Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach
It didn't seem fair that the one to defeat Oko Yushima should be treated to such poor quarters.
The small room was dark and sparse. It was an ancient bunker left over from the Old Wars of Soul Society, or so they were informed. There was no light and no windows in the small room. Save for a dusty mirror, the stone walls were bare and the only furniture in the room was a lone bed. The bed's occupant – Ichigo Kurosaki – rested, oblivious to his depressed surroundings. His Soul Reaper robes were tattered with various wounds and bruises completing the look of a hard battle. On Ichigo's chest, rested his Hollow mask. No one had had the courage to move it.
"I'm sorry. This is the best they could give us on such short notice." Orihime whispered, and handed Zangetsu to Rukia. The dark haired girl frowned in response and silently wondered if Souls Society was giving Ichigo the cold shoulder in the after math of his Hollow's destructive rampage. It's true that he defeated Yushima, but many suffered from the battle and much was lost.
"They had no choice. The medical wing was completely packed." Rukia said after a long, depressive silence. Orihime nodded before casting Ichigo a sidelong glance.
"I've done the best I can. His wounds were excessive, but it looks as if the worst is over. Now it's up to Ichigo. With ten days of rest, he will make a complete recovery." She told Rukia with a shaky smile. It was evident that she was exhausted.
Orhime moved to the door.
"Come on, we both need rest of our own." She paused when she saw that Rukia hadn't moved. The dark haired girl was staring at the mask intently.
"He's still Ichigo, you know. Even when he's wearing the mask. When he fought Ulquiorra I was frightened at first, but he was doing it to save me. Despite my fear, I saw the goodness in his soul." Orihime told Rukia.
"There's more than one soul inside of if him." The Soul Reaper murmured and set Ichigo's zanpakuto down next to him on the bed. Orihime hesitated.
"What do you plan to do?" She asked when it became apparent that Rukia wasn't going to leave.
"I'm going to try to talk to it – the Hollow. This has to stop. We can't keep allowing it to take over him. Perhaps I can reason with it. Ichigo's Hollow seems to be intelligent." Rukia explained.
Orihime's eyes widened at her declaration. After a moment she sagged in acceptance.
"Alright then. Just be careful." Then she quietly left, a desperate prayer for her friend being whispered on her lips.
Rukia moved to sit in front of the bed and wait. She wasn't sure how long she sat before the familiar sensation of dark spiritual energy began to flood her sense. Apprehensive, she forced herself to remain calm. It would only be a matter of time before the Hollow made its appearance.
She didn't have to wait long.
"If you like my mask so much, why don't you try it on?" Came a strangely pitched voice. Rukia jumped. Ichigo was sitting cross legged on the bed, leering down at her. No – it wasn't Ichigo. It was his Hollow. When she didn't respond, the creature stood up.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" He asked tauntingly. Rukia's brow furrowed in confusion.
"What?" She asked after a beat, her voice unusually high.
The Hollow snorted.
"You're not very interesting." He mumbled, looking towards the door.
"My mask, you've been staring at it for quite some time. Do you like it?" He asked her in a louder voice, a smile on his lips. Rukia stared at him, frozen to the spot. She was not prepared for this aloof, creature with a smiling grin, casually asking her about his mask. Hollows were supposed to be ruthless creatures with very little logic and volatile intentions. A memory of Kaien's hollow flashed through her mind and she quickly dismissed it.
A long silence stretched, before the Hollow sighed and got out of bed.
"W-wait, what are you doing?" She asked in alarm as he grabbed Zangetsu and made his way towards the exit. If the creature left the bunker, there was no telling what he would do in Soul Society. He had to stay in the room at all costs. She moved to intercept his path. The Hollow sighed in irritation.
"I'm leaving, what does it look like I'm doing?" He asked sarcastically. He made to move around her, but Rukia was adamant.
"I can't let you leave." She insisted. The Hollow drew back and regarded her calculatingly.
"You don't look very strong, Soul Reaper. Are you sure you want to challenge me?" He asked. His tone was dangerous.
"Ichigo shouldn't be out of bed yet. His injuries were great. He needs rest." She argued, mentally wondering if she could fight him. The odds didn't look well in her favor. The Hollow scoffed.
"I'm not sure if you noticed yet or not, but I'm not your Ichigo... and I don't give a rat's ass what he needs. I'm much stronger than him. These -" He gestured to the bandaged wounds.
"-are nothing. Now get out of my way little girl." He shoved her to the side. Rukia collided with the wall, dismayed at the turn of events. She couldn't let him escape, besides she really did want to speak with him. Her mind raced.
"I wanted to thank you!" She shouted, wondering at her audacity. Soul Reapers never thanked Hollows for anything. She watched in suspended agitation as the creature turned around and looked at her incredulously.
"What?" He asked, his expression baffled. Rukia swallowed, fighting back the bile in her throat.
"I wanted to thank you for saving my life from Oko Yushima." She mumbled. The thing cocked his head to the side. Finally, he moved away from the door.
"What game are you playing at, little Soul Reaper?" He asked in suspicion. Rukia's thoughts jumped on the phrase, he liked games or so she thought. Distantly, she wondered how she knew he liked games but skipped over the logic of it all.
"I – You – ugh, I've come to persuade you to put down your hostilities towards Ichigo and formally ally yourself with us." She stuttered, cursing herself for her lack of strategic planning.
To her surprise, the Hollow broke out in laughter at her words. She stared at him, her mouth agape.
"Oh really? I can't ever recall ever being in a situation like this. I wonder what the King would say if he were here. Have you finally lost all faith in Ichigo? Are you so desperate now, that you've come to negotiate with the big bad hollow?" He giggled.
Rukia's fist closed over her zanpakuto. How dare he! His words were a little too close to the mark. Still, to even suggest...
"Soul Reapers destroy hollows. We don't negotiate with them." She told him coldly. The Hollow stopped laughing. His eyes were on Sode no Shirayuki.
"Go ahead, try it. I dare you." He told her, his voice lush with pleasure. Rukia fought the urge to shudder. She did not like him at all.
"Ichigo is still weak from his injuries. You won't last long against me and I don't want to hurt you." She told the thing gravely. The Hollow laughed.
"I may not be at my full power now, but I can guarantee that you won't last more than five minutes. I'll have you so broken that you'll be begging me to end it quickly." His voice was disturbingly soothing. He eyed her appreciatively.
"Although, there are more than one ways to make someone beg." He smiled. Rukia fought the desire to attack him and moved her hands away from her weapon. As much as she longed to run her blade through him, she knew that in the present situation it was nearly impossible.
"Good choice." The thing commented when he saw her hostility pass.
"I need you to listen." She told him firmly. He snorted and moved to the bed.
"This should be good. Go ahead – I'll be on my best behavior." He joked, crossing his arms. Rukia's heart sunk with hopelessness of the situation. There was no way that she could compromise with the Hollow. There was no reason in his head. He wasn't like a human or a Soul Reaper. All hollows ever wanted was destruction. The only thing she could do was stall him with pretense until Ichigo woke up. But who knew when that would happen?
"I'm waiting, Soul Reaper." He reminded her. Rukia bit her lip but said nothing. After a moments of silence the Hollow stood up.
"This is a waste of my time. After fighting with the King all the time, I finally have a chance to do something fun. You're boring, little girl." He moved to leave. Ruka's mind jumped to near panic.
"What if you didn't have to fight?" She blurted out. The thing turned to look at her sharply. Rukia licked her lips realizing that she had his full attention and beckoned him to move towards her and away from the door.
"What if you and Ichigo didn't have to fight for dominance? Hollows are soulless monsters, but you're better than that. Surely you two can come up with more amiable terms." She asked. The Hollow snickered and made his way towards her. Rukia forced herself to stand still.
"Sure, I can see it now. The King can have the morning shifts and I'll take the evening ones." He scoffed. Warily she watched as he slowly reached his hand out towards her face and tucked a loose hair behind her ears. The action was so unexpected that she lost her logical argument.
"You don't have to mock me." She snapped and quickly backed out of his reach. The thing looked momentarily startled, before he laughed and stood to his full height.
"It doesn't work like that, little girl. There is always gonna be a king and a prisoner. Someone has to wear the crown and someone has to wear the chains. Although I must say, if I were chained to you it would be a completely different story." He drawled. Rukia shook her head in disgust, she wasn't sure what he was implying but instinct told her to leave it alone.
"You're insane." She whispered harshly. The Hollow grinned.
"Insanity is a beautiful thing. It's almost as beautiful as blood or death or even-" He cut himself off abruptly.
"Ichigo deserves better than this! You're trying to keep him shut away like a beast!" She hissed. She watched in frustration as the thing laughed at her.
"Oh really? So he doesn't deserve to be locked up like a caged animal but I do? That's some twisted value system." He retorted with a giggle. Despite the cockiness of his attitude, Rukia could tell by the conviction in his eyes that his earlier question was serious. He was testing her.
Shamed at her overwhelming hatred for him – it? She shouldn't be calling the creature a Hollow or a thing but it was nearly impossible for her to identify with him. It was too difficult to humanize something that Ichigo feared and hated. Still...
"I never said that you deserved it either. Surely there must be some way -"
Her words were interrupted by the thing's continuous laughter.
"Have some cake and eat it too?" He asked through a smile. Rukia bristled at his crude manner and the Hollow giggled, shaking his head.
"Oh, little Soul Reaper you're even more pathetic than Ichigo!" He sneered. Rukia felt the stirrings of hatred in her chest and fought hard to clamp it down. Despite her earlier decision of pretense, she was trying to convince him that he wasn't a Hollow. That despite his instinct, he could be good. If she couldn't believe that than why would he?
"I used to hate you once." The Hollow spoke suddenly. Rukia stared at him silently.
"You were a nuisance. A tiny little pest that buzzed around our head and kept us back from true power. I would have loved to kill you. But the King would never have allowed it. He loves you,"
Rukia choked uncomfortably at the casual admittance but the Hollow went on ignoring her.
"You are the solid ground beneath his feet, steady and strong. You're the sun in the sky, bright and constant. You're the very air that w-he breaths." Rukia felt a warm flush rise in her cheeks. It was really too much.
The Hollow stared at her darkly.
"You make him weak with this foolish sentiment. You are his greatest strength and our greatest weakness. I can't even hate you anymore. You're all that makes us good and right and keeps us standing in line. I can never forgive you for that.. Can you possibly imagine what it would be like if..." The Hollow trailed off, shaking his head.
Rukia waited a moment before coming closer to him.
"You feel what he feels. You are good. It's in Ichigo's nature and so it is in yours too." She told him softly, trying to force herself to believe in her own words. She mirrored his earlier movements and reached out to him. But the creature wouldn't allow it. As quick as lightning, he pushed her back. It was not with any real strength, but it did leave her staggering.
"Keep your distance. Hollows eat souls, remember?" He jeered. There was an over abundance of ravage passion in his words. She could tell her logic had shaken him. He was trying too hard to convince both him and her of his questionable nature. Rukia fought back a wave of sympathy that was fighting to crash into her gut.
Hesitantly, she stepped closer to him.
"If that's all you want then go ahead, eat me." Her words were daring but her tone was soft and tender. Slowly, she reached her hand out and grasped the outer folds of his robe. The Hollow hesitated, clearly confused. Rukia realized that the creature didn't understand her affection any more than Ichigo did.
"I think you're confused." She whispered. The Hollow smirked and took a hold of her hand, moving it off of his robe, though he didn't quite let go of her.
"Oh? Confused? Please, enlighten me." He mocked, his words just as soft as hers. Rukia brought up her other hand to hover in front of his face. She didn't want to touch the Hollow, but she didn't want to pull away either.
"You don't eat souls. It's just that simple. You want to believe that you're a Hollow, but you're not. You're something... different. We both know it. You're just... there fighting for an existence that was never yours to have." Rukia whispered, her hand cupping his chin.
He closed his eyes and in that moment she really couldn't tell the difference between Ichigo and the Hollow.
"You're so alone" She told him. It was the wrong thing to say. His eyes opened ablaze with anger.
He smacked her hands away.
"I am a Hollow and you would do well to remember that." He hissed. Zangetsu was unsheathed in an instant. Rukia backed up, realizing that she had overstepped her bounds. What little ground she had gained had been lost. The Hollow looked savagely enraged. Her instinct to attack and destroy the enemy returned.
"Nothing is that simple. 'I don't eat souls.' I am slowly devouring more and more of Ichigo's every day!" He shouted, as the white in his eyes slowly became shrouded in darkness. Rukia wondered if he was starting to transform and questioned if it was even possible, being that his mask was sitting, discarded on the bed.
She drew Sode no Shirayuki and parried a violent attack as the Hollow slashed at her.
"You don't know anything, little girl! How can you possibly know what I want!" He shouted, his voice sounding more and more inhuman as he spoke. His movements were increasing in speed and velocity. Rukia was doing her best to stand her ground, but the Hollow was slowly advancing.
"I have always existed! An undistinguished instinct at the back of the King's mind. I just became more refined once the chain of fate was severed. 'Fighting for existence.' I don't need to fight for existence. I just fight for control!" He snapped, using the force of his attack to push Rukia into the wall. Her zanpakuto slipped from her grip and clattered to the floor several feet away from her. When she tried to move forward, the Hollow was suddenly standing inches from her face with his forearm bared against her throat, Zangetsu still held in his hand.
The Hollow sneered at her.
"Now, what would a Hollow do in this situation?" He asked her, increasing the pressure on her throat. Rukia gagged. Her eyes searched the room for anything that would assist her. She found her reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall. She was surprised to find that her face was flawlessly neutral even as the hulking profile of Ichigo's Hollow draped over her in a menacing manner.
"A Soul Reaper - a pathetically, weak Soul Reaper at the mercies of a Hollow. According to your definition, little girl, I would have to kill you." He told her, enunciating his words very slowly. Rukia struggled against him, forcing her emotions down.
"M-my-aack -name -ugh- i-s Ru-k-i-a." She choked out. The Hollow scowled at her and released his hold. Without his pressure at her throat, Rukia sagged forward, gasping for much needed air. Silently, he stepped away from the Soul Reaper.
"I knew that. I always who you were." He muttered, the black in his eyes disappearing. Rukia watched him warily. His actions were unpredictable and he still hadn't sheathed his weapon. He studied her intently, waiting. It was her move, she realized. It was unfortunate that she still wasn't sure what game they were playing.
"It's true – hollows and Soul Reapers are enemies." She whispered, watching as his posture went stiff at her words.
"But you aren't a Hollow. We are not enemies. You just proved it when you let me-" Her words were interrupted when she heard him growl. Then he disappeared. She sucked in a surprised breath.
He moved so quickly!
She was unprepared for the kick to her stomach. He wasn't using his full strength, otherwise she would most likely be unconscious. Still it was enough force to knock the wind out of her. When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on her back with the creature straddling her thighs. The tip of Zangetsu was pressed to her heart and his other hand held her her upper arm in a painful grip.
"What's the matter? Don't Ichigo and I feel the same things? Aren't we both 'good'? Is this what Ichigo would do to you?" He asked, his words very cold. Rukia shivered and refused to answer. When she looked up at the thing possessing Ichigo's body, she almost wish she hadn't. His eyes were black and his irises were turning yellow. His face was distorted into wild rage and amusement.
"So what now? You'll kill me too?" She bit out. The creature blinked at her once, as if it was unable to process her words. Then the thing shook his head and flung his Zanpakuto across the room.
"You just don't get it, do you, Rukia?" He snarled. The Soul Reaper realized distantly, that her name sounded peculiarly familiar on his lips, although she could not ever recall a time when the thing had actually addressed her. His voice was distinctly set apart from Ichigo's so she knew that it wasn't from recollection of all the times her friend had said her name.
Rukia's attention shifted when she felt the Hollow's hand that was gripping her arm, accidentally brush against her...
"You underestimate you're worth. We would, no I would never -" His words were interrupted when Rukia suddenly jerked beneath him and rammed her head into his.
"Get off of me!" She shouted. The thing swung his head back laughing, before securing his position over her.
"Not enemies – so what are we Rukia? Are we best friends? Are we allies now? Hmm let's see... what is the opposite of enemies?" He mocked at her. Rukia squirmed underneath him, but he was relentless. Still, she wouldn't give up,
"No! Don't you see? Ichigo is powerful. You are powerful. Instead of fighting each other, you should be counterparts fighting your mutual foes!" She argued. The Hollow laughed.
"Power? Let me tell you something about Ichigo's power." He jeered, suddenly standing up and pulling Rukia to feet as well. He kept a firm hold of her shoulder so that she could not escape him.
"Ichigo's so called power - is my power. Any strength of his comes from me. I don't need anything from him." He told her, his voice becoming bitter. Rukia paused, pulling back. The Hollow fell back a step with her.
"So you see," He snapped with irritation and then swung Rukia around and used the momentum to send her spinning into the bed. She fell onto it in distorted jumble.
"He needs me." He finished. Rukia frowned, secretly frightened by the intense anger and insanity in his eyes. She searched the room, looking for something – anything to placate him. If only Ichigo would wake up! Nothing was helping. Her encounter with this entity was dizzying and unsettling. Nothing was happening as she thought it would.
"If you had your own vessel, would you leave Ichigo alone?" She asked him, very quietly.
"Don't ask me questions you don't want the answers to." He spoke angrily. Rukia leaned away from him and moved to sit at the far end of the bed. Her hand brushed against the mask. Silence reined. She couldn't think of anything to say to him.
"You don't really believe that I am not Hollow. I can see it in your eyes, the way you label me. A parasite, a disease that Ichigo contracted, I'm just a hindrance. " He smiled delightfully, his words cold. Rukia looked away, knowing his words were true. She couldn't even find a proper way to address him. She grabbed the mask.
"What should I call you? You made it perfectly clear that you are not Ichigo, but something special and unique. You will be around for quite some time, yes? Surely you require a name. " She asked. Her words were very faint, alien to her ears. How could she say such a thing?
The creature made a strange noise in his throat.
"The King hasn't given me a name." He told her his tone odd. Rukia was unable to look at him, but she could feel that he was closing the distance between them.
"I'm sure you'll think of something." She whispered, nausea rising in her stomach. He was standing very close to her now. Their was a quiet buzzing in her head. She realized that she could feel the creature before her. There was a distinct connection between them in that moment. She could feel him in her own spirit.
"Yes." Was his short reply and then Rukia knew that he could feel it too. She couldn't take it.
"I want Ichigo to come back." She said suddenly, her voice bold. She turned to him and handed him the mask. He frowned at her, accepted the mask and stood up. The moment was over.
"You want, I want – Ichigo wants. There will always be wants. It really doesn't matter. I'm staying." He told her, moving to pick up his discarded zanpakuto. When his back was turned Rukia scrambled to get off of the bed.
"Do you have what you want?" Rukia asked carefully, her mind taking her to a new thought. What if he wouldn't leave? He claimed that in his present state, he was too weak to cause much damage but he was still a threat. Ichigo needed to heal and what of her friend? Was he destined to be lost forever?
The creature narrowed his eyes at her.
"There will always be more to want." He retorted.
"What do you want, Rukia?" He asked with a smile. She responded without hesitation.
"I want you to leave. I want you to return to your domain." She spotted her zanpakuto on the floor and longed to retrieve it. The creature followed her gaze and giggled when he saw her weapon.
"Will you fight for him? Will you fight for your precious Ichigo?" He asked. Rukia's eyes widened, but she nodded. She knew that if it came to a physical assault, her prowess was inferior to his own but surely he knew that as well.
"Good." The thing smiled and then moved to circle her.
"I'll tell you what I want, Rukia. I want to play a little game of dress up with you." Rukia's mind raced with the implications but the Hollow wasn't finished speaking. He stopped to stand directly in front of her and offered her his mask.
"I want you to wear this. Just put on the mask. Only do this for me, and I will depart and you can have your precious King back." He told her, his eyes light with mischief. Rukia mentally noted that they were no longer black and yellow.
"This isn't a trick. If I do this, Ichigo will go free?" She asked, suddenly apprehensive. The Hollow laughed.
"Rukia, this is what I want." He told, guiding her to the mirror on the wall. Her reflection looked so tiny and vulnerable next to the giant, smiling maniac behind her. Her Soul Reaper robes were wrinkled and dirty from their earlier struggle.
"It is blasphemous for a Soul Reaper to wear the mask of Hollow." She told him, looking at him in the mirror. He laughed then and Rukia swore she caught a glimpse of white from his reflection.
"I thought you said I wasn't a Hollow." His voice was full of merriment and their was no trace of his earlier anger. Rukia grimaced. The Hollow leaned towards her and snake an arm around her waist and whispered tenderly in her ear.
"Or we can play a different game of dress up. You can always place a crown on my head and name me the new King. I've taken a liking to this world and well, someone needs to stay behind and be the horse." He grinned against her skin and Rukia trembled at the weight of his words.
"No, I will put on the mask." She ground out. The creature giggled again and then licked the shell of her ear. Rukia sucked in an outrageous gasp.
"You will retain your distance!" She shouted. The Hollow took a light step back, but refused to leave her side.
"Come now, it's not so difficult. Let me help you." He smiled and slipped the mask over her head and onto her face. Somehow it magically remained fastened to her without any ties or clips.
"There now," The Hollow stepped back looking smug. Rukia saw her reflection and almost wretched. There she stood in her uniform wearing the most unholiest of masks. It was a symbol of pain and sin and much loss in her own personal life. She started to shake.
The Hollow came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulder in an overly familiar manner. She didn't like it.
"Awe don't be upset, Rukia. You look beautiful - like a queen, even." He laughed and then she went suddenly still. It was too much. His words hit home.
"No! Get away from me!" She shouted angrily, twisting under his hand. She pulled the mask off of her face and threw it at him. He caught it easily, although he was somewhat taken aback from her sudden hostility. Eventually he regained his senses.
"Well aren't you just the little spit fire." He grinned lazily.
"I did what you asked, now leave. Get out!" She yelled. His eyes sparked with a sudden intensity.
"Oh, I'll leave. For now, but I can assure you that this won't be the last you see of me. One day, Rukia, I will win and Ichigo will lose. I'll came back for – no you'll come to me." He told her, his voice rising in volume just as it did in maliciousness.
Rukia shook her head, utterly disgusted. How could she have possibly tried to appeal to that thing? What had she been thinking?
"Is that a promise or a threat?" She asked him nastily. He smiled back at her.
"It's a prediction. One day there's going to be war and everyone is going to be wiped out but me." He boasted. Rukia stared at him incredulously. His arrogance and demented humor knew no bounds.
"So we'll all be dead and you'll be King?" She asked sarcastically, no longer caring if she insulted the thing or not. The Hollow shook his head and put his mask on.
"I'll be King and everyone else will be dead, but you, Rukia. I think I'll keep you." He told her as he released a blast of his spiritual pressure. It was a heavy and suffocating energy full of numbing darkness. Rukia choked on it.
"We'll have to get together again real soon." He whispered very close to her face. She could practically taste his breath on her lips. His spiritual pressure was overwhelming her senses and leaving her distorted, making her slow to respond.
"Leave." She coughed, unable to see anything. The Hollow laughed and she felt him move around her.
"If you want my advice, the next time we talk you might just want to be a little more intimate in your persuasions. You were so close, too." He told her throatily. Wondering at his words, Rukia twirled away from him and -
Nothing.
When she opened her eyes, she was startled to find Ichigo once again resting peacefully in slumber on the bed. It looked as if he had been sleeping the whole time.
The mask was gone.
A/N: This can be considered a sequel to King for A Day but it can also be read as a stand alone. Sorry if Rukia seemed a bit OOC. I was just trying to keep her confused with her interactions with the Hollow.