Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

Chapter 2- The White Mask

"I'm already out of breath!" a tired Rukia thought angrily to herself.

Rukia ran through the town park towards the location where Ichigo was fighting against the hollow. Just now she felt Ichigo's spiritual pressure raise widely out of control so she headed out to his direction, but her gigai was slowing her down. Her legs were weak and felt as if they were ready to buckle at any moment. She figured she must have been running for a least a few miles, her breathing was fast and she could feel her heart was beating rapidly. Rukia could now feel it. Her body was beginning to strain, every step caused shooting pains across her leg muscles telling her brain to 'stop', 'slow down'

But she couldn't stop…

She wouldn't.

He was in trouble, she could tell… And she had to help him, somehow. If she didn't he might…die?

Rukia breathed in deeply, attempting to calm herself. "His spiritual pressure," she thought concentrating hard trying to locate his whereabouts, "I can just about make it out so I know Ichigo's still alive" She sped up, running faster even though her body was already giving up on her. "But it feels so weak." She shock head, trying to not to think of what would happen.

"I have to hurry" she muttered to herself.

Rukia continued on running, the people she passed along the way gave her strange looks as she ran by them but she ignored them. She kept on running, she stumbled a few times on her way but she quickly regained her balance. Her breathing became short and fast taking in another breath every two seconds or so and she ignored her bodies need to stop. She was nearly about to collapse but then she spotted the hollow in a large open clearance ahead of her, holding an almost dead looking Ichigo in front of his hungry wide open mouth.

And then it came, the evil within his soul.

Bone crunching spiritual pressure came crashing down upon her already weakened body. Rukia felt her knees collapsed beneath her and she fell onto the hard pavement. She let out a sudden gasp as she felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of her. She heard the hollow let out a scream of pain. She looked up, and then she saw it…

The white mask…

The hollows hand had been completely severed off, blood gushed out of the newly formed stump like a bloody waterfall making little red puddles on the pavement below. The hollow continued to howl as Ichigo stood there. Half his face covered by a mysterious white mask that was slowly growing around his face. He held his blade held firmly in his hand. He leaped forward, swinging his blade and slicing through the hollows arm removing it from the shoulder. More blood fell from the hollows body, hot sticky liquid staining the ground red.

Then he laughed, creepy insane laughter erupting in loud long shrieks. His voice, no, his laughter made Rukia shiver.

He held Zangetsu by the cloth on the end of the hilt swinging it around before launching it into the middle of hollows stomach and cutting a long deep gash across on the left side of the hollows torso. The hollow howled wildly, swinging its one arm it had left in attempt to crush him but Ichigo was too fast and was able to doge it easily.

"You're not dealing with Ichigo anymore!" he sneered, laughing again as his blade met the hollows body once more, carving a deep gash in the hollow thigh. The hollow howled, lunging forward with its mouth open wide.

Rukias eyes widened, for the first time in a long time she felt scared, scared as she watched as someone who was close to her, someone whom she cared for, being taken over by this… this monster.

And it was using Ichigo's body..

She began to tremble, she could not move. His spiritual pressure was so intense it felt as if it was crushing her bones. She stood there completely helpless unable to do anything to stop this monster from controlling Ichigo's body. It was times like this that she'll do anything to have her shinigami powers back to full strength. The Hollow-Ichigo continued to laugh insanely, cutting deep gashes in the hollows body.

The hollow howled in agony. Blood dripped out of it body in pleasant little splashes, deep and shallow gashes covered almost every inch of the hollows body. The Hollow-Ichigo brought the blade down above the hollows head "Die!" he laughed slicing through the white mask, through the hollows body and slicing it in half. The hollow let out one last howl before dissolving into thin air leaving nothing behind apart from its spilled blood that now covered the pavement.

Then he faced her…

Rukia swore she felt all colour drain from her face. He walked slowly towards her, dragging the long blade behind him along the ground. The mask grew a little more over the right side of Ichigos face, while a twisted smile crept up on the other side. The Hollow-Ichigo came closer, and closer until her stood in front of her.

Her mind screamed at her to run, but she couldn't.

She felt numb…

His eyes…

Black with golden yellow orbs, all kindness drained from his soul, nothing was left apart for the desire to kill, to massacre. All characteristics of Ichigo, gone….

He moved closer to her, lifting her by her neck, dragging her up to her feet and shoving her against a wall, his blade meeting her neck. Golden orbs met indigo. Rukia gulped, she stared deep into his eyes, and felt as she was drowning. His very presence seemed to have sucked all life out of her.

"Well then-" the Hollow-Ichigo sang, gripping tighter on Rukia's delicate neck '"-Ms Rukia Kuchiki," he said, his voice slightly mocking "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

Rukia struggled to breathe, but the Hollow took no notice. "Whats wrong?" the Hollow-Ichigo said tilting his head slightly to the side. "Don't like what you see?" he laughed, "Do I scare you?"

Rukias hands grasped his one hand and she tried to pry his fingers open a little so she can get some air. "W-who, are-" she ran out of air and couldn't speak; she sucked in another lungful of air and tried again "W-who are you?" She began to feel light headed; she could feel her body beginning to shut down.

A hostile smirk crept upon the Hollow-Ichigos face, "Who am I?" he hissed, gripping on her neck aggressively, yanking her away from the wall "What a stupid question!" He lifted her higher into the air, gripping on her neck with force before tossing her away from him like some old rag doll.

Rukia let out a yelp as she crashed into a wall nearby causing a loud,-bang! as smoke and rubble filled the surrounding area. Rukia felt blood run down her face from a shallow gash above her eye. She wiped it away only to have it trickle down her face almost immediately. She stood up, her legs felt like they were going to cave in but she refused to fall in front in of him.

"Who the hell do you think I am?" he yelled, "I'm Ichigo of course! Ha ha!"

He swung Zangetsu by the cloth that was wrapped around the hilt, above his head, then he launched the blade at Rukia who was just able to doge it and escaped with only a minor slash on her leg. The Hollow-Ichigo laughed insanely as he continued to launch the human sized zanpakato at her over and over again each time Rukia was barely able to dodge it.

"You're not Ichigo!" She yelled sternly once the Hollow-Ichigo had brought back the blade so the hilt was now back in his grasp,. Rukia place her hand over a newly formed gash on the left side of stomach, blood stained her blue dress. "D-don't you dare say you're I-Ichigo!" her voice cracked, she could feel her emotions getting the better of her "I-Ichigo, he would never-!"

She was interrupted by the Hollow-Ichigos insane laughter.

"Oh this is too good!" he chuckled, swinging Zangetsu at his side, the blade scraping against ground with every turn "I don't believe it," he paused, trying to savor the moment. "Could it be… that you've fallen in love with him?"

He launched the blade at her again, "You have! I can tell just by the way 'yer talking about him!" He pulled the blade back once Rukia had dodged the attack, "How pathetic!" he taunted, "The Shinigami has fallen in love with the hollow"

Rukias felt her anger rise; she felt her heart skip a beat. She felt unbelievable sadness but then was replaced by insane frustration. Her eyes narrowed and she raised her hands in front of her face.

"'Hadou 4-Byakurai!"

White lighting came shooting out of Rukia's palm and went storming into the direction of the Hollow-Ichigo. There was a long bang! as the ground beneath the hollow was torn up and sent flying in all directions, a large plume of dirt filled the area but lucky for Hollow-Ichigo he dodged the attack and got off without a scratch but before he could recover from Rukia's sudden attack she sent another one his way.

"Hadou 33-Soukatsui!"

BOOM!

The Hollow-Ichigo jumped up into the air to avoid the attack and landed on the ground to the left of Rukia, the mask grew a little more over his face. He growled angrily, "Bitch." he muttered, wiping away the blood that was trickling down his cheek, "'Yer gonna pay for that!"

Rukia raised her hand in front of her face preparing for another attack, "I'll ask you again." she said, her eyebrows fell into a 'v' shape, "Who are you, what happened to Ichigo?"

The Hollow frowned deeply, but it was soon replaced but a twisted grin.

"Shirosaki." he muttered, placing the zanpakato on his shoulder, "And don't you worry 'bout King-" he added "-he's safe and sound tucked away in our Inner World" He tapped on his head lightly.

The white mask grew some more over Ichigo's face, the right side face was almost completely covered by it now, and on the bottom jaw the mask had grown over almost all of it as well.

Rukia glanced over at the mask. "That mask is growing considerably fast" she thought, "I'm guessing the more it covers the face, the more control he has over Ichigo's body" She bit her lip, and glanced over at Shirosaki, "I'm also sure that the mask grows the more powerful he becomes...I have to find a way to stop him"

"You noticed it then?" he sang, running his fingers down along the mask.

Rukia nodded, "Yeah I figured it out." she muttered.

Shirosaki smirked, "Did you really?" he said in a mocking tone, "Well did you figure out what happens when the mask completely covers Ichigo's face?" Rukias eyes widened, and then Shirosaki disappeared out of her sight before reappearing in front of her. His blade once again meeting her neck,

"Judging by your expression, you don't." he muttered he turned the blade slightly so that the edge was resting on her artery, "When the mask completely covers this face, then Ichigo will no longer be able stop me. He won't be able to return from the inner world and then he, will become a part of Me." he laughed.

"Then all I have to do if beat you before that mask covers his face"

Rukia quickly reached into one of her pockets in her dress, pulling out her soul candy dispenser and popped a soul candy in her mouth. Shirosaki watched as her spiritual body was pulled out of her giagi, which then slumped lifeless onto the ground. She knocked his blade away with her own and jumped backwards away from Shirosakis grasped.

"I better be careful" Rukia noted to herself, "My powers haven't fully recovers yet and if I'm not careful I could permanently damage my soul"

"Teh. "

Shirosaki flashed stepped out of her view then reappeared in front bringing his blade down above her head in attempt to slice her in half but with no such luck. Rukia was easily able to a block his attack and then retaliated and spun round with another attack but Shirosaki just about blocked the attack escaping with a small graze on his arm.

Ichigo's arm...

Shirosaki came at her with another attack, laughing insanely, he was obviously enjoying himself. She blocked most of his attacks but was unable to block one of his attacks and sustained a rather deep gash in her right shoulder. Rukia jumped away from him and landed on high wall a few yards back, she knelt down grabbing her shoulder with her hand. She then looked at her hand which was now covered in her blood.

Rukia glanced down at her blade, "I have to be careful!" she reminded herself, she looked over at Shirosaki "I don't want to hurt him." she thought angrily, "That's Ichigos body I'm cutting up." Shirosaki flash stepped in front of her he and swung his human sized zanpakato to the left of her trying to cut her in two, but Rukia dodged and the only thing his blade cut was the wall causing it to crumble and fall apart onto the ground.

Shirosaki came at Rukia with all kinds of different attacks, she didn't attack back only dodging them and blocking them. She was desperately trying the think of a way of defecting him, but without hurting him in the process.

Another attack blocked...

then another

and another

Rukia spun around blocking an attack from behind and then spun around again to block another attack. She jumped away from, "He's fast!" she thought.

Shirosaki laughed insanely, erupting in large shrieks like bubbling lava. He lunged at her again, this time not using his blade but instead his hand. Before Rukia knew it, he had grabbed her by her robe and lunched her into a nearby building.

BOOM!

Smoke filled the surrounding area. Rukia began to cough as the smoke filled her lungs. But before she could recover Shirosaki was already on her tail with another attack, he appeared in front of her and held the blade up high, he laughed and held the blade high above his head, "Die!"

He brought the blade above her head and swung downwards with full force.

Okay so heres the deal. I will put the next chapter up very quickly if I get enough reviews!

I got a good few email with people adding the story on to their fav, story alert etc etc...but no review?

It doesn't take long, only a couple of seconds.

The writer needs confidence! =P

Please Review, thank you!