Chapter Four
The Espada, Gin, Tôsen, Ichigo, and Rukia sat around the elongated table, watching as Aizen approached a figure underneath a large white cloth. Obviously a Hollow, Ichigo was sure that he knew what was happening, and he was somewhat morbidly excited to be able to see it for himself with his own eyes. Though he was supposed to be a Shinigami, and Shinigami were supposed to hate Hollows with their very being, he didn't personally hate Hollows. If he had learned anything from his time as a Shinigami it was that Hollows did what Hollows did, and Shinigami were there as damage control.
The entire group watched in awe as Aizen touched his hand to the Hôgyoku and absorbed it into his hand, touching his two forefingers to the Hollow's head. He then turned to the group and smiled gently.
"Friends, this is the first Vastorode that I have ever transformed. Rejoice, for we have now moved one step closer to our goal of destroying Soul Society and creating a new world order in which Hollows and Arrancar rule!"
The Espada cheered loudly, and Ichigo forced a smile to grace his face, though he didn't feel it at all. The reiatsu that was radiating off of this new Arrancar was devastating. It was almost as bad as Aizen's own reiatsu, though Ichigo had never seen the full extent of Aizen's abilities. Finally, Aizen dropped the Hôgyoku back into its holder and removed the cloth from over the new Arrancar's head, looking at it with great interest.
"Tell us, friend. What is your name?" he asked quietly, smirking to himself as he did. The Arrancar stood up and bowed to Aizen. He was a tall, slender fellow with shoulder length spiky black/blue hair and piercing, angular red eyes complete with a sharp looking nose and gleaming white teeth. The remainder of his mask was in the form of a white, spike covered triangle on the back of his head that siphoned off into a strip that traveled halfway down his spine. The Zanpakutô that he wielded was a monstrous claymore that was almost as long as he was tall and as wide as his extremely thick arm.
"Klurichir…" the Arrancar said distantly. Aizen's smile drooped slightly, though not because he was unhappy.
"Greetings, Klurichir. I would be honored if you would become the Primera Espada."
Klurichir nodded, and immediately had a large number "1" tattooed on his arm before he was given a white shirt and trench coat version of the Arrancar uniform and he left to get dressed. Aizen looked at Stark, who sighed, sure that he was no longer a member of the Espada. However, Aizen said calmly, "Stark-kun, would you object too much to being the second Espada?" Stark shrugged and lifted his shirt so that Aizen could change the tattoo, which he did immediately by casting a large scale tattoo spell that changed the tattoos of all of the Espada, booting Yammy out of the group. Yammy, infuriated that he was no longer one of the Espada, attacked Aaroniero Arrurrierie in an attempt to keep his position. Aaroniero released his Zanpakutô, though, and swallowed up Yammy, devouring him. Aizen merely chuckled at Yammy's foolishness, and Gin grinned widely. Tôsen sat stone still, and Rukia shuddered, remembering her fight with Aaroniero. Ichigo rolled his eyes. He was glad that Yammy was dead. He never liked Yammy. He was crude and a real jerk, though not as much one as Grimmjow was. Fortunately, Ichigo could easily beat Grimmjow, now. In fact, he was strong enough to be able to beat Halibel on his own, probably, though he would not be able to beat Barragan, and he would stand no chance against Stark. He wasn't too worried about having to fight Stark, though. He didn't seem the violent type, and he didn't even seem motivated enough to want to fight. It seemed that Stark was a very laid back kind of guy, especially for a Hollow.
Now that the ceremony was over, Ichigo planned to go back to his room to meditate using the new method that Gin had taught him. As he was about to leave, though, Aizen stopped him, requesting that he remain behind. This caused Ichigo to get a nervous look from Rukia and an evil grin from Gin. Ichigo ignored both, though, and went over to Aizen, bowing slightly, knowing that it was in his best interest to be at least minimally polite. Aizen smiled coldly and began to speak. "How is your training going with Gin, Kurosaki-kun?" Ichigo sighed in relief and shrugged.
"Well, it's only my first day, so I'm not sure if I could really say how it's going. Gin is a tough teacher, but I've learned a lot."
"Has he taught you how to use Kidô, yet?" Aizen asked in what would have been an interested tone. Ichigo shook his head.
"No. I know a few spells, though. I'm not completely inept," Ichigo said, somewhat defensively, not wanting to be seen as weak by Aizen, who he knew would take advantage of any weakness that a person showed. Aizen nodded, grinning.
"I see. What is the highest level spell that you can cast?" he asked, knowing that Ichigo couldn't possibly be very good at Kidô just yet. Ichigo shuddered and steeled his nerves in front of the taller, much more powerful man.
"I-I can do level 10 Hadô, and level 7 Bakudô," Ichigo said quickly. Aizen nodded as though he were expecting that answer.
"About what I expected…" he said. "I'm going to personally see to your Kidô training. Gin isn't as well suited for Kidô as I am, and Tôsen is going to be busy with Rukia. With that in mind, do your level 10 Hadô on me. I want to see how powerful it is."
Ichigo shrugged, glad to be able to attack Aizen.
"Egyptian pharaohs, Ra of the Sun and the Living. Osiris of the Moon and the Dead. Use your godly power and bring thy ancestors to the underworld safely. Hadô #10! Hoteruchion!" he shouted, sending a blast of sound directly at Aizen. Aizen watched with slight amusement as Ichigo cast the spell and then took the damage head on, not seeming to get so much as a scratch on him. Ichigo didn't notice, but Aizen did cough slightly when the spell hit him from the force with which the sound waves went through him. Aizen was hard to hurt, so to do any type of damage at all was pretty impressive. That meant that Ichigo had a great deal of potential for Kidô, perhaps even greater than Aizen's own. Aizen didn't want to think about that, though. If Ichigo ever became more powerful than Aizen, it could prove a major problem in his plans for Soul Society.
"Alright. You are done for today. You'll begin tomorrow working on Kidô with me after morning sparring with Gin. Be sure to get a good night's sleep."
"I'm worried about Rukia. Tell Tôsen not to be too rough with her. I worry about her sometimes." Ichigo said in a moment of vulnerability, forgetting that Aizen wasn't his friend. He knew inside that Aizen was only using him and Rukia, but he still didn't want Rukia to get hurt.
Ichigo was sure that he saw a cold sneer on Aizen's face for a second before it went back to its usual, pleasant smile. He nodded and said that he would tell Tôsen for Ichigo, though Ichigo wasn't sure if he would. He could already feel a knot in his stomach like he knew that Aizen was going to try to use that against him.
Ichigo nodded and forced a smile at Aizen, who smiled back. Ichigo was proving easier to get along with than Aizen had expected. He had initially assumed that there would be a great deal of resistance on Ichigo's part, but he attributed Ichigo's docile behavior to Rukia being there. Aizen knew that as long as Rukia was in the picture, Ichigo wouldn't risk letting her get hurt. That meant that he had a good chance to manipulate Ichigo to his will in the time that they were together, and by the time Ichigo was strong enough to do anything about it, Aizen could have him completely obedient and willing to do anything, including kill Rukia. He didn't expect this process to be easy, but he did expect that he could do it. Ichigo was young and at an impressionable age. He didn't particularly need Rukia, so the sooner he could get rid of her, the better. He knew that Rukia was only a distraction for Ichigo, and he would have to make Ichigo see that as well. That exact moment wasn't the time to do it, though. Ichigo was extremely attached and deeply in love with her, so any affront to Rukia would be an affront directly to Ichigo. He would have to personally instruct all of his Arrancar and Gin and Tôsen not to harm Rukia in any way. The other problem that he had never anticipated was that Tôsen seemed to have a slight soft spot for Rukia. Perhaps she reminded him of his nameless friend. Such silly sentiments would have to go. He couldn't suffer a sentimental fool like Tôsen. But now that he thought about it, that Neliel Tu Oderschvank was a real piece of work as well. She was madly in love with Ichigo, though she wouldn't directly admit it. She had gotten all excited when she heard what Aizen's plans were to get Ichigo on his side. Such fools he had to suffer. It was a wonder he didn't just kill everyone but Gin and the Espada and start over.
Ichigo walked into Rukia's room and smiled at her sadly. He had seen the look on Aizen's face. It was a look of hatred and disgust, and of loathing for Rukia. Aizen said that he never bore a grudge, but something about Rukia, Aizen didn't like. Maybe it was just because he hated the Kuchiki family in general? Ichigo couldn't even begin to figure out Aizen's motives. What really didn't make sense was that he would really bear such a grudge that he would want to kill her so summarily. If he had wanted to kill her, couldn't he just have waited until the Arrancar/Shinigami war and used that as an excuse to find and murder her? It would have been so easy. Instead, he concocted an elaborate plan to murder the Central 46, have Rukia arrested by her brother and Renji in particular, have her gigai confiscated, have her sentenced to be executed by means of the Sôkyoku, move the execution date up three times, stage his own death, then reveal himself to not only be alive, but to be the perpetrator, steal the Hogyoku and murder Rukia before making a spectacular exit from Soul Society via Negación by Menos Grande.
Looking back at Ichigo, Rukia sighed, knowing that something was wrong. Knowing Ichigo very well, she could honestly say that she could read him like a book. His emotions were forfeit to her, and unlike Aizen, she actually cared about Ichigo.
"Ichigo, what's wrong? And don't lie and say 'nothing'. I know that isn't true."
"I'm just… Tired," he lied. There was no need to upset Rukia. Whether she would or wouldn't take his advice seriously, there was no immediate danger. Ichigo wasn't brilliant, but he knew that as long as he was in love with Rukia, Aizen wouldn't risk alienating him by hurting her, and he didn't expect to stop being in love with Rukia anytime soon. Therefore, he figured that they were both relatively safe.
Rukia knew that Ichigo was lying. But she also knew that he was as stubborn as a mule, and that he wouldn't tell her how he was feeling very readily. So, she didn't press it too much.
"Alright, Ichigo." Rukia said, resigned. Then, "I-Ichigo?" she asked, sounding very vulnerable and shy, and feeling even more exposed.
"Yes, Rukia?" Ichigo asked, trying not to look at her. He knew that if he did, he would just want to put his arms around her. Then he would want to kiss her, and if he did that, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to stop kissing her until she promised to be his forever. And if that happened, he was afraid that he might make a mistake and take it all the way, and he didn't think that he could handle that, no matter how good it might feel in the moment.
"Ichigo, please look at me…" Rukia said, tears filling her eyes. Ichigo forced himself to lay eyes upon her, and just as he had expected, he suddenly wanted to just hold her in his arms forever and never let her go. He was entranced by her subtle grace and beauty, and her sweet demeanor, and nothing would ever change that… ever.
"D-do you… love me?" she asked, blushing bright pink as she asked this of him. It was the most embarrassing thing that she had ever had to do, and her heart felt like it was going to explode. Frankly, Ichigo felt the same way. What was she saying? That she actually loved a loser like him? That she actually wanted to be with someone so mediocre, so unremarkable? He couldn't understand it, and yet every fiber of his being screamed out for him to say yes, that he did love her, and that he had loved her for so long. He wanted to tell her how painful it had been to have to hold his feelings in, to not be able to express his love for her in front of her. He wanted to tell her how scared and vulnerable he felt around her. How afraid he was of being rejected if he did ever confess to her. Was he really that pathetic? Was he really so weak that he could let himself be hurt so easily. It was unfair. And in the midst of his undying love for her, he couldn't help but resent her. Resent her for making him a prisoner of his own feelings, for forcing him to live a lie every goddamn day. How he wished he could run away from her and never see her again. He didn't deserve someone as wonderful and… perfect as she was. Yes. Perfect was the best way to describe her. She was flawless, not only in her beauty and grace, but in her personality as well. That witty, sarcastic smile that graced her lips when Ichigo did something stupid. Her fiery spirit that was like an inferno inside her, one that couldn't be extinguished with something so insignificant as words. And just as her fire couldn't be quenched with words, neither could she be described with mere words. She was just so… amazing. Nothing in the world could compare to the times that he was able to see a smile on her face. Her smile lit up everything around her and made her glow with a soft silver light. Rukia didn't have to do anything to be radiant. She didn't need to wear a miniskirt and a tight shirt that left so little to the imagination as to make one wonder why she bothered wearing clothes at all. She was the very embodiment of perfection in the much more modest and demure wardrobe that she had always preferred. And that was just one of the things that intoxicated him about her. YES!!! He did love her, but could he tell her that and ever be able to look her in her gorgeous, sparkling blue eyes again? He couldn't lie to her, though. It was something about how she was looking at him that was making it hard, nay, impossible to lie to her.
"Y-y-yes…" he muttered. Rukia looked at him, her forehead wrinkling. She couldn't hear him.
"What? You need t-to speak up…" She was so embarrassed, and she could tell that Ichigo was embarrassed, too. He had taken so long to answer her. Did that mean that he was trying to think of a polite way to say "no"? No!! She couldn't think that way. She didn't know what she would do if he said no. Her heart would be broken, shattered into a million pieces.
"N-never mind!!! I-I don't want to know!!" she cried and ran out past him, unable to stop crying. As she ran out, she slammed right into Tôsen and was thrown back. Though Tôsen hardly felt the impact, he did notice it, and he looked down to see a sobbing Rukia on the ground beneath him. Rukia sat there for a minute and then scrambled up, muttering a jumbled apology to him and ran past him, not saying a word. Tôsen was sure that he knew what had happened, though. Instantly, terribly brutal thoughts went through his mind.
How dare Kurosaki lead her on and then break her heart!!? How could he do that to such an innocent girl as Kuchiki? I'll have to deal with him myself since I know that Aizen-sama is too busy and Gin won't give a shit and Rukia is too shy and quiet to do something so confrontational!
And with that, Tôsen strode into Ichigo's room and grabbed him, slamming him against the wall, donning his hollow mask and charging up a Cero beam to destroy Ichigo's head. At the moment, he didn't care that Aizen wanted Ichigo. He was going to make the boy pay for what he did.
"W-what the fuck, Tôsen!?" Ichigo asked, donning his own hollow mask and flash stepping out of his grip.
"How dare you break Kuchiki's heart like that, Kurosaki!? Do you have any idea how much she loves you!? Can't you see it in her!? Have you no morals!?"
"What are you talking about!? I didn't say a damn thing to her! She asked me out of nowhere if I loved her and then she just started crying and ran out of the damn room! Why would I break her heart… Besides… I don't deserve someone as amazing as Rukia, no matter how much I love her."
"It isn't a matter of being deserving of her. It's a matter of love. If you love her and she loves you, then you should be together, whether you think you deserve her or not!"
"What do you know, asshole!? The only thing you care about is your precious justice!!"
"Watch what you say, boy!!" Tôsen said sharply. "I was once in love, too. It was ages ago, it seems. I've never even told this to Aizen-sama, but I think you might be the perfect person to tell. You're so thickheaded… just like I was back then. I was blind back then as well, but there was a woman that I knew, that unlike others, was always kind to me. She would sit and talk to me, and we would sit out at night under the stars. Even though I couldn't see them, there was nothing that I loved more than those moments with her. I too believed that I didn't deserve her love, so I never told her how I felt about her, and eventually, she married a Shinigami and joined the Shinigami Academy as well. After that, her husband killed her in a jealous rage or something of the sort and I knew that I would never again have the chance to tell her how I felt. That was why I became a Shinigami… To serve the cause of justice that she so staunchly defended. My story ended a tragedy, but yours doesn't have to. You have to tell her how you feel. As amazing as Kuchiki is, she can't read minds."
"Wait… You love Rukia, too, don't you, Tôsen?"
Tôsen looked away, slightly abashed and nodded.
"Yes. I do, but she'll never feel the same about me. The best that I can hope for is for her to be happy with you. Please allow that dream of mine to come true."
"I will. Thank you, Tôsen. Maybe you aren't such a bad person after all."
With that, Ichigo extended his spiritual sense and searched all over Las Noches for Rukia, not sparing any expense to find her. He had to. If he wanted things to ever be right between them again, he would have to make sure that he found her quickly.
