sweep of his hand!
"You don't seem to get it, do you?"
Ichigo's words brought Aizen out of his stupor. He could only stare at the man as he continued. "The power you have acquired pales in comparison to the power I currently have." He began to walk forward, even as the last traces of the Kurohitsugi disintegrated and vanished with the wind. "The sword that destroyed that plateau earlier..." Aizen thought back, remembering their first exchange of blows. "...was mine, not yours."
Aizen's shock only increased, and he was not prepared for what happened next. His eyes narrowing in barely concealed anger, Ichigo spoke. "Let's continue, Aizen." With that, he pushed off the ground, Aizen unable to stop his slash as his blade carved a path upwards, from his left ribcage to his right shoulder.
Aizen's blood arced away from them like water from a fountain. A second later, Aizen disappeared, reappearing atop a nearby plateau, cringing and holding his shoulder as blood seeped though his hands.
"Such a strange feeling."
Aizen's attention was once more drawn to the man below. "In our last fight, you asked me why I distanced myself from you, and yet here you are doing the same. Maybe I should be the one to ask the question this time."
Looking up, Ichigo's eyes carried a hint of satisfaction at pushing Aizen into a corner. "Just now, why did you distance yourself from me?"
Aizen stood there in shock. He was right. He had done just that, and had RAN from this...this BOY! His eyes narrowed. "I see." His right arm began to tremble in anger as he gripped his blade tighter. "Are you happy that you were able to catch my sword?" He continued, not giving the other a chance to respond. "Are you happy that you destroyed my Kido? Are you happy that you injured my body?" Even as Aizen said this, the wound Ichigo had made was already closing, high-speed regeneration working to close the gaping gash in his shoulder.
Aizen could no longer contain his rage. "ABANDON YOUR ARROGANCE, YOU PITIFUL HUMAN!" Suddenly, the black diamond in the middle of his forehead shattered, and a third eye was revealed. Blood began to leak from its' tear ducts, running down Aizen's face. Aizen began to gasp, unable to breath properly, before a resounding SNAP was heard, and Aizen's head cantered to one side, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The third eye began to look around rapidly, before completely rolling 360 degrees. Aizen's face seemed to crack, almost as if his skin had become brittle. Then, his eyes seemed to come to life, and the world exploded.
Aizen's roar of rage could be heard above the clamor, as a bright purple light enveloped his body and shot into the sky. Clutching his face in agony, Aizen underwent another transformation. The purple light seemed to coalesce into a solid tower, before fracturing and exploding outward. A blood-like substance covered the plateau Aizen had been standing on, and for a split second, Ichigo thought that Aizen had self-destructed.
This was proven incorrect a second later, when out from the dust cloud came a Hollow-like being, barely recognizable as Aizen. His six wings had sprouted Hollow-like skulls at their tips, one for each wing. The semi-hole in Aizen's chest had been replaced by three holes running vertically along his torso, the top hole housing the Hogyouku. His body was completely white, save for his forearms, forelegs, and his face, which were black as death. His blade was fused with his wrist, replacing his right hand entirely. His face had split down the middle and had parted, revealing a black skull-like visage underneath. His new "face" was completely Hollow-like, the teeth curved in a sadistic smirk as he took in his opponent.
"I see." came the distorted voice of Aizen. "This is completely unacceptable, isn't it, Hogyouku? That I would lose...to a pitiful human such as him!"
Upon saying this, one of his skull wings arched backwards, and let loose what would later be known as a Fragor blast at Ichigo, the energy ball about as big as a large marble. The resulting blast, however, was akin to a nuclear detonation, as it first blasted the surrounding rock, then proceeded to liquidate it with extreme heat. A mushroom cloud billowed upward, and the shockwave was felt even as far away as Karakura Town.
Shielding herself from the superheated winds, Tatsuki looked at the billowing cloud of flame and smoke. "Ichigo."
Walking towards the edge of the inferno, Aizen looked into the flames, and spotted a haggard-looking Ichigo, his left arm sporting 3rd-degree burns up to the elbow, and his shukakusho torn and hanging off of him.
"I see." said Aizen. "This is the extent of damage you would take from such an attack. However, I do not believe you are capable of using that left arm of yours now."
Using a nearly silent Sonido, Aizen burst through the flames, his clawed hand wrapped around Ichigo's throat as he spread his wings, each of the six skulls combining a Fragor to make a UltraFragor, a prison-like ring of solid reiatsu.
Grinning, Aizen stood triumphant as he held Ichigo by the throat. "Can you hear me, Kurosaki Ichigo? While at first, you became a transcendent being and surpassed the limits of both Hollows and Shinigami, you no longer possess that power. Not a trace of it remains. Now, you are not even worth understanding, let alone existing. By killing you, I, a TRUE transcendent being, will finally surpass those worthless Hollows and Shinigami, and take my rightful place as the KING of this world."
Gripping Ichigo's neck tighter, Aizen's grin broke into an evil smirk. "IT'S OVER, KUROSAKI ICHIGO!"
Ichigo opened his eyes, and his gaze hardened. "Over, you say?" Aizen gasped, sure that the orange-haired man was dead in his grasp. "Is this the best you got?" Swinging his blade, he forced Aizen to release his throat, shattering the UltraFragor and forcing the man to take several steps back.
Looking up, Ichigo shook his head. "Let's put an end to this, Aizen. I'm sick and tired of your...convoluted explanations." Pointing his sword at Aizen, he placed his left hand on his right arm, in a position similar to when he would use Bankai. "Let me show you...the Final...Getsuga Tenshou..."
Blue and black reiatsu erupted around Ichigo, leaving Aizen stunned beyond words. Well, beyond most words: "What...what is that...form?"
Several seconds passed, and then the thick curtain of mixed reiatsu parted, forcing Aizen to cover his face at the sheer volume of it. It was like a wave of water passed over him, so thick the reiatsu. Looking up, Aizen couldn't stifle a gasp.
Ichigo stood in the exact same spot he'd been previously. His outfit had changed drastically. Where his shukakusho had once been, now a bluish armor covered his chest. His left arm was wrapped loosely in black reiatsu. From the waist down, a flowing, smoky hakama was present, similar to his Tensa Zangetsu outfit. His right arm was also covered in the same smoky black reiatsu. His eyes had gone from being a golden amber to a dull red, but the most prominent and obvious change was his waist-length black hair, billowing to the left as his entire body radiated power.
"The Final Getsuga Tenshou is when I...BECOME Getsuga." Ichigo spoke, his words cutting though the silence without hesitation. "The Final Getsuga Tenshou...if I use this technique...I will lose all of my Shinigami powers. That is why it is called 'Final'."
Aizen simply stood there, his body frozen in complete shock. 'I STILL don't feel anything. I have evolved into a being that far surpasses Humans and Shinigami. Just as a two-dimensional being cannot interfere with a three-dimensional being, as long as I do not purposefully lower my reiatsu to their level of awareness, no one, Shinigami, Hollow, or Human, should be able to sense my presence.'
A thought struck Aizen, and it was one he did not like. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't deny the evidence in front of him, and it all pointed to one thing. 'It can't be...it's not possible...could he...could he really be at an even higher dimension than my own?'
Even admitting it to himself brought about rage he'd never felt before. He grit his teeth hard enough to make noise as they ground together. Unable to contain his rage any longer, the cords in his neck visibly strained as he roared his protest. "IMPOSSIBLE! IT CAN'T BE TRUE! A MERE HUMAN CANNOT SURPASS ME IN POWER! IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE!"
Ichigo merely held his right hand out, and a thin, wispy black blade of pure reiatsu appeared. He gripped it, and brought it over his head. Aizen's gasp could be heard, but Ichigo didn't care. He was going to take Aizen down...even if it cost him every last drop of power he had.
Bringing the blade down, he spoke the one word that would seal Aizen's doom: "MUGETSU!" Black reiatsu, darker than hell itself, flooded the area, and Ichigo could hear Zangetsu's final words. "If you use this technique...you will lose all of your Shinigami powers...Farewell...Ichigo!" With those last words spoken, Zangetsu and his Inner Hollow fell into the black abyss of his fading Inner World.
Throughout the surrounding area, the sheer amount of power that was released was crushing. Mountain upon mountain of pure black reiatsu blanketed the area, and in the center of it all, Aizen's body was disintegrating piece by piece, his silent scream drowned out by the overwhelming force of the blast. Finally, the overwhelming power proceeded to tear his body apart, his flesh dissolving as Sosuke Aizen ceased to be.
As the black reiatsu finally lifted, the shockwave was released from the powerful gravitational forces, and rippled across the ground. Landing on a nearby plateau, Ichigo sighed as his bluish armor crumbled and fell off his body. A thunderous crash drew his attention to the ground below. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the crumpled form of Aizen, his body disheveled and bleeding profusely.
Rather suddenly, the large, vertical gash on his back began to close over itself, indicating that he still had some power left. Ichigo observed this with disdain. "He can still regenerate?" Using Shunpo, he appeared before Aizen, who at this point was struggling to stand. Ichigo looked upon him with mixed emotions: Hatred, Pity, Humor, Pride. That all changed when his flowing black hair tore itself from his scalp, leaving his natural strawberry orange hair in its' place.
Ichigo's eyes widened as he felt all of his strength leave him. His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees, his arms supporting his upper body as he watched the last of his armor dissipate. "Shit! My Shinigami powers...are disappearing! Not now! Not when I'm so close to ending this!'
A boot meeting the ground had him look up, and Aizen came into view, barely managing to stand as he regarded his fallen foe. "Kurosaki Ichigo...you have lost. Look." Aizen held out his Zanpakuto, which was in the process of slowly disintegrating piece by piece. "My Zanpakuto is fading away. You of all people should know what this means." Ichigo knew, but what Aizen said next threw him for a loop, and made him sure that the man before him had lost his mind.
"It means that the Hogyouku has determined that I no longer need a Zanpakuto! Like you, I have become one with my sword and it's powers-No, you no longer possess that power, while I will ascend to a place far superior to yours! IT'S OVER, KUROSAKI ICHIGO!"
As soon as he spoke this, a red light began to glow from his chest, causing Aizen to pause in confusion. Looking down, he saw a spike of red energy pierce his chest, followed by several more. What confused him was not that he was struck. What confused him was that he was struck FROM THE INSIDE.
He was not a Kido master for nothing, and recognized it a second later. "What is this? Kido?! But when...when was I attacked?" He racked his brain, trying to remember a single instance when Kurosaki had used Kido. He had to remind himself that Kurosaki didn't KNOW any Kido. He'd never been trained in them. So if not Kurosaki, then who-
"It looks like it's finally taking effect."
His answer came unexpectedly in the form of Urahara Kisuke. "Urahara-san." came Ichigo's shocked greeting, having assumed that the former 12th Division Captain was still incapacitated.
Aizen immediately rounded on the scientist. "Urahara Kisuke! This is your doing?!"
Urahara nodded slightly. "Hai. Before you were able to completely merge with the Hogyouku, at your most vulnerable moment, I placed a Kido inside another Kido, and fired it at you. You were able to deflect the Hado, but you did not even notice the Bakudo I'd hidden inside."
Urahara continued, seeing the realization dawn on the other man's face. "It's a seal. I had figured that if you managed to completely fuse with the Hogyouku, killing you would be nigh impossible. So, to counter your 'immortality', I created a new Kido to seal you away."
Aizen's grin was unmistakeable. "I see. How unfortunate for you. Behold! As of right now, I am about to undergo yet another transformation, one far stronger than the others. A Kido of this caliber can't even HOPE to suppress me!"
Suddenly, the white, skin-like substance, along with the remainder of Aizen's sword, disintegrated, leaving Aizen completely shocked. "Wha...what is this?"
"It's the Hogyouku's will." At the mention of this, Aizen turned to Urahara once again. "Yet, the reason that the seal I placed in your body back then is JUST NOW taking effect is because your powers have weakened considerably. It's all thanks to Kurosaki-san. He fought his hardest, and pushed you and your powers to the very limit."
Then came Urahara's damning proclamation: "The Hogyouku is saying...that it doesn't recognize you as its' master."
Aizen's eyes widened. "Impossible...that cannot be!" He cried out in agony as the red spikes pierced his flesh, now acting more like red javelins impaled in his body. Even as the seal began to work its' magic, Aizen remained defiant. "Urahara...URAHARA KISUKE! I DESPISE YOU! With all of your intellect, how can you stomach the thought of following, of serving that...that THING?!"
"'That thing?'" Urahara repeated. "You mean the Spirit King? ...I think I understand, now. You saw it too, didn't you?" He continued, not waiting for a reply. "Without the existence of the Spirit King, Seireitei would fall apart at the seams, and cease to exist. The Spirit King is the keystone to our foundation. That's just how fragile our world really is."
Urahara's words didn't seem to take. "THAT'S THE LOGIC OF A LOSER!" Even as he raged at Urahara, the seal was in its' final stages, the red javelins fusing to form two giant spears. Aizen continued to struggle, tearing parts of the red substance off of his body, only to have it regrow seconds later. "A WINNER MUST ALWAYS THINK...OF HOW THE WORLD SHOULD BE RATHER THAN HOW IT ACTUALLY IS!"
"I-" Aizen was cut off completely as the seal swallowed him whole, his body becoming the final spear and silencing him temporarily (at least until the seal was undone). Ichigo looked away, not able to stand the pitiful sight of Aizen any longer.
The bell rang, signaling the end of school for the day. Luckily, it was a Friday, so he wouldn't have to worry about anything for the next couple of days. Since losing his powers, he'd managed to easily catch up on his school work, and had breezed through today's work as well. He was doing fairly well, to be honest. If he kept his grades like they were, he'd be able to get into any college he desired. Even abroad, he would be able to go to several prestigious colleges.
That was not his concern at the moment. Gathering his materials, he quietly left the room, ignoring the looks of concern from his friends. They hadn't seen him smile in ages. Not one of those fake smiles he plastered on his visage whenever they asked him what the matter was. No, one of his real smiles, one that reached his eyes.
It pained them to see him this way, especially after he'd given everything he had to save them all. Uryu Ishida, Sado Yasutora, and Inoue Orihime knew just exactly what he'd given up, especially with the last battle they'd participated in.
Flashback
Inoue, Chad, Renji, Ishida, Kon, and Rukia watched from a distance as Ichigo, not even able to maintain Bankai, instead relied on his Shikai to fend off the wild swings from a worn down Oko Yushima, the creator of Mod Souls. Even from the distance they were at, they could still hear his questions as he roared them at Ichigo.
"WHY?! WHY CAN'T I DEFEAT YOU?!" he yelled, clearly frustrated and angered beyond reason. His final trump card had been destroyed, and it was painfully ironic that it had been his own Invasion Force that had done the deed. The Reigai had pledged to themselves that they would protect Soul Society at all costs, and had sacrificed themselves to prevent Yushima from completely destroying Seireitei.
Now, as the shukakusho around his shoulders burned from the fires behind him, he stood before the Substitute Shinigami that had been the one anomaly in his plans, the only person who's attacks he could not absorb, as he had no control over Hollow powers. This 'Shinigami Daiko' had been a thorn in his side from day one, and had managed to remain so despite his best efforts.
Shrugging the burning cloth off, he staggered forward, his thoughts betraying only one intent: if he was going to be defeated, then he would be DAMNED if he didn't take this infuriating man with him.
"Why? Why can't I defeat you? What drives you so far? What gives you such strength?" As soon as he looked at Ichigo's face, he knew. His question, combined with Ichigo's pity-filled expression, gave him the answer immediately. It was the one answer that could drive him up a wall with no trouble at all, and cause him to throw away all rational thought.
"Don't...don't you FUCKING SCREW WITH ME! DAMN YOU! YOU...YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO PROTECT, DON'T YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he roared, anger coursing though his veins and lending him a second wind. Ichigo was momentarily driven back by the man's savage strikes, but realized there was no hidden intent behind them. No strategy, no feints, nothing. Just pure, unadulterated rage. That made Ichigo even sadder, as the scientist spun and swung his sword again and again and again.
"YOU HAVE FRIENDS! PEOPLE TO BE THERE FOR! PEOPLE TO PROTECT! PEOPLE TO SHIELD! PEOPLE TO BE CLOSE TO! TO SHARE GOOD TIMES WITH! TO MAKE MEMORIES WITH!" Each exclamation was followed by a savage strike aimed to cleave the Substitute in twain. However, because Yushima was so far gone in rage and despair, Ichigo had no problems parrying and deflecting these strikes.
Following a particularly ruthless blow, both combatants were driven from one another. Ichigo could feel the overwhelming despair clouding Yushima, his need for companionship being brought to the forefront for the first time in centuries. Having never had a close relationship with anyone, Yushima was never able to create bonds with anyone, and was now regretting having missed that chance.
Yushima was thinking similar thoughts about Ichigo. However, they were the polar opposite of what Ichigo was thinking of him. He could feel the desire to protect his comrades with each clash of their blades. He knew that if it came down to it, he would let himself be killed if it meant his friends would be safe.
'Only the weak would seek the aid of others.' His words rang though his head, targeting the man that had all but defeated him. Gripping his blade, he brought it down from it's lofty flight, and arced it around his body with all his might. "THEN HOW?! HOW THE HELL ARE YOU SO STRONG?!"
With a battle cry, Ichigo brought Zangetsu down in an overhead arc. Their blades met...and Yushima's Zanpakuto shattered like so much glass. He could hear his Zanpakuto's spirit cry out in agony as it was destroyed, and tears flooded his eyes. A shard of metal flew past his head, gouging a line through his cheek. Reaching out, he grasped it and charged at the orange-haired man, intent on defeating him at all costs.
Zangetsu carved a wicked swathe through Yushima's body, starting from his right hip and ending at his left shoulder blade, pieces of flesh and gouts of blood flying into the air as Yushima struggled to continue his attack. His body betraying him in his final moments, Yushima's tears fell unhindered as he arched his back in agony, blood shooting from the gaping wound in his torso.
Ichigo's friends had seen and heard it all. They'd already known why he did what he did. They knew that he was a protector first and foremost. But to hear Yushima put it in such a way, it made the bonds they had with him, and with one another, all the more precious. Especially one raven-haired Shinigami.
Rukia knew Ichigo didn't have much time left as a Soul Reaper. She'd known that their time would be short the moment Urahara explained the Final Getsuga Tenshou to them. When he'd gone into detail about Ichigo's condition, it caused her heart to break. The boy that she'd met long ago had become a man, and that man had made the ultimate sacrifice to protect everyone, to protect his friends...to protect her. She felt her face burn in shame. Why did Ichigo always get the raw end of the deal? Why did he always have to suffer for others' mistakes? It wasn't fair!
She'd managed to keep the tears at bay as Urahara explained the steps that Ichigo would undergo as he lost his reiatsu. They'd already seen the first step take place right before their eyes, and his agonized screams...she very much believed they would haunt her dreams. She'd managed to sneak out later, find a quiet corner, and proceed to break down, her heart-wrenching sobs sure to draw a crowd had she not been in her spiritual form.
Now, with Ichigo having gotten a second dose of his past reiatsu, he was given extra time to be with them. But instead, he'd selflessly tossed it aside in favor of protecting them YET AGAIN! She couldn't stand herself. How could she look him in the eye, knowing he'd given everything he could give to keep them all safe? While she stood there and watched it all take place? While she did nothing?
When it was all over, Ichigo had come back to them, exhausted but with a small smile on his face. She'd managed to keep her composure, but knew that once she found another quiet spot, she was going to have a repeat of Urahara's revelation.
Ichigo sighed. He'd thought he'd known what he was getting into when he accepted Rukia's offer. He thought he'd known what he was sacrificing when he used Mugetsu on Aizen. If nothing else, he could safely say this:
He was wrong on both accounts.
Done! Ch. 1 is finished, and I think it's turning out really well. Hope you enjoyed it. There are going to be a few minor plot twists next chapter, and you'll be introduced to a new character.
Until then, Ja Ne!