A/N: Takes place close to the end of the Arrancar arc. The captains from Seireiti never came to rescue Ichigo and the others.
Dark/Angst/Violence. Perhaps some romance.
Oh, and I'm looking for BRs...PM me or leave a review if you can be mine. ;) Sorry if I missed out on typos in here.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. If I did, then Ishida would have become an Espada already. Along with Ukitake. -_-
Pain. That horrible feeling of pain. The agony of your insides being torn inside out.
And Ishida Uryuu cursed. He cursed himself for failing; failing all his friends and the ones whom he had sworn to protect.
The hot sensation of blood filled his throat and forced its way out of his mouth, leaving behind the coppery taste of iron. "Damn…you…"
His eyes momentarily settled on Renji Abarai. The red-haired Shinigami had long passed out before him; he lay on the ground next to Ishida, his face still twisted in pain. It was possible he had already died.
"Damn you!" Ishida said again, this time even louder.
Szayelaporro Grantz, Espada 8, laughed. He smirked at his helpless victim and held up Renji's doll, shaking it mockingly. "I'm rather surprised you've managed to stay conscious, Quincy," the Espada taunted. "Now – what other painful organs do you wish to lose?"
Ishida glared at the Espada, placing both hands on the ground and using the last of his strength to push himself up. A spasm of pain shot through his left hand, and it numbed, causing him to fall onto the ground once again.
Szayel sneered. "So, Quincy. You never imagined that you would fall before the mighty and immortal Szayelapporo. I hold your fate within the palm of my hand –or more accurately, the tips of my fingers." Szayel popped open Ishida's doll and pulled out an all too familiar object.
"He-heart…" Ishida heard himself gasp.
"That's right." The corners of Szayel's mouth stretched into a wider smile. "Your heart. Or should I say, your pathetic human heart. Those things are so polluted and full of all these worthless desires that they would never be able to achieve in their lifetime." The Espada scoffed. "There was never a chance for you to beat me. Now, remember this as you pass on to the next life: Szayelapporo Grantz, the Arrancar who sent you to your doom."
So this was it. Ishida lowered his gaze. He was to die in this godforsaken place. This place of his sworn enemies, the place where he failed everyone he had ever known.
His felt his left hand close around his Quincy cross tightly. At least he would die for his friends. He'd tried his best to protect Renji; everyone. Maybe even that Pesche and Donda Chakka. Talking about those two, they'd probably escaped and gone somewhere already.
Szayel broke his line of thoughts with a chuckle. "Finished thinking? Well then…Sayonara, Ishida Uryuu." The Espada lifted the little fragile heart between his purple fingernails.
Ishida closed his eyes, ready for the pain and the coming of a never-ending darkness. He waited – one second, one minute, two…what seemed like an eternity. But his death never came.
Ishida slowly opened his eyes. A new Espada had arrived on the scene. The Espada's cloak was tattered on one side, revealing the number '4'. He had short black hair, and one side of his head was covered with a Hollow mask.
The Espada's hand was closed around Szayel's, preventing him from destroying the bond that still held Ishida to life. He spoke: "Szayel, have you forgotten orders? I thought you knew better."
The new Espada had a cold, silky voice. His green eyes were fixed upon Szayel's in obvious disappoint.
"Fuck off." Szayel swore at the Espada and tossed away Ishida's doll. "Next time, don't you dare interrupt me when I'm having such fun."
The Espada 4's eyes never moved from Szayel's. "Having fun doesn't mean going against Aizen-sama's orders. Now leave and clean up whatever mess you've caused."
Szayel glared at the other Espada, then left without a word.
Ishida remained upon the ground, having stared at the conversation with a paralyzed fear and astonishment. They let me live? Aizen's orders? Why?
"Quincy." Now the Espada 4 was looking straight at him. "Come with me."
Ishida opened his mouth to argue, but ended up coughing out more blood.
The Espada frowned. "Szayel overdid it with you, didn't he? That fool..." Before Ishida could react, the Espada had tossed the Quincy over his shoulder.
Ishida winced in pain as the Espada began to walk away from the battle scene. "Where-where are you taking me?" He managed to gasp out a few words between painful spasms.
"To Aizen-sama." The Espada's reply was so casual that it scared Ishida.
"Wh-why?"
"Don't ask questions. Aizen-sama's words are the law. Do not question the law."
It seemed to Ishida only a matter of minutes when they reached Los Noches. The Espada traveled through a long series of corridors, finally arriving upon a huge room. "I've brought him, Aizen-sama."
Ishida felt himself lowered to the ground slowly. He scrambled to prop himself up in a better position to better analyze the situation.
Aizen, ex-captain and traitor, currently sat on a grand white throne before him. On either side of him stood Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tousen. It wasn't a surprising sight. Ishida let his gaze sweep over the room. There were two Arrancars that stood guarding the door. It was a huge space; almost like a battle arena. There were no windows and the only escape way was the guarded door.
"There's no way out of this one, Uryuu." Aizen's words made Ishida glance up in surprise.
Ishida's eyes narrowed; who did Aizen think he was? The man was shaming him by calling him by his first name. "What do you want?" It was the only question that bothered him at the moment.
"So blunt, my friend." Aizen smiled. To Ishida, it looked reassuring, but sinister at the same time. "We've recently discovered some new information. Some information on how Hougyoku could be awakened in an instant…with tenfolds of its original power."
He held up his hand and Ishida could see the glimmer of a bright blue jewel. "But how, you ask?" Aizen continued. He smiled as in leaned in. "By using you, of course."
The double doors to the Sereiti library slowly slid open. Ukitake Juushiro and Kyoraku Shunsei strolled in, both talking in low hushes about the upcoming events.
"Research again?" Kyoraku sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't understand how you do this day after day, baa-san. I'd like to just lie in my nice spot on the roof and stare at the sky all day long. Or I'd rather gather myself a few hot girls and hang out together." He grinned and did a small pervy dance in front of Ukitake, sweeping his pink robe all around him.
Ukitake barely spared a glance at his childhood friend; he ran a hand through his long, white hair and sighed. "Where do we start today, friend?"
Kyoraku groaned and adjusted his bamboo hat. "I don't know. I asked Nanao to gather some people and check out all the wider areas where you'd discovered Aizen's reiatsu."
"Any success?" Ukitake paused at a nearby bookshelf and extracted a book.
"Nope." Kyoraku sighed. "Aizen's rather good at wiping all signs of his reiatsu, isn't he?"
"He was a captain, Shunsei. I think it's necessary to have the ability to do something like that in order to become captain rank." Ukitake paused at the end of a long hallway, placing his hands upon the wall before him. "Yamamoto-sensei gave me permission to check out this part of the library today."
He ran his hands over a certain section of the wall and murmured to himself. Certain sections of the wall began to shift itself, moving aside to reveal a huge, hidden part of the Sereiti library.
"Wow…" Kyoraku whistled in admiration as he followed Ukitake inside. "I never knew they managed to hide such a huge place here."
Ukitake sighed and lifted his head to gaze at the books around him. "Following what I said earlier, Yamamoto-sensei had this sealed a long time ago since it contained too much valuable and dangerous information." He walked over to the nearest bookshelf and began searching through the entire hallway. "Apparently, Aizen's already discovered this place beforehand. Yamamoto-sensei came over yesterday to return a book he had borrowed some time ago and discovered races of Aizen's reiatsu all over the place. Now, he's entrusted the searching to only both of us."
"Ha!" Kyoraku grinned and shoved past Ukitake. "Now that gives me something to be motivated about. The old man's actually depending on us."
"Since he has," Ukitake said. "Let's search out all the books with Aizen's reiatsu by today. I would like to begin reading through them by sunset."
"Sure, Ukitake-daichou." Kyoraku mock saluted and disappeared in a long alley of bookshelves.
With two hard-workers combined, they finished collecting all the books they could find as the sun begin to set in Sereiti. Kyoraku emerged from around a bookshelf with an armload of books. He sighed and dumped the stack on a table that Ukitake had set up earlier. "That's about it. Now I can finally rest!" He sighed and sank onto the floor, staring up at the ceiling as if it were the sky.
"Not yet, Shunsei." Ukitake had already began to read the first of the many books before him. "I've separated the books into two even piles. That one's for you. Let's try and finish as many books by midnight."
"You're kidding me, Ukitake!" Kyoraku glanced at his stack of books and groaned loudly. "It's comparable to a mountain! There's like a hundred books in that thing!"
"Hurry up, Shunsei." Ukitake had his eyes focused on an old book in his hands.
"All right, all right. But I just got comfortable lying here. Would you mind tossing a book to me from there?" Kyoraku was lying on the floor in his signature position, head propped on his hand. He grinned lazily at Ukitake.
Ukitake pulled out a random book from Kyoraku's stack and threw it carelessly at him.
"Ouch!" The thick book slammed into Kyoraku's face. "At least look where you throw it! I was enjoying myself here!"
"Sorry. You all right?" Ukitake barely lifted his eyes from the book the entire time.
Kyoraku grumbled to himself and lazily picked up the book. "Such a boring…" The book suddenly fell apart in his hands, the binding in the middle torn down from top to bottom. "Ahhhhhhhhhh! Ukitake! Look what've you done! The book tore apart!"
"Wh-what?" Ukitake set down his book and took the torn book from Kyoraku's hands. He frowned as he ran his gaze over the torn binding. "Hmm…it looks like the book's been fiddled with quite recently." He began ripping the book apart slowly from the inside.
Kyoraku stepped back, a shocked look on his face. "What-what in my zanpaktou's name are you doing, Juushiro?! Yamamoto-sensei's gonna fry and burn our-"
The book suddenly snapped clean into two, then a small scroll fell out. Kyoraku's eyes widened as Ukitake began unfurling the scroll. "That…that is…"
"Aizen's own research, I presume." Ukitake's face darkened as he scanned down the scroll. "It says here he's found a way to awake Hougyaku before its set time."
"Wha-what?!"
"Based on these complicated drawings, I think you form a high concentration of spirit particles and let Hougyoku stay in it for a while."
"But no one can do that! As I recall, only the Bount could do that, but they no longer exist!"
"Shunsei, you're missing a huge part of history here. That Quincy." Ukitake frowned and scanned over the calculations. "Even so, I don't think it's possible to even gather so much reiatsu and then concentrate it into such a small place. You would need to gather up about 1/3 of Sereiti's own reiatsu. No one's soul is such as powerful to do something like this."
Kyoraku snatched the scroll from Ukitake, his face serious now. "But knowing that Aizen, he'd definitely find a way. After all, he really has nothing to do right now..."
"And that Quincy, along with Ichigo, left to Hueco Mundo in order to rescue Orihime-san not long ago!" Ukitake interrupted. "Shunsei – go and inform Yamamoto-sensei of our current situation. We also need back-up. Also, take this scroll with you."
"Right away." Kyoraku rushed out of the library.
Ukitake sighed as he began coughing severely again. One thing that worries me. Aizen's not the type of person that would leave something as valuable as this behind. Did he do it on purpose? And more importantly, is this even true?
No matter. We will need take action against him both ways. Hopefully, the back-up will reach Ichigo and the others in time…
Ichigo swore loudly as he was tossed onto the floor; again and again, his weak body flapping like a doll. The Arrancar seemed to be having fun. It laughed loudly, picking up the Shinigami by the scruff of his robe and swinging him violently throughout the air. "Nnoitra-sama, should I finished him off?"
"Yeah." Espada 5, Nnoitra Jiruga, looked bored as hell. He swung his huge battle weapon over his shoulder and prepared to walk away. "He's done for-"
"Wait, Nnoitra." A new voice cut through the air. "The plans have changed. We are on orders to take the Shinigami to Aizen-sama."
The Arrancar stopped shaking its fist just long enough to allow Ichigo a glimpse of the new arrivals. Two small and fat Arrancars were kneeling before Nnoitra. Nnoitra was frowning as he conversed with the Arrancars. He turned and looked up. "Tesla, let him go. Aizen-sama's made a change of plans. We have to take the fool and that girl to Aizen."
"Now?" Tesla lowered Ichigo to the ground and released his zanpaktou. "And I was having fun..."
"Yeah, yeah...now. Drag him to the 5th Tower. I'll take the girl."
Ichigo coughed painfully as the Arrancar seized him by the robe again. The small party began making its way towards the heart of Los Noches.
"Yo, Nnoitra!" At the sounds of yet another arrival made Ichigo look up. Another Espada had joined the party, carrying what seemed like a dead body over his shoulder.
Ichigo looked closer. His eyes widened. No way... "Rukia!" he shouted before he could stop himself. "Rukia- no! Are you ok?!" He struggled feebly against the Arrancar's grip, but was unable to overpower it. Orihime...now, Rukia, why?!
"Calm down, shinigami. Struggling will do you no good. They're not actually dead; Aizen just wants to see them." Nnoitra peered into the distance. "Besides, we're almost there."
Ichigo looked up again. They had arrived in front of a huge and white double door.
Nnoitra stepped up, talking as he did so. "Nnoitra Jiruga, Espada 5."
The other Espada stepped up. "Zommari Leroux, Espada 7. We have arrived on orders with the people you've requested."
There was a moment of silence. "Ah, Nnoitra and Zommari." Aizen sounded pleased from inside the room. "Come inside."
The double doors swung open, allowing passageway for newcomers. Once inside, the Arracancars threw Orihime and Rukia to the ground, but Tesla had a firm grip on Ichigo. The Shinigami glanced around the area, taking in every small detail.
His eyes rested upon two figures before him. "Ishida! Sado-kun!"
Chad was unconscious whilst Ishida was wide awake. The Quincy looked badly injured, and one of Sado's arms were badly severed in multiple places. Ichigo's heart caught in his throat as he swallowed nervously. I never thought it would come to this...
Ishida barely spared a glance at Ichigo. So you were caught too, Kurosaki...now, there's truly no way out of this...
Silence fell in the room as Aizen walked slowly to Ishida. He grabbed the Quincy by his clothes and brought him up close. "As I was saying, Uryuu, before we were so rudely interrupted," Aizen began.
"Let him go!!!" Ichigo burst out in rage, struggling against the hold of his Arrancar. "Don't you dare lay a hand on Ishida!"
Aizen smiled and ignored the Shinigami. "Don't deny my request." He lowered his voice down to a whisper. "Join me, Quincy. Give me the power that I need to overcome this foolish world and Seireiti. Join me."
Ishida glared back. "Why? Why should I join you in your ridiculous quest of overcoming the world? I have no reason to help you pursue your foolish dreams."
Aizen pulled Ishida up to his face; so close that the two were almost touching nose-to-nose. "I'll tell you now, Quincy. You have no options. Agree now and I will spare your friends' lives. Deny, and they will be killed one by one, and more so, you will still aid us in the end. You said foolish dreams? They are dreams nonetheless. A dream is a dream. Your dream is your soul. Now, let's see what happens when I shatter your dream."
Ishida's eyes widened. "Wh-what?" Killed…one by one…He felt his entire body began to shake with fear. Fear…fear of what? Fear of my dreams? What are my dreams? My friends? My friends that I have vowed to protect with my life?
For most of my life, I've been alone. After Sensei died, I was independent and lonely. Then Kurosaki invited me to his world, and from that moment, I finally began to understand the significance of having friends you could depend on all the time. That was what I was missing. That was my dream; that part of my soul.
But, what is this now? I sworn to protect them; they have become a part of me. I can depend on them, but they can't depend on me. I'm not part of them; part of their dreams and part of their souls…
"So what is it, Uryuu? You have little time left." Aizen's voice cut through Ishida's thoughts. The ex-captain motioned at an Arrancar, ordering it to bring Orihime to him. "You have one more minute or this girl's going first."
"ISHIDA! WHAT THE HELL IS HE SAYING TO YOU!?" Ichigo began to shout again. "Damn you, Aizen, leave Orihime and Ishida ALONE!"
Ishida sighed. This guy…he's created an inescapable situation…I guess it leaves me no choice. To protect my friends, my dreams, my soul...the only way is to…leave it all behind. This friendship we've built on in the past few months…shall be broken.
He pulled away from Aizen and slowly stood up to face him. Broken, but not completely severed. Shattered in pieces; it will take a long time to find them all and put them together.
I'll gather them up some day…and make it up to you…Ichigo Kurosaki.
Ishida met Aizen's eyes, all signs of emotion wiped from his face. "Aizen Sosuke: You leave me no choice. I accept your offer."
"Excellent." Aizen seemed extremely pleased.
"Upon doing so," Ishida continued. "Set them free and make sure no harm comes to them."
"Of course." Aizen began walking back to his throne. "I'll have them sent back to their world. But if they ever come back and attack us, keep in mind that the Espada would not hesitate to kill them…"
"Uryuu Ishida!" Ichigo shouted. "What gives?! Answer me, damnit-"
"Sorry, Kurosaki. I am no longer part of your allies." Ishida barely spared a glance at the Shinigami.
"No need to tell him. I will myself." Aizen began to pull out his zanpaktou slowly.
Ichigo suddenly froze in the middle of his rant, eyes widening in shock. "Wh-what?!"
"What'd you do?!" Ishida turned on Aizen. "You promised me you were going to set them free; not harm him more!"
Aizen shrugged. "Relax. I just updated him on your decision."
"What?" Ishida began.
"Ish-Ishida?!" The light had faded from Ichigo's eyes. "WHY?! You bastard – you betrayed us!" He began struggling against the Arrancar's grip furiously.
Ishida closed his eyes and sighed. Let him go. He is not part of you anymore. You have a more important task to accomplish…
A hard punch suddenly sent him flying into the wall. Ichigo had escaped from the Arrancar's grip, his hand still raised from his attack. "Damn you, Ishida," he cursed. "I thought we were friends! I can't believe you would join that bastard…You joined the bastard that dared to harm all of us!"
Ichigo began walking towards Ishida. "You'll pay, damnit! You'll pay for joining the bastard that hurt my friends. I'll hunt you down like the Espada…I'll-"
He began coughing violently, then suddenly sank to the ground, unconscious.
"My, my, he overdid himself." Ichimaru broke the silence that followed. "Do we take them out now, Aizen?"
"Yes. Please do so. Heal Ichigo and his comrades just enough so they will survive. Then send them back to their world safely."
"Of course." Ichimaru grabbed some Arrancar and they left the place, carrying Ichigo and his friends.
"They better get back there safe." Ishida spit out some broken teeth and blood as he rubbed the place where Ichigo had punched him.
"I already gave you my word. Don't worry." Aizen turned to face the remaining Arrancars in the room. "Kaname, I want you to get a healing unit here as fast as possible. Szayel overdid it with him. His injuries are rather severe. The rest: You are dismissed. Thank you for your hard work."
Low murmuring arose in the hall as the Arrancar filed out, one by one. Silence fell as Aizen and Ishida were left alone in the tower.
"How exactly are you planning to use me?" Ishida turned to Aizen. "I'm a weak Quincy. There is not much I can do for you when it comes to terms of battling."
"Weak? Quincy?" Aizen chuckled. "No, you've got it all wrong. Quincys have an unique ability. They have techniques that allow them to control reiatsu to form weapons and such. The Shinigamis and the Hollows don't possess this kind of ability."
"And what of it?" Ishida retorted. "You told me earlier that I was needed to awake the Hougyoku and multiply its power greatly. I don't believe I have the capacity to do anything like that."
Aizen laughed. "You misunderstand me. If you don't have the capacity, then I can give it to you. Is power what you need? I shall give it to you. Is glory what you want? I shall give it to you. In the same way, you will work for me as I have the tools necessary to exceed all capacities."
Ishida's eyes narrowed. "And what will you do?"
Aizen opened his hands, allowing the bright light of Hougyoku to fill the place. "It's simple actually. Give you the power you need to accomplish my goals."
A/N: I'm not so sure how Ukitake and Kyoraku usually address each other...I think they call each other Ukitake and Kyoraku simply, but...XD
Best regards,
Artingdle~