Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Creeping Containment
I was floating, where he did not know, probably somewhere in his soul.
It was dark, with only a simple dead tree illuminated by a Full Moon's light. The ground wasn't ground. The glassy surface was that of undisturbed water, reflecting the glowing moon.
On the tallest branch of the tree, a black Katana was impaled, an elderly man standing on it, his black suit billowing in the wind.
"So…this is how it ends…" Zangetsu said, staring down at the floating body of Kurosaki Ichigo. "I would have thought that you would have resisted this death as hard as you could."
A harsh wind blew, a figure appearing on one of the lower branches "You honestly believe King here wants to die? Please…he still has to save his precious hime…" I stated, my own yellow eyes staring at the black clad form that seemed asleep. "The King may have surrendered, I dunno know. All I know now is that he's weak."
Then, his hand twitched, his grasp on the blade that wasn't there growing firmer. I didn't register the water grow clearer, the koi in the water at last visible.
"His power grows stonger…" the old man said.
I merely scoffed.
"His power? Growing? Please. He's dead meat out there, dead mind meat in here. Kitty is probably throwing him around like a rag doll, his little Hime watching hopelessly. Oy, jiji, I'll make you a bet if we live long enough. After Kitty is done with us, he'll kill Hime."
The tree's bark grew sturdy, buds appearing on its limbs.
"What are you getting at…"Zangetsu said, glaring down at me through his glasses. Like I cared. I wasn't about to die yet.
"You know what I'm getting at. King is weak. So weak, that he couldn't keep Kuchiki from taking Kuchiki back to the old geezer's domain. He couldn't protect prevent Glasses boy from losing his powers. Sado getting injured, Keigo nearly getting killed, Kuchiki getting killed…he wasn't strong enough to protect the people he 'swore' to protect. And they all…ended up nearly…" I spoke the last word softly, venom lacing it.
"Dead…"
The tree erupted into full bloom, leaves growing where they should, building shot out of the water, the moon was replaced by a sun, and the koi were gone. Zangetsu and I once again stood on one of the buildings in King's soul.
I felt cold steel placed against my neck. I simply smirked and said, "'Bout time you woke up, King. Now, I don't like being tossed around like a rag doll, so please kill Kitty would you?"
Ichigo left his soul without a word.
"Not a single thank you…"
Creeping Containment
I rather like how this came out. I had originally planned for Zangetsu to be talking, and the 1st person as Ichigo trying to wake up, but I decided to give the spotlight to Hichi for once.