--Chapter 04--
Letting himself fall back onto whatever he'd been laying on was a mistake, as Ichigo realised only moments after the movement.
Because, well, this soft thing his head had been resting on before wasn't a bed, or a couch, or anything like that, but a lap. Aizen's lap.
Eyes widening at the realization, the teenager tried to scramble away only to be stopped by two pale hands keeping him firmly in place.
With a sigh, he resigned himself to his fate and waited for the other to say something first. The only thing he was sure of, after all, was that he hadn't wanted to see the brunet again. Wherever he ended up, his enemy was always there!
How could someone be so damn infuriating?
And what was with that thoughtful expression? Was Hueco Mundo's leader concocting some new scheme? If yes, then he wanted no part in it. Hadn't he been confused enough already?
Out of the corner of his eyes, Ichigo looked around the room.
Black and white, combined in perfect harmony, flirted with each other, neither budging an inch. Their wild dance was present everywhere in the chamber.
Although the walls were a pure white, the dark shade of the floor made up for that. The throne Aizen and he were sitting on was made of white marble, while the dim light was cast by some sort of obsidian-coloured material.
There were no windows and no decorations, something that made the orange-haired boy quite uneasy.
Well, with eyes surveying them so intently, anyone would become uncomfortable. Not to mention the light that was flaring in those dark irises, something the captured Shinigami could not understand.
It resembled the mad fire he had seen earlier, when the younger version of his enemy had killed his parents and had attacked Rukia and Renji.
So close to the other man, he could see that shine ever so clearly. Swallowing thickly, he eventually decided to break the silence since he couldn't stand this situation anymore.
"What?" he snapped, hoping his demand would come out sounding firm and strong, but in reality it was more of a yelp.
Not that he would ever admit that he could utter a sound as ridiculous as yelping.
Chuckling, the brunet took a strand of his hair to play with absently, swirling it in his hand.
"Something went wrong I see. You weren't supposed to come back so soon…"
Barely able to contain his sigh of relief, Ichigo grinned happily. Finally, he was back in his own time…not that he believed that it had actually been real.
His nemesis had probably only been playing with his mind; that was his speciality, after all. Things would make no sense otherwise.
Suddenly, his delight vanished as abruptly as the flame of a blown out candle. Whether the events he had experienced had been reality or not didn't matter now!
If he hadn't been lied to, then a war was about to break out and his friends and his family would be in danger!
With newfound strength and determination, the teenager finally managed to break the other's strong grip, only to land on the floor ungracefully.
Oh well, he could be a klutz sometimes. That didn't matter; he had to get away immediately! He had the power to prevent a lot of the pain and suffering that was about to break loose.
"Where do you think you are going?" the voice was low and calm.
Containing a shiver, the orange-haired Death God tried to glare. The position he was in kind of ruined it though.
"Let me go right now! The fight-"
"Is none of your concern," Aizen cut in swiftly, standing up.
Moving away, his captive did the same. It didn't make up for his disadvantage though, since his captor was taller than him and he had to look up anyway.
"Wrong, what I do is none of your business!" he countered, proud that his voice didn't waver.
Right now, showing any weakness could be catastrophic, especially since he seemed to be an easy target for the brunet's manipulations in the first place, something that irked him greatly.
The former Shinigami Captain lifted a hand and, for a moment, Ichigo anticipated a blow. It never came though.
One of his own wrists was taken captive again, before the other began to drag him off to somewhere. Brown eyes had darkened considerably; a storm was raging in them.
"Fine, then I have no other choice. I will show them to you…Soul Society's lies."
--Present, scene shift—
Renji attacked with a roar, his usually stoic face a mask of concentration. Feeling the ecstasy of the impending battle rush through him, he hoisted his sword over his shoulder.
Zabimaru seemed to glow, which told the redhead that his Zanpakutō was looking forward to the fight just as much as him.
Of course it was; it had been made for this, after all. Every Shinigami had instincts, a voice that told them that they had to fight, and only few could really suppress it for longer periods of time.
The will to protect their world from any danger was strong within them, guiding them down their chosen path.
He was no exception to that, but he wanted to get stronger not only for Soul Society, but also for Rukia and the people he had come to accept as his friends and companions.
And of course, he couldn't die before he had beaten his Captain! No, he would do everything in his power to show his progress, to make clear that one day, he would be stronger than Kuchiki Byakuya.
Anything less simply wouldn't do for him. Maybe then those sapphire-blue eyes would actually see him, not look right through him like they always did.
It made him furious and frustrated because it always served to make him aware of what a street rat he really was.
He could never be elegant and graceful enough. He was just himself, someone who had learned to survive on his own.
At the moment though, there was no time for such thoughts. After all, it had truly happened; they were on the precipice of a war. One that would probably end up quite bloody.
Still, nobody had backed out. In only a few days the Captains had come up with a plan and the first attack had just begun.
They were now in Hueco Mundo, the world of the Hollows, thanks to the Reijatsu of their King, who seemed to want to help them. At least, that was what their General had said.
What they hadn't anticipated though had been their enemies being well prepared for their assault. White had been all they had been able to see as masses of those creatures had obstructed the path.
Some had been weak and had been defeated at the beginning, but the Arrancar, unbelievably strong opponents, had appeared too. At the moment, most of them were engaged in a life-or-death battle with a Captain.
Hitsugaya's impressive Bankai was easy to make out; he had activated it against a female Espada with blond hair and brown skin, who was doing a good job of aggravating the short Shinigami, even without her weapon being drawn.
Kyoraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro had joined their forces against two enemies, one with pink and the other with long, black hair. Their rare twin weapons glistened in the eerie light, but even they hadn't been able to attain a victory yet.
Soifon and Yoruichi were everywhere, their flash steps making pinpointing their exact location close to impossible.
Mostly though, they assisted weaker Death Gods. Of course, the group from Earth wasn't idle, either.
Inoue was busy healing, her expression agonised. Rukia mostly used kido spells, for she had lost her grip on her sword after an especially vicious blow.
Chad and Ishida were both pretty battered, but the stony looks on their faces told Renji that they weren't about to give up soon. Nevertheless, the redhead knew their situation was dire.
Already they were struggling hard, and Aizen and the other traitors hadn't even appeared yet. Who knew what aces the ex-Captain had up his sleeve.
Not that he was frightened, but something, no, someone's life was on the line on this mission. Closing his eyes, he slashed at another Hollow, only to have two others attack him in its place.
'Ichigo…Just wait a bit longer. We're coming to get you, so don't do anything stupid like dying! Rukia'd kill me if you did…'
Hastily, his eyes searched out his Unit Commander. Where the hell was Kuchiki Byakuya? Why couldn't he find him?
--Scene shift, present--
"Apparently we are a bit late…" the silver-haired man smiled.
Kon tried not to squeak. They were standing on a hill, looking down at a spectacular display. There were his friends and allies, fighting!
Suppressing a sob, the stuffed animal tried to be as silent as possible. But what the hell were those idiots thinking, rushing forward head-on?
What if his Onee-chan got hurt? Or Inoue-chan? Couldn't they see that this was foolish? That their enemies were only playing with them?
It had to be Ichigo's fault; it was always that big oaf's fault. Maybe he had acted hastily again, without thinking. He could have told them a thing or two, but he was just the poor fluffy toy, why listen to him anyway?
If it hadn't blown up his cover, he would have snorted down at them. As things stood now, he just stared, ignoring the painful feeling within him, waiting for the two males to finally leave.
"Aizen-sama is waiting," the funny-looking Espada finally urged.
Lazily, his companion nodded, his locks shining a light violet that made him seem even creepier that he already was. Then the figure's, Gin's, if Kon remembered correctly, face turned to him.
"You really want to keep that? I didn't know that you had a thing for trash."
Angered, the modified soul considered sticking out his tongue at the rude jerk, but decided against it at the last moment. Someone as cute as him should never be compared to trash!
Well, his orange-haired keeper might have done so once, but that didn't count; the dunce had no sense of aesthetics! Why else wouldn't he appreciate his pretty female friends?
If Kon had a human body, he would…His thoughts were cut short as the black-haired Hollow spoke again.
"It could become useful later…" his voice was even and low, not too obedient, but not rude either.
The man was the perfect picture of serenity. Frowning just the slightest bit, the stuffed animal wondered to himself if the lad ever laughed or even smiled.
Because at the moment, it appeared he would more likely cut off his hands and feet in the most painful way possible than do something as outrageous as curving his lips as a sign of enjoyment.
In the grumpiness department he could compete with Ichigo, and that was saying something; the orange-haired boy's face was constantly frozen in one expression.
"You know what we have to do after that?" the green-eyed Arrancar asked seriously.
Smirking a bit wider, his partner nodded and patted his sword cheerfully.
"It's all in my head. No need to worry, Ulquiorra-san."
Ulquiorra? What kind of name was that? One thing was sure; it wasn't a very common one. Not that Kon was one to talk, but he found it sounded too stiff and was far too long.
Of course, he shouldn't have things like that running through his mind right now. Escaping was of utmost importance at the moment, and he still had no idea how to do it.
Was he doomed to stay a motionless toy forever? Until he got thrown away? No! Why was it always him who got stuck into these sticky situations?
Surely, it was that Ichigo's entire fault! If that idiot hadn't run away, their enemies wouldn't have picked him up!
"Let's go then," the Espada pushed again, a barely audible undertone of annoyance creeping into his voice.
With a fox-like grin, his companion turned around, his white clothing swirling.
"Don't you like the show? Too bad that we won't be here when it gets interesting…when the earth gets stained that lovely shade of crimson, when cries echo through the air, like a melody made for all those who survive…"
The other followed him, but didn't reply, his mouth forming a thin line like it had been doing during all the time Kon had been watching him.
Didn't such words disgust the Espada at least a bit? Well, of course not, they were cold bastard, what had the stuffed animal expected?
Just then, a plan formed in his mind. In this form, he would be hugely underestimated, so one day he would surely be able to sneak out.
Then, maybe he would be able to steal a Zanpakutō or do something else to annoy them. True, he couldn't do much, but he would do what he could.
--Scene shift, present--
Aizen had dragged him through endless passageways, all of them white, before finally arriving at their destination.
Or at least, Ichigo thought this was where his enemy wanted to bring him. The brunet's facial expression was completely neutral, so the teenager couldn't be completely sure.
Wincing, he stared down at his wrist that had been handled a bit too roughly. It was nothing he couldn't handle, but did the other have to be so violent?
Finally, as if noticing his pained look, the older man let go, only to grab his other hand, more gently this time.
Choosing not to question his nemesis for the time being, the captured Shinigami gazed up in awe at the big glass door in front of him.
Unlike everything else in here, it wasn't white or black, but shimmered different colours. Sometimes it was a faint blue, other times a vibrant green.
No lock or knob could be found, as if the entrance wanted to keep everyone out, as if it guarded a secret that wasn't to be revealed under any circumstances. Feeling intimidated by the sight, the orange-haired boy shifted from one foot to the other.
Detecting his wavering emotions, long fingers caressed the back of his hand in a soothing manner, as if saying it was going to be alright.
Just as they arrived at the door, it swung open on its own, inviting them silently in. Ichigo suspected it wasn't because of him but kept quiet anyway, letting himself be guided inside obediently.
Should there be a single opening though, one chance to escape, he would take it without thinking twice about it.
Just because he was maybe a bit curious didn't mean that he would believe anything the bastard said. Someone like this man couldn't be trusted, no matter what.
Swallowing thickly, he tried to forget those hours he had spent cuddling with the younger Aizen. No, it hadn't been cuddling.
He had simply been too confused to realise what he had been doing at the time. Yes, that had to be it!
Darkness greeted his eyes as the door closed behind them noisily. Now as good as blind, he let himself be led ahead by his captor.
Being so dependent on someone else made his insides coil in helpless fury, especially because it was the one who had caused him and his friends so much pain who he had to rely on.
He felt terrible. Just as he was about to cry out though, the room was enveloped in a dazzling light.
It was such a sudden change that the orange-haired male had to shut his eyes tightly for a moment. After opening them again, he could do nothing but gasp in wonder.
Never before had he seen a place quite like this. On huge shelves were millions of books, neatly put side by side.
Some looked like they had been created a few hundred years ago, other seemed to be brand new. The shelves were positioned in a semicircle, so that only the middle was free.
And there stood a weird-looking thing resembling a sphere, radiating a mysterious light. Looking at the taller man in a way that hopefully showed all of his confusion, Ichigo crossed his arms across his chest as had finally let go of his wrist.
"What is this place? And why are we here?" he asked sullenly.
"This is where I have documented everything about Soul Society; the lies and the truth about the world of the Shinigami," the brunet replied gently.
"Why should I believe anything you say?" he murmured, but didn't try to make a run for it, which probably had to do with the fact that the door didn't seem to open without Aizen commanding it to.
"Judge for yourself," was all the answer he got.
One moment, his captor had been standing next to him, the next he had disappeared, reappearing in front of the sphere.
Closing his eyes, the brunet softly touched the object with his hands. Suddenly, the thing glimmered, shining brightly before the leader of Hueco Mundo opened his eyes again, motioning the other to come closer.
Hesitantly, the teenager did so, leaving plenty of distance between them, just to make sure.
"Look inside and see how they've been fooling everyone up until now," the dark-eyed male hissed.
Holding his breath, the young Shinigami blinked. What could be so horrible that the brunet believed it would make him doubt Soul Society?
Who could assure him that what he would see was real? Nonetheless, he had to know. Impatiently, he shifted as a foggy picture formed inside the sphere.
--Movie shown by the sphere--
A middle-aged man appeared. His brown hair fell partially in his eyes, but did nothing to hide the cruelty in the orbs. In a business-like manner, he began speaking.
"Today, we finally made a break-through. Like our Ou-sama has told us to, we experimented for years so that we could finally grasp the spiritual potential of humans. To our deepest regret, every try so far failed and a few that died even evolved into monsters, with a hole in their stomachs and white masks. Although they were fearsome, we could not give up, for that is our King's will. And today, we finally managed to break through the resistance of one of our test subjects. Surely, with this, we can look forward to a new, brighter future! With this, we can finally enslave our enemies without them being able to resist…"
--End movie—
"W-what does that mean?" Ichigo chocked out, staring at his enemy questioningly.
"The beginning of Soul Society. Nobody knows what the 'King' is, but we do know how the Shinigami were created. At that time, the King was fighting against god-like spirits that saw him as a danger to the world. He, wanting to get rid of them, did so in a horrifyingly brilliant way. He turned them into weapons that would support his own goals.
Long ago, he had realised the spiritual potential of humans. He wanted to bring that power out within their spirits and trap his enemies within their minds. For that purpose he created four beings, the founders of the Four Noble Families.
They captured humans and tortured them until their spirits and bodies broke, so that they could glue the pieces back together exactly the way they wished. Some didn't give up so easily and kept resisting though, and ultimately became Hollows…Instead of giving up; they chose their dark sides as protection. You know the outcome of their fiddling very well…
Why do you think Zanpakutōs are so special? Because they have an actual soul in them, the spirits of the gods that had opposed the King. Now, they are bound within those who became Shinigami, cursed to stay tools forever. More Death Gods were created this way, either by birth, or by death."
Shocked at all the information, the orange-haired boy stumbled a bit, but got a grip of himself again soon enough.
"That can't be…And even if it's true, none of it is the fault of the Shinigami that live right now! None of them know anything about this!"
"Don't you see how false they are? Are you really that naïve that you think nobody remembers anymore? Very well then, let's continue…"
--Second movie--
General Yamamoto appeared in the sphere, but he didn't look how Ichigo knew him. He was much younger, his face was quite handsome, he didn't have a beard and his hair was a soft shade of brown. He wasn't smiling though, and his demeanour was stiff.
"I was appointed to be the General's successor. As such, I was introduced to my duties. First and foremost, I am to serve my King, our creator and saviour. His wish is to attain the ultimate power, that which we call the 'Heart of the Inner World'.
The Hollows, spiteful beings that they are, form a growing obstacle for us, and must be eliminated at any cost. No one is allowed to go against our Ou-sama's will. Those of us who do not show their obedience are to be eliminated immediately. We must not waver, for this is the will of the one that holds our world together…"
--End movie—
"What's this all about? I don't understand what you're trying to show me with this!" the orange-haired boy yelled, distancing himself from the sphere that lost its shine and became blank once again.
Swiftly, Aizen slid his arms around his waist and pulled him flush against his body. Crying out in protest, Ichigo tried to free himself, but to no avail.
"He knew all along what had been done to the humans. Not many do, for most are just puppets, even Captains. The elders and the General, though, aren't stupid. The Heart of the Inner World…Do you know what that is?
A long time ago, it was what held our worlds together. And the god-like spirits were its protectors, as they watched the humans develop. The King used to be one of them, until he became greedy and tried to steal the Heart and make its power his own.
After he failed to do so, he was punished by the others and had to become the new thing that held everything together, binding him so that he couldn't escape. That's why he found Soul Society. And when he finds the real Heart, he will attain the power to destroy everything."
"I don't believe you! Let me go!" his captive cried.
For a moment, the brunet smirked down at him; then he leaned down and sealed his angel's lips with his own.
--Scene shift--
"Watch out!" Rukia yelled.
The Shinigami next to her barely managed to jump away before a Cero hit the place he had been standing in just moments ago.
Panting, she placed her own body in front of the other, who was injured, shielding him. All of this was just horrible! She couldn't continue anymore, even though she urged her body to do so. Why did they have to fight? For what?
And was whatever the reason was enough to endure the pain filled cries and the enraged howls of battle?
Although she knew she shouldn't be thinking like that, the female wasn't so sure about anything anymore.
Thinking about Ichigo stopped her from giving up though. He hadn't just thrown in the towel when it had become dangerous and strenuous to save her.
Now it was her turn to return the favour, no matter the cost. After all, she had to do it! Remembering their General's latest order, she bit her lip.
"Surely, Aizen plans to influence Kurosaki-san, maybe even brainwash him, so that he will be loyal to the traitor. Should that ever happen, you have to kill him immediately and without mercy…"
No! Her friend was strong and would do everything for his friends! How could the others even think about doing that?
She would never allow anything like that to happen! Even if she had to kill that bastard Aizen herself to get the boy to his senses, she would, just to save him from certain death. And if that meant that she had to fight a hopeless, brutal war, so be it.
"Rukia-san!"
Hearing the call too late, she turned around, seeing a Hollow ready to slash her to pieces. There was nothing she could do anymore.
Waiting for the pain, she screwed her eyes shut…only to open them again when nothing happened. Blue irises, so very much like her own, regarded her silently, calming her in a way nothing else could.
"Nii-sama…" she breathed, watching as he activated his Shikai.
"Don't day-dream during battle!" he snapped lowly.
Nodding, she lifted her sword, which she had found earlier, once again.
--Scene shift, same time--
It began with just a chaste touch, their lips barely making contact, but it was more than enough for the confused teenager to panic.
What the hell was Aizen doing? Did he want to fuck with his mind some more? This whole situation felt so bizarre to him!
Although he felt awkward, his body seemed to know what to do, because his eyes closed automatically. Even though he in- and exhaled through his nose, he felt breathless. Maybe this was the other's new technique to steal his breath?
Then, the brunet deepened the kiss and a whole new set of feelings raged in Ichigo. Anxious, the boy tried to get free, but arms wrapped around his lower back and only held him tighter, making escape impossible. Sighing, the orange-haired male ceased his struggles.
Was this how a kiss had to feel- soft, gentle, and full of an emotion he couldn't describe? Filled with the brunette's flavour, a mixture of spices and sweets?
Before he could scold himself for this own thoughts, a tongue traced the outline of his lips, making his stomach flutter and his legs tremble, as an electric shock ran up his spine.
Unsure of what to do, he just stayed like that, relishing in all the emotions he felt for a moment.
--Scene shift--
Aizen barely suppressed the moan that threatened to escape his mouth. Kissing his angel was like drowning in the finest and sweetest wine, only so much better.
His own lips were tingling, little bolts of pleasure running through him. Kurosaki Ichigo's lips, he couldn't help but notice, were too soft, tasted far too good to belong to a mere human.
This boy really had to be an ethereal being fallen from heaven because you couldn't describe him as anything other than that.
Seeing his face from so close, the long, black eyelashes that hid those striking eyes, the soft tinge of pink on those dainty cheeks, the cute, little nose…
It made the brunet shudder all the more. So this was what the feeling called love was like, that magical emotion so many worshiped as a sacred gift.
Of course he had kissed before, to see what others liked about it. Although he had found it entertaining then, never had he felt quite like this.
It could only be described as perfection. Longingly, he caressed his sweetheart's face, nudging the other's lips with his tongue, softly asking for entrance.
Unfortunately, that seemed to be the moment his captive came to his senses again, for he pushed him away harshly.
With that angry expression, that gorgeous shade of red on his face, and the harsh panting, his love could only be described as cute. Allowing himself a smirk, the brown-eyed man waited for the outbreak that was sure to follow.
Well, it had been worth it, even though he caught himself staring longingly at that soft pink mouth again. He rather missed the feeling of kissing those lovely lips.
What he hadn't expected, though, was for the other to stop for a moment and yelp in pain, before just collapsing. Aizen managed to catch him just before his body hit the ground.
"Kurosaki-san? Wake up…"
His voice broke off as he realised that the redness in the other's cheeks wasn't caused by embarrassment, but by a fever.
"Ichigo!"
--Scene shift--
For a millisecond, he had been all too willing to part his lips, to let the other in, just to see what other feelings Aizen could awake within him.
'Yeah, let him just stick his tongue down your throat!'
That was, until his Hollow's voice made him realise the painful truth again. Here he was, letting his enemy kiss him!
They should be having a death-or-life battle right now, not making out with each other! Gathering all his strength, he shoved the other off of him, panting harshly.
Somehow, he felt very faint all of a sudden…He could just barely make out the brunet's smug expression. Something poisonous, dark seemed to be spreading throughout his body, consuming him. No! This couldn't happen! He had to stay awake, had to…
Lips, thin and perfect in their shape, formed words, but he couldn't understand them. Every noise seemed to have vanished suddenly, leaving behind only a weird feeling that was gradually numbing his body.
Even breathing was becoming hard, like even that simple act was too much for his drained power.
Before his eyes slowly closed, he again caught sight of his enemy's darker orbs. This time, though, they weren't frozen.
Something he couldn't describe had lightened their colour, making them resemble a pool of molten gold.
It couldn't end like this…He had to protect his friends; he had to ask Aizen what the hell he had been doing! Consciousness left him after that and his mind was thrown into darkness. The last thing he heard was someone calling his name.
--Scene shift--
Kon had always known that he was an unlucky fellow. What else could he be? He was stuck in the shape of a stuffed animal, for crying out loud!
And the facings sewed on and for him didn't help placate his displeasure considering his arrangement. Still, as long as he could see Onee-chan and Inoue-chan, he wouldn't complain. But now…
"I'm absolutely doomed!" the modified soul screeched in his mind.
Really, how had he ended up here? Looking around, he shivered. No, this wasn't good. Not at all! To be fair, the room he was in wasn't as bad as it could have been.
There was a nice-looking bed, two armchairs, and even a bathroom, but the person that was in the chamber with him kind of ruined the good impression.
Really, who had creepy eyes like that anyway? Green and unblinking, they strongly reminded him of a cat that was about to show its claws.
Hopefully, this specimen was harmless. At least for him, the poor helpless toy. Suddenly, he was grabbed and freed from the uncomfortable position he had been in. Instead, he was softly placed on the bed and the face of his enemy closed in on his own.
"Wait here, little bear. I'll come back later," the man said, standing up again and turning around.
Watching the other leave, the plushie sighed in relief. Then his anger got the better of him and he hopped up and down, although it didn't look all that intimidating.
"Wait?! Of course I won't wait! Baka! What does someone like him need a stuffed animal for, anyway?" he growled to himself.
Jumping down from the bed, he ran for the door. This Ulquiza guy or whatever he was called would be in for a surprise!
--World of Ichigo's mind--
"Stupid bastard! What did you do?" Ichigo yelled.
Why was he here, inside his mind, in his Hollow's world? And why was his spiritual body slowly but surely disappearing?
"How should I know?" his Hollow hissed back, looking annoyed.
"You'll have to ask Zangetsu that, because I'm not your stupid slave! I told you, didn't I? That I'll only do what benefits me. As long as you're not dying, don't come here and whine about your problems!" his white copy huffed.
Grabbing his other half's clothing, he glared at him angrily.
"What if I am dying, then?" the teenager snarled out, clearly enraged.
"You seem fine to me. There's nothing to worry about…"
"Nothing to worry about? I'm freaking vanishing!" the orange-haired Shinigami shrieked.
After saying that, he clenched his hands in his hair, holding his head that felt like it was about to explode. All around him, buildings were breaking apart.
Finally, his dark side noticed the condition he was in and faltered in his movements.
"Don't you dare die! It'll be real trouble for me! Now you'll concentrate all your energy on summoning Zangetsu, he'll know…"
Ichigo didn't get the chance to hear what exactly Zangetsu would know; the rest of his body had disappeared already.
Nonetheless, his nameless Hollow's shrill cries echoed in his ears long after that.
--Flashback/dream--
Ichigo sighed. They hadn't come today. Where were the two nice Misters he had befriended? For two months now he had been secretly meeting the two men that had introduced themselves as Aizen Sosuke and Ichimaru Gin.
He liked them; they always told him stories, did exciting things with him or just comforted him. Although they seemed a bit weird at times.
Just a few days ago, when they had come to meet him again, their expressions had been more serious than usual. Yuzu hadn't even noticed them!
And when he had greeted them, they had stared at him intently. Then, after he had offered for them to go to the park, he had noticed something else.
No one around them appeared to realize they existed. Nobody even glanced at Gin-san's weird hair-colour like they normally did. The brunet hadn't even given him his beautiful smile, something that had made the child sad.
Maybe he had angered them? Had he done something wrong? And now, they hadn't come for him for such a long time! Surely that meant they had to be furious! Or had they just gotten bored with him?
"Ichi-nii, what are you doing?" Karin asked, startling him momentarily.
Swirling around, he looked at her angrily before running to the door.
"Nothing. I'm going for a walk!" he called.
Letting all his frustration out felt good, he decided as he sprinted as fast and as long as he could. Eventually, after his lungs threatened to explode, he stopped, gazing around. The neighbourhood he was in was unknown to him.
Maybe he should have remembered the way better? But all he had thought of had been how to make himself feel well again, so he hadn't done that…
"Hey little one, are you lost?" the voice sounded nice enough, but the figure that appeared only second later was anything but.
It was as tall as an adult was, maybe even taller, had a white mask that covered its face and a deformed body that was covered with red streaks.
Its eyes couldn't be seen, only two black holes stared that at the boy.
"P-please don't do anything to me…" the young boy whispered pleadingly, looking with big eyes at the strange creature that had appeared. It just laughed.
"But you will make for such a wonderful meal! Don't worry, brat, it won't hurt…much. Such an exquisite spiritual energy! Come on, I want to make your power mine…"
All Ichigo could do was scream as it pounced on him.
--Present--
"This is bad! Our forces are tiring!" Unohana Retsu, the Captain of the fourth Division, yelled out over the din of the battle.
Inoue bit her lip, looking at her. They just couldn't give up now! Even though the war scared her, they had to end this once and for all!
That was the moment someone else entered the battlefield. Orihime's eyes widened; she knew that conspicuous person all too well.
Ulquiorra, a member of the Arrancar, stopped just a few metres in front of the Shinigami masses, his white clothing making him stand out even more.
"Give up now," the black-haired man's voice was strong, but held no emotion.
Some of the Death God's cried out in anger, but no one dared to openly attack the newcomer.
"For you, there is nothing to win. This is my last warning; leave, before we show you our true strength."
Hesitantly, the brown-haired girl looked around. Nobody seemed to even be considering stopping now, but she herself wasn't so sure if this was a wise idea.
The Espada waited for a moment, but when he only saw unsheathed swords, he sighed deeply.
"It is your choice and you will have to live with your decision," he muttered, before he made a strange sign.
A sharp cry could be heard and a Shinigami suddenly fell to the ground.
"If that is what you want, then let me introduce you to our new allies; the Vizards…"
(End Chapter 4)
"Beauty and sadness always go together. Nature thought beauty too rich to go forth upon the earth without a meet alloy." By George MacDonald
--Chapter 05--
--Flashback, a few days before, the Vizards' hideout—
„I can't believe you are actually considering his offer!" Sarugaki Hiyori shrieked.
All members of the Vizard group had met, for a special guest had come to visit them. Grimmjow stayed silent, crossing his arms over his chest.
The Arrancar with the short, light blue hair and the pale eyes had been sent to make a proposal to the Vizards, for their assistance was more than welcomed by Aizen-sama, his master.
There was only one problem, for this group wasn't on the best of terms with Hueco Mundo.
Regardless of their independence, they were still Shinigami at heart and didn't like Hollows very much. Although they had been declared as Soul Society's enemies, they didn't have any ambitions to destroy the spiritual world.
It was an organisation that solely relied on themselves and because of that, it would be hard to convince them to join their side.
Even though the Espada had no doubt that they would, eventually. His Lord's plans did never fail.
This bunch of vandals looked more like they had escaped a circus, as ,unique' as they were, though.
Their leader was a tall, lean man with a big, stupid-looking grin constantly plastered on his face. His blond hair was smooth and reached his cheekbones in a neat hairstyle.
A beret, a yellow shirt with brown streaks and dark trousers completed his weird outfit. His green-brown eyes radiated intelligence, though, showing that he was an opponent one had to take seriously. What had his name been again? Ah, yes, Hirako Shinji.
"Well, they offer us a good reward, so why shouldn't I at least think about it?" the leader of the Vizards replied mockingly, pocking his smaller friend, who grimaced.
That girl was a little, but brash creature that rivalled her companion in terms of flashy appearance.
Her hair was blond, but paler than that of her commander, also, it was pulled up into two pigtails. Constantly, her brown eyes were blazing with emotion, complimenting her bright red jacket that hid a casual white shirt. Also, there was a tiny fang on the left side of her mouth.
The third in the group was named Ushoda Hachigen and was the most silent one. As the physically largest one, he was the most intimidating, although he too couldn't be taken seriously, for he wore a tuxedo and had a black cross bone design in his flaringly pink hair.
Yadomaru Lisa was the name of a teenager girl with glasses and dark hair, which was quite long and braided. Sailor fuku, the costume she wore, was an old school uniform that was mostly white and dark blue.
Muguruma Kensei stood next to her, quietly observing the situation.
With his short, light grey hair, the several piercings, the baseball jersey and the cargo pants, he looked like a punk. Apart from the other, two other men were busy talking to each other.
Apart from Hachigen, they seemed to be the eldest members.
One was an effeminate person with long, wavy, blond hair and a frilly shirt, the other looked quite bizarre, as he was a tall guy sporting sunglasses, a spiked Afro and a jogging suit.
Last but not least, there was another female in the room, a childish-looking girl with goggles in the short, green hair and a white bodysuit, which had orange boots and highlights.
In Grimmjow's opinion, they didn't seem like they would be able to help much, but judging just by looks could be dangerous.
Seeing them getting more and more worked up because of their petty argument, though, made him really consider his theory again that they were just pushovers.
"Those aren't honest people! They will betray us as soon as we aren't of use anymore!" the small child with the pigtails yelled at the moment, one of her hands gripping her sword.
"Have you forgotten what they will give us in return? And I think we can handle them very well in an emergency, so we'll be fine!" Shinji-san shot back.
Both of their faces were red, they angrily glared at each other. Some of their teammates shook their heads; others watched the whole display with mild disinterest.
Eventually, Love; the man with the tall glasses stopped the upcoming battle, placing one hand on the blond girl's shoulder.
"We will do what our leader says, as always. But…this is a decision that is really important, so why don't we do the usual when we're not of the same opinion?"
If it wouldn't have looked so cowardly, Grimmjow would have made his leave at this point, because deep inside, he knew that what was about to come couldn't be good, not at all.
--flashback, a bit later--
„What are we going to do here again?" the blue-haired man asked carefully.
Kensei smiled at him cheerfully, at least as brightly as someone that serious-looking could.
"We will compete against each other and the winner will decide if we join you or not. Easy, isn't it? And should we end up not becoming your ally, we will simply beat the shit out of you!" the Hiyori brat interfered, grinning manically to herself.
Rolling his eyes, Grimmjow snorted. He hadn't forgotten the defeat he had suffered through by the hands of that blond, ditzy-looking leader, but that didn't mean that they could threaten him like that.
"So, you are going to fight against each other?"
It seemed logical to him, for that was the way the Hollows determined their ranks.
For his suggestion, though, he only earned some blank, incredulous stares that didn't bode well with him. What had he done wrong now to earn their displeasure? Hypocrites!
"Of course not! Don't you know what this is? It's an amusement park! Here, we are going to hold competitions like who can drive the roller caster the most times without puking, who wins a stuffed animal at the shooter galleries, things like that!" Love answered eventually.
Somehow, that sounded even more stupid.
Well, he had known from the beginning that this bunch of idiots could only have an underdeveloped IQ.
Gazing around again, the Arrancar frowned. These Vizards were didn't differ from humans in any way, it seemed.
"Go on then, do your…whatever, just be quick," he sighed. There was no use in objecting, so he would just calmly watch how they made even more fools out of themselves…
"I think bluey got things wrong again," the green-haired disaster giggled, before she attached herself to his arm. Shaking her off turned out to be futile, so he settled on growling.
"I don't quite follow your way of thinking," he huffed grudgingly.
"Isn't that clear? It's you wanting something from us, so you're going to play against us all! Shall you win the majority of our challenges, we will help you!" Mashiro chuckled.
Rubbing his aching temples with his one free hand, the blue-eyed male shook his head.
"That's not what I came here for. I'm a Hollow, not some toy.
Either you accept, or you refuse. Also, we can fight, the option I personally prefer, but I will not degrade myself like that."
For him, it was getting harder and harder to stay calm. The urge to just tear them to shreds was all mighty, but he couldn't screw up on this job, or he would lose his position as he sixth Espada once and for all.
Damn those clowns for making things so hard!
"Your choice. But know that we will consider you an enemy should you decline," Shinji-san replied carelessly, his stupid grin becoming wider with the minute, showing perfectly white teeth.
Inwardly cursing the whole troupe and imagining an all too painful death for them, Grimmjow nodded darkly.
Had mortals been able to see him, they would have made a run for it, that was for sure. Like things were, though, the Vizard's calmly accompanied him into the amusement park.
--scene shift--
"The first task will be the proof that nothing can agitate you…The roller coaster of doom, together with Mashiro-chan," Hirako-bastard, the new name he had for the blond leader, explained. Crushing his jaw together, the Espada followed the cheerful green-haired girl, who squeaked excitedly, taking one of the front seats. Imitating her, Grimmjow braced himself.
This would be easy; there was nothing that could squash him, especially not some rotten human technology.
Eventually, the machine jerked, giving the man an uneasy feeling, before his seat together with himself in it, was lifted.
Next to him, the Vizard chick creaked, raising her arms in the air like a four-years old child. Higher and higher they were transported, until the Arrancar thought that he could nearly touch one of those fluffy, white clouds.
Not that it bothered him, why should he be afraid of being in midair? Was that all? What an absurd challenge, really.
Abruptly, they stopped. Looking down, the blue-haired male gulped. Sure, there were rails that lead down, but…that couldn't mean?!
Apparently, it did, for one moment later, they were falling. Somehow, it felt like someone had punched his stomach, for his insides clenched painfully.
What…the hell…was…this…devil's device? Was he going to die now? Like that? Closing his eyes, he waited for the impact, but it never came.
Instead, they were turned upside down, the world was upside down. Distantly, he could see the others grinning faces…
Or did he only imaging it? Three looping, he had to endure, before their way downwards continued.
Finally, finally, after five minutes of horror, they stopped, down on the safe ground again. That bitch next to him had the guts to laugh in joy, while his head swirled and a nauseous feeling washed over him.
Hiyori lifted an eyebrow.
"You're tougher than you look, aren't you? Well, it's only the beginning, so don't get cocky. Mashiro here can bear fifty rounds until she loses interest…" Thus, his trip in hell continued…
--A bit later--
"I didn't think you would make it so far…But it seems like that was too easy for you…" Shinji, aka bastard, said thoughtfully, one hand on his chin.
Snorting, Grimmjow tried his best not to puke. What kind of girl had that been? He had only won because she had seen a cute, pink plush bear.
Something the man was very glad about, because he surely wouldn't drive with a thing like that roller coaster again. Torture was nothing against that!
"Let's go on then. ,Saccharine agony', the endeavour that shows that you can take whatever the enemy throws your way. This time, Hachi will be your opponent."
Staring at the silent giant, the blue-eyed Espada grew a bit more confident. Sure, getting hit by someone this big might hurt, but he was accustomed to pain, so this would be easier…
"To win, you have to eat more than him!
This sugary, pink stuff is called cotton candy. Our friend here can wolf down one hundred of them. So do your best, bluey!"
Hissing warningly when he heard the nickname, the spiky-haired warrior drew his eyebrows together. Somehow, the aspect of having to eat something right now didn't sound so good, but he would manage, he always did.
Warily, he took one of those candyflosses in his hands, spinning it around slightly, before he took a hesitant bite.
Coughing harshly, he instantly spit it out again, grimacing in disgust when the overly sweet taste lingered in his mouth.
"What the hell is this?! It's rotting my teeth with just one mouthful!" he screeched.
"Hurry up, Hachi is already on his tenth one…"
Groaning, Grimmjow did as he was told, continuing to eat. After all, it was all for the greater goal, he couldn't give up because something tasted absolutely horrible…
--Scene Shift--
Had he been a mortal, the grumpy Espada decided sulking, he would have to tear out his teeth now. Like that, he wouldn't eat anything sweet for a few years.
"A tie? I'm impressed! But don't rest on your laurels, because the hard things are just about to come! The third task: catching fish! This time, all you have to do is to take this little mesh here and to trap some fish with them. Be careful, though, it's not as easy as it looks…our lovely Lisa-chan here will be your enemy," the blond leader smiled.
Roughly, the blue-haired man nodded, not even sparing the others a glance.
Surely, they had a good time, unlike him!
Gazing in the crystal clear water, he smirked.
This time, nothing would go wrong!
How utterly wrong he was. After all, the nets were made out of paper and it was common knowledge that this material broke easily in water…
The only one not knowing that was a certain Arrancar, who lost horribly, after the bespectacled woman caught all fish in the little pool.
In the end, he was ready to kill something, but he tried to stay calm. After all, his time for revenge would surely come sooner or later…
"Doesn't seem like you have the character-trait you require for this exercise…immoveable composure."
For that statement, he would have nearly strangled that grinning, bastardly fool.
--Scene Shift--
"Three down, three more to go! Are you ready?"
No, he wasn't. After this day, he didn't think of the Vizards as pushovers anymore, that was for sure. Because apparently, they had planned all of this to make him mad.
There couldn't be another reason. Compared to his later jobs, the first three had been fairly easy.
After that, he had to show his skills at the shooting gallery, where both Hiyori and Love, the one with the glasses, had given him a hard time.
Seemed like the energetic, pig-tailed brat wasn't above cheating, like stomping on his foot at the right moment, to win. He partner's encouraging cries hadn't helped one bit to silence his temper.
That's why he hadn't been surprised when they had beaten him. Still, he would make sure to remember their dirty play for later.
If Aizen-sama wouldn't at least appreciate his effort, he would go on a killing rampage later on, that was for sure. Not that he wouldn't do so anyway.
Well, after this humiliation, another had followed. Here, he had to seduce women to go in the tunnel of love with him.
Although he wasn't a womaniser, some females seemed to love his bad-guy attitude and, luckily for him, his opponent, Rose, was so efficient that most Ladies had mistaken him for a chick, so that he had been slapped quite often.
Now, with two wins and losses and one tie, everything depended on the last competition. And this one hadn't been like he had expected it…
--Still flashback, some time later--
"All we will do is to enter that weird vehicle…it was called Ferris wheel? Is that all?" he asked suspiciously.
By know, he was aware of the fact that nothing could possibly so easy with the Vizards. Nonetheless, the bastard-leader smiled and nodded.
Yielding up to his fate, the Espada let himself be guided to that roundabout thing. Shinji chose one cabin and the ride began.
Unlike the roller coaster, this time, their journey was nice and slow and he actually allowed himself to relax the tiniest of bits, looking out of the window.
It was getting darker and, combined with the lights that shone brightly; the landscape was surely a beautiful sight.
Not that he cared for things like that, but there was nothing better to do.
Glaring at the blond opposite to him would have been fine, too, but that would have been rude and he wanted them as allies, after all. Life sure could be cruel sometimes…
Suddenly, the feeling of steel pressed against his throat interrupted his thoughts. Cool, green-brown orbs stared into his own, rigidly; they wanted to get a message across.
Tensely, he waited.
What would happen next? A fight? Or had all this been only a charade to kill him when he wasn't paying enough attention?
"Just so that we understand each other…those guys mean everything to me. I won't put them in danger because of some petty offerings. Should I ever get the feeling that one of them is in danger, then I won't hesitate to betray and kill you," the young male said stoically. You could see from his demeanour that he was absolutely serious.
The Arrancar waited patently; only to survey how the other leaned back, now back to grinning his old, stupid smile.
"Now that this is clear, let's enjoy ourselves some more!" the blond laughed.
"And the…task…?" the blue-haired Hollow muttered darkly, growling at his companion.
"Come on, that was only so that we could get to know each other a bit more! You didn't take that soberly, did you? Although I am impressed that you could eat as much of that sweet stuff as Hachi…"
"So, it has all just been a game?"
A wince.
"Yes? We can't refuse, you have one of us in your ranks after all, Kurosaki Ichigo…"
"You were toying with me…"
"Calm down! It wouldn't do to blow up the stall!"
--scene shift--
Tugging one big, puppy-eyed tiger plushie behind his own body, Grimmjow sighed.
How should he tell Aizen-sama and the other Arrancar about his embarrassing day without being humiliated for the rest of his life?
--scene shift--
Hiyori watched her leader, as he was carelessly sprawled out at the ground. His left cheek was glowing in a bright, angry red that was very conspicuous.
"So, you seem to have enjoyed yourself…" she sighed, shaking her head wildly, so that her wild mane flew in the air.
"You could say that…He's pretty interesting, that guy," Shinji chuckled.
"Don't tell me you confessed your love to him, like you did to all those girls…"
"What are you thinking of me?! He isn't some beautiful woman, so of course not!!"
"But you never told me that you love me! And I'm simply gorgeous, so you have to into men and you're only trying to hide it!"
"You little-"
So, just like that, the Vizards joined.
Although they are on no one's side exactly, only on their own, they couldn't forgot what Soul Society had done to them and if that meant that your enemy's fiend is your friend, then so be it.
(End Chapter 5)
