Summary: Ichigo is preparing for his final battle against Aizen. Knowing the ultimate sacrifice that lay ahead, he visits his inner hollow a last time, who reminds him that there's no need to say goodbye -Fluffy One Shot-
Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach and all related characters.
Author's Note: Based on the song "The Call" by Regina Spektor
.::.
Ichigo sighed, looking down at the street below him. Perched on the roof of his home he kicked his feet lightly, the fabric of his pants sweeping angelically within the surrounding waters. He sighed again for good measure, still in wonderment about the idea that he was able to survive underwater. But then again, being a Substitute Shinigami, fighting Hollow, traveling to different dimensions including his own head and being able to communicate with his Zanpakuto made the new discovery almost seem dull. It was routine for him nowadays to find something new that could be listed as supernatural in the eyes of Humans. Even if he wasn't able to comprehend it all as quickly as he'd like, he always felt as if he belonged among it all. As if it really was his calling to be a true Shinigami.
A sudden shift in the light current caught his attention and he turned his head towards the source. A few houses down to his left, Hichigo was seen hopping from roof to roof, making his way to where Ichigo sat. Normally his moves would be quick, erratic and borderline animal. But underwater he was much more steady, almost as if he was in slow motion. Ichigo tilted his head as he watched, his gaze thoughtful. One more hop and they found themselves on the same roof, both looking at each other for a moment. Reading the Hollow's intentions, Ichigo reached for his Zanpakuto that stuck neatly to the roof next to him and plucked it out to make room for the Hollow to sit. With only a simple nod, Hichigo took the Zanpakuto's previous spot and crouched down, his knees pulled up to his chest and balanced on the balls of his feet. Wrapping his arms around his knees he rested his chin on them and silently stared at the submerged town in front of him. Laying his Zanpakuto on the other side, Ichigo stared at the other for a minute longer, taken aback by his lack of conversation. Just an hour before they had spoken of promises, both broken and made and of the future. Now it was as if Hichigo had been mute his entire existence. This troubled Ichigo enough to investigate.
"Are you … alright ?" he asked carefully, his voice echoing mysteriously through the water. Hichigo didn't move or indicate that he heard him. Ichigo took the moment to look over the Hollow in his new attire. His odd coat reminded him of the one Zangetsu wore, though it was completely void of color. The mask that sat askew on top of his head was also new to him, the horns menacing enough to remind him of his battle with Ulquiorra and the look of realization from the Espada as he disintegrated into the wind as ash.
He couldn't say he was completely liberated of that empty feeling yet.
"Why are you still here ?" Hichigo asked suddenly, though his tone was far from harsh. Ichigo blinked, his eyes darting back to Hichigo's face. The Hollow slowly averted his gaze to connect with his once more, the bottom half of his face still covered by his arms. Relaxing his body, Ichigo frowned.
"I don't really know" he replied, thinking about each word as it left his mouth. "I know I should leave … dad is out there and is getting weaker by the second. Not to mention everyone else is probably waiting …" He looked down at his lap, the water as clear as day. Hichigo snorted loudly, a smirk visible on his face.
"So whatcha waitin' for, ya scared er something ?" Ichigo didn't answer right away, his jaw visibly clenching for a second.
"Maybe." Raising a confused eyebrow, the Hollow shifted positions. Sitting cross legged, he placed both hands on either knee, elbows poised horizontally. Leaning forward just a bit, he stuck his neck out as he tried to get a good look at the boy's face.
"The hell do you mean by that ? That Aizen is easier than a virgin in a whorehouse. Ya won't even break a sweat."
He shook his head vigorously. "It's not him I'm scared about."
"Then what ?" Ichigo exhaled, his eyes scanning the scene in front of him solemnly. The water suddenly felt cold, encasing him in ice. He had tried keeping his emotions in check every time he came to his Inner World, but now it was hard, even pointless to try. He glanced at Hichigo, the Hollow giving him a confused, slightly concerned look as he waited for an answer. Even underwater, Ichigo could feel his eyes gloss over.
"I'm scared … of saying goodbye to this place, to my abilities … to you." Hichigo was honestly taken aback by his words, blinking once in surprise. Ichigo slowly got to his feet, standing tall over him. Even then, he could see the broken statue that Ichigo had become. "I know what I have to sacrifice in order to stop Aizen. But even then, in this small amount of time, I haven't been able to bring myself to terms with the emotional toll it's going to cost." He shrugged, a sad smile coming across his face. "Sure, I could function as a normal Human, one that isn't able to see spirits. I can deal with that. But to have to suffer through the emotional memory of … everything that's happened in this year with a smile on my face … how do I do that ?" He paused, sticking his hands in his pockets, reverting back to the 15 year old schoolboy he had left behind so many months before. Hichigo made a small noise in the back of his throat, shaking his head as he looked down at his lap.
"I dunno" he muttered, partially caring if Ichigo heard him. "I'm not the expert of emotions or anything that has to do with Humans. But I gotta say, yer doing a whole lot of bitchin' about nothin'." He leaned back on his hands, looking off in the direction opposite of where Ichigo stood. The moment seemed oddly relaxing to Ichigo, even if he couldn't read the Hollow's mind or see his current expression.
"What do you mean ?" he asked, his back curved from years of relentless fighting. A long moment passed before Hichigo let out an audible sigh.
"What I mean is ..." he said, his words were slow and quiet. Ichigo almost had to strain his ears in order to understand the strangely calm Hollow. "You don't have to say goodbye. Sayin' goodbye implies you won't ever see the Spiritual World or this world ever again."
"You don't know that" Ichigo insisted. "I mean … the Spiritual World will still be here, even if I can't see it. I know that for a fact. It's my Inner World I'm scared of leaving behind. Here I could understand how my actions were affecting people and how to better myself as a fighter. Without it, I feel … lost." He sneered to himself. "You probably don't get it, but this place means a lot more to me than you or Zangetsu think." Hichigo hummed, closing his eyes.
"Yer right. I don't. But that doesn't mean yer right about everything." Shooting him a weird look, Ichigo watched as the Hollow turned his head to look up at the surface of the water, an unknown source of light shining through as if there was a sun above them. "The Shinigami may have needed ya fer this entire year ta do their dirty work, but they ain't perfect. They're gonna need ya again eventually and when that time comes, I'll come back." He paused momentarily for a reason unknown to Ichigo. "You may feel alone and ya might even feel abandoned when this place is gone. But when the time is right, maybe during a rainy night when yer all alone, all ya gotta do is wish. Or pray or whatever the hell you Humans call it these days. I guarantee I'll hear ya."
Ichigo went into thought, the words of the Hollow going through his mind. At first he didn't want to believe that this place would be lost. The same place that continuously helped him through harsh situations. The same place that could have been considered both a gift and death sentence given by Kisuke. It was almost a second home to him, were it not for the constant fights he had to go through. But as he thought about it more, he soon realized that the Hollow was right. Soul Society had needed him once and they would probably need him again. When this would happen, he wasn't sure. But the comfort of knowing that it was possible was enough to make him smile, even if it was only in his head. Straightening up as much as possible, Ichigo could feel the weight of his experiences and his sorrows lift off him for the first time ever. "Thank you … Hichigo." Jumping a bit from the unexpected emotional response, Hichigo turned his head away again, his shoulders hunched. He then offered a small grunt, his neck and visible cheek turning the faintest shade of red.
"No problem."
.::.
After a long silence, the both of them having taken spots at the edge of the roof next to each other, Hichigo finally stood up. Brushing himself off, his body was suddenly filled with a tingling pulse that traveled through the water. "Come on" he said, turning to look at Ichigo. "It looks like it's time to go." He barely had a full second to look at the Shinigami when he was suddenly embraced tightly, arms wrapping around his midsection. Blinking in surprise, his hands automatically gripped Ichigo's shoulders and pushed him back a bit. "H – Hey !"
"I'm going to miss you" Ichigo said, his voice muffled against the fabric of Hichigo's coat. After a second, Ichigo could feel his body relax, the grip on his shoulders loosening. Closing his eyes, he could feel Hichigo rest his forehead on the nape of his neck.
"I'll miss you too."
END