Hey guys! Sorry it took so long, but I've either been busy or tired. But, here it is! The next, angsty chapter of American Music! I think you'll find it a bit RIOTous… Enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated! If you don't leave one, I'll tell Yuno that you like Yuki…
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Three Day's Grace, or Riot.
It's been years since he's felt it.
The wind on his face, through his hair, pinning his clothes to his body in the front, flowing wildly in the back. The powerful feeling of being able to move at such a speed that you could reach someone in literally the blink of an eye. The feeling of elation and freedom from no restrictions on his body or soul, the only opposing force being the air itself, which was so easy to move through.
The feeling of a Flash Step.
Of course, he can't fully enjoy it, seeing as it wasn't him doing the Flash Stepping. He is merely hitching a ride on someone who, at one point, was actually much slower than him, plus his own weight is holding her down. On top of this, there are a million thoughts crossing through his reawakened mind all at once.
What's going on? How can I see Rukia? How can I touch her? How is my arm not tearing from the shoulder like a non-spirit energy filled being like myself should be? Am I dreaming? Is this even real? That though is quickly discarded. If it were, she would be here.
Finally, they come to a stop outside of Urahara Shop, a fact that doesn't surprise Ichigo. Rukia had probably just thought that it was important to tell Urahara that Ichigo was starting to regain his spirit energy. So does that mean that I really am…?
"Rukia, what's going on!?" Ichigo yells, suddenly very angry. Te reason for this anger was actually quite founded. In all the time that Ichigo had lost his powers, she could've visited him. She knew that it was going to be hard on him, and yet there was no note, no letter, no visit in a gigai. She, along with the entire 13 Court Guard Squads, had just left him alone as if nothing had happened and he was just some human who HADN'T just saved their asses for the umpteenth time! Hell, even old Hat'N'Clogs himself hadn't spoken with Ichigo after the incident, except to check once to see if all of his spirit energy had indeed depleted. And that was three years ago.
"What do you mean? Shouldn't I be the one asking that? How can you see me?" Rukia replies in her usual official-yet-obviously-curious voice.
"How the hell should I know!? It's not like you've come to visit me in a gigai or anything!" Ichigo responds angrily, making Rukia scoff. This, in turn, makes Ichigo even angrier. "What the hell is so funny!?"
"Oh come on, Ichigo. It's obvious that the Soul Society wouldn't let me contact with you since you were just a regular human. Get over yourself and calm down!"
"Oh, so now you're going to listen to the Soul Society, unlike the when we went into Hueco Mundo for Orihime or Hell itself for Yuzu or the Valley of Screa-" Ichigo cuts himself off. Well, actually, he chokes. But still, Rukia notices his hesitation. That doesn't mean she cares though.
"First off, I wasn't even in the Valley of Screams. Second, Yuzu and Orihime's lives were in danger! What all happened to you Ichigo? Did you get a little lonely?" she mocks.
Ichigo is going to respond, when he decides not to. If she didn't want to see him, he didn't care. She wasn't even the one he had wanted to see anyways. But still, it would've helped. While his life may not have been threatened directly, suicide was constantly on his mind. Just making the pain stop, just making it all end. But he never would've done it. If he had, then she would've died for nothing.
So instead of arguing, he just turns and leaves. Right now, he couldn't care less that he was regaining his spirit energy, or that Urahara could help him with it. He doesn't care that he could see Rukia, or that she was currently yelling at him to get his ass back over to the Shop so they could talk to Urahara. He doesn't even care if a hollow were to attack him right now. Honestly, he doesn't care about anything right now. All he cared about was getting away, and there was one surefire way that he knew he could do it.
If you feel so empty,
So used up, so let down,
If you feel so angry,
So ripped off, so stepped on,
You're not the only one,
Refusing to go down.
You're not the only one,
"Bakudo number 1, Sai!" Ichigo doesn't here the command, but does feel its effects. However, he isn't willing to go down so quietly. No, he knows that since he has even a little of his spirit energy back, he won't have to feel as though he's being stepped on. It may not fill the emptiness in him, but it is enough. And he is definitely angry now.
So get up!
And he does. It takes even less effort than he expects. He isn't even forced to his knees.
Let's start a riot! A riot!
At this point, Ichigo decides that it isn't such a bad idea. Hollows were sure to come around if he went on a rampage in soul form. The question is, how will he get into it? Then he gets an idea.
Turning on Rukia, he senses for the spiritually rich red fabric that he knew she always carries on her at all times. A long time ago, he realized that it actually had a different feel than everything else she usually had on her, so it is easy to pinpoint. Once he finds it, he lunges at the small soul reaper. He feigns a left hook, and then pulls the glove from behind the wide belt on here robes. Then, he pushes her forward and runs into the Shop, the safest place for his body at the moment. He lies down in a corner, takes the glove, and smacks himself with the blue-fire skull on the palm. His plan has succeeded.
He feels the familiar whoosh of the separation, and loves the lightlessness of his soul. He Flash Steps as fast as possible, which is faster than Rukia, even in his weakened state, and vents off huge amounts of spiritual pressure.
It doesn't take long for the hollows to arrive, and when they do, there are about ten of them. Ichigo feels for the handle of Zangetsu and finds it easily, as if he had never lost the ability to do so. He pulls the huge blade from his back, unsheathing it from the bandages as he does so. He takes a few practice swings to test the weight of it, and sure enough, it feels completely natural.
The first hollow to attack makes the stupid move of announcing it beforehand, seeing as this "puny soul reaper" barely has any spiritual pressure. It lunges at Ichigo, its sharp claws outstretched, ready to pierce the soft flesh of his back, but they never do. Instead, the creature's head is sliced to the middle, dissolving it almost instantly. The rest of the hollows sneer at him, and three of them attack at once.
The first one's teeth are dodged, and the second's arm blade is parried. The third manages to cut him, but is quickly killed. The rest then attack him along with the earlier two, ganging up on the orange-haired substitute. Then, all hell breaks loose.
"BANKAI!" comes Ichigo's voice, clear over all of the hollows' screams. Said monsters are sent flying by the blast of spiritual pressure that is a result of his release. As soon as the flow of energy dims down a bit, however, the creatures attack again.
But this time, Ichigo is much faster. He dodges a claw swipe with a sidestep to the left, then a large fist by bending over backwards. He digs his blade deep into one mask, and then cuts off another's head and slices one more clean in half. With only five hollows left, he charges his remaining energy (which is still somewhat low) and barely manages to use his first Getsuga Tensho since his use of the final one. Of course, it catches all five creatures in the wave of raw energy, killing them, but the output attracts one more hollow. And this one needs a Garganta to enter the World of the Living.
As the heavy feet of the Menos Grande crack the empty street below, Ichigo knows that he's in some serious shit. He had put the last of his spirit energy into that last attack, and there was no way he could take on even a Menos class arrancar.
However, the Menos does not care. It's just here for the souls.
As it fires its cero, Ichigo dodges it and starts Flash Stepping towards the beast. He jumps into the air and makes for a slash at its mask, hoping to end it quickly, but is instead swatted away like a fly by its large hand.
If you feel so dirty,
So filthy, so fucked up,
If you feel so walked on,
So painful, so pissed off,
You're not the only one,
Refusing to go down,
You're not the only one,
So get up!
As he pulls himself out of his perfectly formed sidewalk angel, Ichigo feels a familiar and unpleasant tug on his sanity. No! Stay out of this! I can handle it!
Oh come on now king, it's been years! Just let me have a little fun?
No! Now back off!
No, I don't think I will. Remember what I told you, Ichigo? I told you that the second you got weak, I was taking over. And right now, you're running on fumes.
Shut up! I'm not tired or weak! I've got this!
Why are you resisting so much, anyway? It's not like there's anything left in the Land of the Sane for you anymore. Just sit back and let me take over for a while.
The sad thing is, he's right. There is no longer any need for him to retain his mental stability. The only thing that has kept him sane for all these years is the lack of this being of pure fear and instinct in his head.
But right now, he's back. And there isn't anything Ichigo can do to keep him quiet. This inverted version of Ichigo is inside of Ichigo's mind, trying to break free and take complete control over his body, and he's succeeding. Rapidly. Actually, while you've read this, he's already taken over.
*BOOM*
As the Menos steps on Ichigo, an explosion rips it to shreds. In the middle of the blast radius is a true horror to be feared by all: Ichigo's inner hollow has come out to play.
