Hey everyone! Just got back from camping. Ugh, it was mosquito mania! My souvenirs, bites, bites and more bites. Fabulous, right? I was very happy when I got home and checked my email because I had reviews for this story (much joy)! :D It made me want to update, so that is why you are reading this right now. Thanks so much to my awesome beta reader, Emma Stargaze! You rock!
Thank you to: SeishinOkami, figliedellatempesta, phantomx354, and grimm the kitty for your awesome reviews! Thanks figliedellatempesta for answering my question about capitalizing espada, it's greatly appreciated!
Disclaimer: No own Bleach. No profits for writing this other than the amazing reviews (but no money profits)! (Remember Mayuri and his need for test subjects! I couldn't own Bleach if he remains without sufficient lab rats)…
King of the Hollows?
Chapter 2: Perhaps, Perhaps Not
"Ichigo, what's wrong?" Rukia asked when she saw the worried look on her friend's face.
"My Substitute Shinigami Badge isn't working."
"Are you certain?" she asked. Everyone in the room was now staring at Ichigo in curiosity.
"Positive," he said, pulling it out and pressing it to his chest. He half expected it to work just to spite him, but to his relief and disappointment, it did not.
"Oh. Well isn't that something." Urahara took the badge and examined it.
"Perhaps it's broken?" Orihime suggested, not knowing how things like that worked and trying to be helpful.
"That's what I was thinking; I mean what else could it be?" Ichigo said, half-expecting an answer although it was a rhetorical question.
"This is rather interesting… Renji, would you mind?" Urahara asked, holding the badge out to the red-haired shinigami.
"Fine," he huffed as he took the badge and pressed it to his chest. He immediately burst out of his gigai. "Seems to work for me." He tossed the badge back to the shop owner and climbed back inside his physical body.
"Yes, it appears to be working just fine."
"Then are you saying that it's me that's broken, not it?" Ichigo asked, worry clearly visible in his voice.
"I'm not sure. That's what it seems like, but I can't see how that would be possible." Urahara seemed to be deep in thought for a few moments. "Ichigo, did you participate in a battle that could have put too much of a stain on your spiritual body recently?"
"Not really. Unless you count the fight with the arrancars? Other than that, nope."
"Hmm… Very interesting. The only reason I can think of for your substitute shinigami badge to not be working would be great damage to your spiritual body. So you're sure that you haven't done anything like that recently?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," Ichigo said with a slight mocking tone. "I think I would notice something like that."
"Yes, I would think you would. Well then, I fear we must resort to drastic measures," Urahara said, standing up.
"Wait! What?" Ichigo stood as well. Everyone else in the room had their eyes glued on the two immediately, curious and worried of what was going to happen.
"Rukia, would you mind trying to get Ichigo out of his body?"
"Um, sure." Rukia pulled on a little red mitten that was missing the fingers and had a skull on it. She stood up then ran towards Ichigo, grabbing his head and trying to force him out of his body as she had done before. She managed to get him half out before he sling-shot back in, as if he was glued to it.
"Very well then, that leaves me no choice." Urahara grabbed Benihime, his zanpakutou, who was sitting next to him on the ground. He had used it once before on Ichigo. Why would he say 'that leaves me no choice?' Ichigo wondered to himself, only to have that question answered in the next second. "Rukia, Renji, would you each please grab one of his arms and hold him still?" Their eyes widened when they realized what he was going to do, but they quickly did as they were told and took hold of Ichigo's arms.
With that, Urahara held his cane-like stick out and thrust it at Ichigo's chest with all his might. Surprisingly it went right through him and the shopkeeper stumbled a bit. Urahara was confused, but he withdrew it and aimed it at the substitute shinigami's head instead. This time his cane did not go through, but rather pushed Ichigo halfway out of his body. Rukia and Renji had trouble trying to hold Ichigo still while the shopkeeper pressed down with all his might. With a thud, Ichigo fell to the floor in his shinigami black kimono.
Rukia laid his body down gently then turned to look at Ichigo. She gasped at the sight and everyone else in the room was frozen. Toshiro's eyes had widened, Matsomoto had her lips shaped in a little 'oh', Urahara was leaning forwards in fascination, Orihime, Chad and Uryuu stayed silent, simply out of shock.
"What the…?" Ichigo asked as he looked down at his chest.
(Where last chapter left off)
"I believe I know what's going on here."
"Great, would you mind filling me in, 'cause I'm totally at a loss."
"Szayel Aporro Grantz informed me of an atmospheric disturbance. Shortly thereafter, Lord Aizen called an emergency meeting in which all espada except for Grimmjow attended. I will not tell you the information spoken in that meeting, but I will tell you that I believe it was pertaining to you," Ulquiorra said in his usual emotionless voice.
"So what are you saying? The garganta caused an atmospheric disturbance that allowed you to know I was here? Not only that, but Aizen is a lord and can call espada meetings? Not to mention that Grimmjow is an espada. Next thing I know you'll be telling me that you're a shinigami!" Ichigo sighed in defeat, what had happened? Why was everything so different?
"Shinigami? No, I am an espada, hence my service to Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra was still looking at the dark haired Ichigo, as if examining him. "Like I said previously, I believe I know what has happened. I watched part of your fight with Grimmjow. I saw enough to know that you are most certainly not the substitute shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo. Your fighting style varies from his greatly and you seem to believe very… different things to be true." The green-eyed espada added a minor emphasis on the word different, making Ichigo narrow his eyes slightly. He then thought about what Ulquiorra had said.
"Substitute shinigami? What is that?"
"A human with shinigami abilities."
"And there's another me who is one of these substitute shinigamis?"
"Yes," Ulquiorra replied simply.
"How is that possible? Did someone get some of my DNA and make a clone of me or something?"
"I don't believe that it's that simple."
"What are you saying, Ulquiorra?"
"You talk to me like I'm an ally of yours. I don't believe that this is the world you are from."
"What? It can't be a different world, there's only one world." What Ulquiorra had said made sense, but the black-haired Ichigo's brain couldn't register something like that. He couldn't accept it, how could that be possible?
"That appears not to be true."
"Well, if what you say is correct and I am from a different world than this one, how do I get back to it?"
"I currently do not know, but I am certain that Lord Aizen would wish to meet you."
Ichigo was debating whether or not he should go with the espada. Perhaps… Or perhaps not… His decision ended up being based on the facts that he was confused, had nowhere else to go and trusted the Ulquiorra in his world with his life.
"Very well, take me to this Aizen lord."
"Can you follow me?"
Ichigo smirked, "You have to ask?" Ulquiorra simply nodded, as if saying that he understood and then sonidoed to Las Noches, Ichigo on his heels. They both arrived at the same exact second, proving that Ichigo knew Hueco Mundo very well. Ulquiorra took note of this. The espada led Ichigo through the building, receiving anxious looks from lesser arrancar. They gigantic door Ichigo knew to be the entrance to the throne room.
"Wait here," Ulquiorra told him before entering the room.
Ichigo didn't like to be ordered to do something, but he didn't protest. One of the reasons was he knew that the espada was stronger than him at the time, due to the garganta that had sucked a great deal of his strength. The other was simply because he couldn't even fathom fighting Ulquiorra, his right hand man. So, he waited outside the doors and examined his surroundings. The building most certainly was different than how he had had it. Firstly, everything was white. His Las Noches had been a bloody red rather than a bony white. It was so plain. So… boring. How could anyone live in a place so utterly blank?
Ichigo was saved from his mind when one of the doors opened and he was beckoned in. He strode through the doorway; head held confidently high, his posture that of royalty. The man sitting in the throne-chair in the middle of the room most certainly looked like the Aizen he knew. The only difference was that his hair was brown rather than blond and he didn't have his glasses.
"Aizen," Ichigo greeted.
"Kurosaki," the brunette responded. "Ulquiorra believes that you are not of this world." He chuckled mentally at the choice of words the Aizen lord had chosen.
"I guess not, if you're ruling Hueco Mundo."
Aizen ignored the comment. "He showed me your fight with Grimmjow. How can you be 'king of the hollows' if you couldn't even defeat espada number six?"
"I'm not one to answer questions, especially not when I have a great deal of my own."
"I think that you'll find yourself wishing to do as I ask, as this is my world, not yours."
"Tch. Yeah, right," Ichigo muttered sarcastically. He saw the brunette Aizen smirk and felt a powerful, familiar reiatsu wash over him. He stared blankly at the man sitting in the throne. Ulquiorra fell to his knees where he had been standing and the smirk faded from Aizen's face and was replaced with a deep frown that quickly changed back to his usual placid expression.
"What's that you're doing? Flaring your reiatsu? Is that supposed to affect me or something?" Ichigo laughed. The shinigami honestly thought that would work? He felt the air lighten and saw Ulquiorra stand up and look at him puzzled.
"How?" the espada asked.
"Like I said, I'm not one to answer questions. I do, however, have some level of respect for your ruler," Ichigo told Ulquiorra with a sly smirk. "Not that I trust him in the slightest," he added.
"You seem to be very smart. You are welcome to stay here as long as you'd like, but if you wish to go back to your world then I would suggest you answer some questions so that we can help you get there."
Ichigo was certain that Aizen was planning on using him to his advantage. That he'd try to gain his trust. He just wasn't sure how he felt about it. Would he want to help the person who had the same role that he did? The other ruler of the hollows? Perhaps, but then again, perhaps not.
Sorry this chapter is shorter. Hope you enjoyed it. Sorry about the cliffy with our Ichigo. Any ideas of what is wrong with his chest? I wanna see if you'll get it.
Reviews?
KoiPondOfPeace