Ichigo couldn't sleep again. He was wondering about this after he went back from Soul Society. Who was he?
Shinigami?
Human?
Hollow?
He sighed. He could do nothing about this. Zangetsu said that Byakuya took Rukia's powers, but he forgot about his own.
How did he get them?
He doubted that what his father said was true. His father was too stupid to be captain of the X's division. Suddenly he heard that someone was calling him. It was neither Yuzu nor Karin. But it was for sure a woman's voice.
Who could it belong to?
Ichigo got up and looked out of his window. Nobody was standing here.
It wasn't his imagination, right?
It was Sunday evening. If it was Hollow, somebody should take care of it. It was his job. He was "the one who protects", after all. He can't let any soul get hurt just because of his indecisiveness. He used his Substitute Shinigami Badge. He felt that Hollow was near. He stood for a moment trying to feel it. Suddenly he heard the same voice. He turned around and saw a woman. She was wearing a black coat.
"Hello, Ichigo."
"Who are you?" - Ichigo took the Zangetsu in his hands.
"You don't remember me, do you? Eh, yeah... Isshin and Urahara didn't want you to meet me. Just like you, I couldn't notice that I am a "monster"."
"Answer me!" - Ichigo felt that he should attack without warning, but he just couldn't. He felt "that". The same feeling he experienced when he was fighting with his Hollow.
"When you don't see your own mistakes you want go further, you know?"
"You said you're sick of all your fears, but you keep coming back around here"
"I don't understand! What are you talking about?!" - Ichigo was starting to loose his temper.
"Perhaps it's time for you to be one of us now"
"Maybe you've just lost your mind"
"Kicking and screaming now you've lost your time"
"We're voices in your head"
"We're monsters of your bed"
"There's no tomorrow for you, no matter what they say"
"You know who you are." - The woman disappeared.
"And we all know you're said and done." - Ichigo said.
In a second, he understood what has happened. He didn't know it, whatever it was. He just knew, deep in his mind he knew these words. He knew their sense, but he didn't understand it. He looked around, but the woman was gone.
"Ichigo?" - it was Chad. Ichigo was in a shock, he couldn't move.
How...?
"Kurosaki, everything's okay?" - Ishida lay his hand on his shoulder. - You're pale.
"You'll never be free." - this was everything Ichigo could say before he lost consciousness. Ishida reacted fast and grabbed him before he fell. Chad immediately helped Ishida.
"What happen?" - asked Chad.
"I don't have an idea... Let's take him to his father."
Ichigo woke up in his inner world. Or something that should be it. He saw himself sitting on a chair with his head down.
"It's been years since I saw a face around here. I was broken and alone in that hell I call my home." - said his other self. It wasn't his Hollow, he looked just like Ichigo. Slowly, Ichigo was approaching the figure, when suddenly it raised its head. Half of the face was only muscles, and the other half–.
Ichigo immediately raised from his bed. He felt sweat all over his body, he was breathing as if he was running, over and over again. He couldn't get rid of that face he had seen.
God, what was that?
"Kurosaki-kun?" - immediately he looked at Inoue with fear in his eyes which scared Orihime. She felt thrills all over her body.
"I... Inoue?" - he asked gasping for breath. He looked at his hands that were holding tight his quilt.
"Kurosaki-kun, please wait, I'll go for your dad." - Inoue went out of the room very fast and returned with Isshin.
"Ichigo, thanks God..."
"It's not mine..." - said Ichigo still looking at his hands.
"Ichigo?" - Isshin felt fear.
"It's not my hands, they aren't mine..." - he repeated louder. - "Take them away!" - he screamed and looked up at his father.
"Ichigo, what happen?" - Isshin grabbed Ichigo in his arms.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" - Ichigo hauled off his hand which all of a sudden turned into clutches and he attacked Isshin's throat. Isshin tried to defend himself, but he failed and all he saw was blood all around him. Inoue screamed loudly and her scream brought over Ishida and Chad.
"What...?" - Ishida looked at this – Isshin lying on the floor, Inoue standing by a wall, Ichigo... Ichigo looking like an animal.
Monster.
One of his eyes was black, the other was still normal, brown. After a moment Ichigo licked his finger which was covered with blood. His face was emotionless, he didn't pay any attention was was happening around him.
"Looks like you need help, Kurosaki-san~." - Ichigo looked at a newcomer and growled.
"Urahara, what's happening?" - asked Ishida, but before someone said anything Urahara used Kidō.
"Bakudō, nr 30 – Beak-Piercing Triple Beam."
Ichigo screamed in anger. His other eye went black. The skin under his eyes was now black too, just like on his Hollow's mask. Ichigo blurted his right arm from Kidō, but he could do nothing else because Urahara knocked him unconscious.
"What? Was that...?" - Inoue was the first who spoke.
"Diane came back."
"Urahara, what are you talking about? She's locked in..."
"Looks like no more." - Urahara dropped Kidō and grabbed Ichigo's limp body. He leaned it against the wall and raised Ichigo's right hand. On the internal side of his forearm there was some visible writing:
"WE'RE BACK"