A/N: And so begins the story that I've been promising since I signed up. It's taken far too long, but now I'm getting it posted and the timing couldn't be better. I mention in advance though that it may be somewhat lackluster compared to my other works because it's actually a much older piece. It also doesn't perfectly follow the anime's story line because I didn't know how everything turned out at the time. With that said keep an open mind and enjoy.

December 20, 5 days till Christmas

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any other anime.

Taming the Beast

Results from the 1st Part of Battle

"So this is how it all ends." Ichigo thought.

Three Adjuchas had him pinned to the ground with Tensa Zangetsu stuck in the sand a good 30 feet away. The Vasto Lorde leading the ambush was hovering in the air somewhere to his right, a wailing laugh escaping past his jagged hollow mask as he looked on in amusement at the pathetic scene before him. All of Ichigo's allies were strewn about, knocked unconscious and slowly bleeding from deep wounds.

"How could this have happened!" he angrily thought to himself, struggling against the hollows' might, but to no avail. He was too weak from the gash in his side and his efforts only increased the flow of blood, so with a groan he gave up. Ichigo looked out at his friends, and he too saw the disaster that had transpired.

Orihime lay unconscious on the sand, blooding dripping onto her hakama from Uryuu's right shoulder as his arm was draped over her protectively. He had passed out due to loss of blood from the blow he took for her.

"How did this happen?" He asked again as his eyes fell on Chad.

Chad was face down in the sand, blood erupting from his ivory arm where a silvery fang protruded forth.

"What went wrong?" He wondered.

Ichigo then saw Renji lying on the ground, his breathing ragged. He clenched tightly in his fist a bone hilt. His hand and leg were bleeding while scattered fragments of Hihio Zabimaru lay around his limp body.

"Why haven't they finished me off?" Ichigo asked.

He found Nel huddled behind a rock in fear, reverted to her child form once again from over exerting her power.

"Where is Ru…?" This last question died on his lips as he beheld Rukia in the grasp of a colossal Adjuchas.

Ichigo could only gape as he looked up. There she was in the gigantic fist of a hollow, having the life squeezed out of her. Ichigo figured it out then. The Vasto Lorde was torturing, not only himself, but Rukia too before they were both killed.

"Only that bastard Aizen would do something like this!" He thought, as a snarl built in his throat.

Ichigo composed his remaining strength and lashed out.

"Rrrraaaaaaggghhhhh! He screamed and Rukia whipped her head around to look at him.

He succeeded in throwing one hollow off him and was lunging at another when he received a sharp kick in the gut at the exact spot of the wound where his bankai shihakusho had been sliced through.

Ichigo doubled over in pain and fell to the ground. He somehow managed to look up in time to see the Vasto Lord kick the blood off his shoe and calmly snap his claw-like fingers.

"I...I…chi…goOOOO!" she yelled in pain as the hollow tightened his grip and Ichigo watched her collapse.

"RUKIAAAAAAA!" he screamed again, feeling completely powerless to help her.

The Vasto Lorde practically smiled as he snapped his fingers again. The hollow opened its enormous maw exposing the secondary mouth that's designed for eating souls. As it grew closer and closer towards her all Ichigo could was watch as she was about to be devoured.

The one person he felt knew himself better than even he did. The one girl his own life to save time and time again. The one girl he would always care for, was about to be killed in front of his very eyes as he was finally powerless to save her.

As the mouth drew ever closer towards her one final question formed on his tongue:

"Why does she have to die?"

A/N: So the countdown begins. But what exactly are we counting down to? Check out my page to find out. See you tomorrow.