Dislcaimer: I do not own Bleach.
A/N: Thanks to all my splendid reviewers. I'm sorry it's going a little slow but I'm trying to explain Ai-ni's past as well put him into the timeline. Don't worry, everything is going to out of wack, very soon.
Also, due to spoilers, if you haven't gotten past the Rukia Rescue Arc, I'm really spoiling the story for ya.
Okay. It is epic. It is the fight.
I owe to the readers to draw this fight out to it's awesomeness. Like in several parts.
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Ai-ni was only two years old when Isshin found him. It was after the marriage and he went out for a stroll. The two went on a vacation near a beach resort. He was dressed in shorts and jacket, trampling through the sand whistling. It was nearing sundown. Soon, it would be time for a romantic walk with a looming moon on one side and a setting sun on the other. The calm waters seem to allude to something destructive.
He took the time to stare at the waters that he saw it. A small figure floating in the ocean was washed upon the shore, seaweed covering his wet body. Isshin immediately ran up to it, checking the body for life signs. There was no heartbeat.
Isshin started doing CPR.
After a few frantic seconds passed by before the boy coughed up water. Frantic wheezing sounds were heard as the child clung to life.
"What is your name?" Isshin asked, as he started dialing the paramedics. "Where are your parents?"
The child clung to him. "Don't have parents." He said, voice raspy and muffled. "My..name…is.." He wheezed, coughing up more sea water.
The paramedics came, and Isshin followed the child's journey to the hospital. From there he called Urahara and his wife. Well, he called his wife first, telling her he'll be late and then Urahara.
From the moment he touched the shivering boy's body, he felt a powerful reiatsu lurking under the surface. That, in itself, was suspicious and in a way poked at his curiosity. Was he from China? Was he on a ship that sank somewhere near the coast?
"Are you the father?" Asked a doctor, walking up to the brooding Isshin.
"No." Isshin answered, hands laced together.
"I see." The doctor thumbed through his notes. "Are you the caretaker then of the child?"
Isshin shook his head.
"Are you going to pay for his medical bills?" The doctor asked crisply.
"Yes."
"Well then," The doctor gestured to Isshin. "He's been asking for you. As I quote 'the funny man who glows'." The doctor frowned. "I don't think smoking is good around a child."
Isshin knew immediately that the boy was referring to his reiatsu. Even though now in this gigai body his reiatsu is depleted it still hasn't faded away completely yet. This also led to another interesting point. The kid can actually see the reiatsu, which means he is powerful enough not only to see ghosts and shinigami but reiatsu. Then again, it could be the fact he almost drowned and the light bathed Isshin in a funny glow.
Isshin followed the doctor into the boy's room. The child was blinking at them owlishly; his floppy bangs making him look very cute. Isshin sat down on the chair. The child followed Isshin's movements.
"Ahem." The doctor cleared his throat, bringing all eyes to him. "Can you please tell me your name?"
The boy frowned. "Uhh…" He looked at Isshin before beckoning the man towards him. Isshin leaned in.
"I'm Aizen Sosuke." Said the boy softly.
Isshin hid his shock.
"You have to tell him my name this way, cause everyone looks at me funny when I say it outloud. " Said the boy solemnly, too solemnly for a boy his age, his eyes were far too old for his face.
Isshin nodded. "I will."
He got up and did as the boy said. The doctor nodded and left the room. When Isshin turned around, the boy was fast asleep. The day was tiring.
"Hello Isshin." Urahara stood in the doorway with Tessai.
"Urahara." Isshin said quietly. "Well, what do you think?"
Urahara walked over to the sleeping child. "It is indeed him." The shadows around his eyes deepened. "There is no doubt."
"So, what are you going to do?"
Urahara tapped his cane onto the ground. "Simple, we'll seal it up until we know what to do."
Tessai opened up the suitcase and took out a variety of tools. He placed them around the child and marked the ground. He did his work. The two former shinigami went outside, closing the door, insuring his privacy.
"How are you going to keep an eye on him?" Inquired Isshin. "I have no doubt the boy in there is Aizen Sosuke."
Urahara smiled lightly. "Hmm…that is a puzzler."
Isshin looked at Urahara slyly. "Maybe you can take him in."
Urahara chuckled before smacking Isshin on the shin. "I'm not a kid person. Besides I think you're a better candidate."
"I'm married Urahara." Mumbled Isshin. "How would Masaki react to having a kid?"
"Why don't you ask her?"
Isshin grumbled before fishing out his phone. Two short days later, one Aizen Sosuke was adopted into the Kurosaki household. It was hassle free and Masaki had fallen in love with the parentless boy.
The trio arrived at the clinic.
"Wow." The boy looked around the house and neighborhood. "So this is where I'm going to live?"
"Yep." Masaki gave him a quick peck on the cheek before getting some bags.
Isshin knealt down. "What's your name eh?" He grinned jovially at the boy.
Aizen grinned in return. "I'm Aizen Kurosaki!" He shouted, pleased to be able to announce it to the world. The light glinted off his glasses. It turned out he was near sighted.
The sun glittered, shining on his necklace. It was a gift from Isshin, his father. Little did Aizen know, it was a device from Tessai for it to regulate the seal placed on his reiatsu. The outside shell had his name engraved on it. The necklace itself was an anchor for the spell. Without the anchor the spell would still work but having a backup is always handy.
"Come on, lets get you a haircut. " Isshin brushed his adopted son's head. Aizen linked his hand with his adopted father and followed.
Months later, a baby boy was born into the household. His name was Ichigo Kurosaki. From there everything was a blur of happy moments and birthdays. Like a big brother should, Aizen teased him endlessly. When the two girls were born, he loomed over them, making sure any of the other boys won't make fun of them.
In his free time, he found Urahara and started bugging the shopkeeper endlessly. His brilliant mind and quick intuition knew Urahara had a link to the supernatural. He pestered Urahara endlessly, popping out of dumpsters, sneaking into the shop and his behavior was borderline obsessive.
Two equally stubborn people being stubborn was interesting to say the least.
In the end, Urahara only agreed to train Aizen a year after Masaki's death. From there it was a whirlwind of schoolwork, life, martial arts training and shinigami training.
It had all accumulated to this.
Materialization was easy and effortless. That wasn't the problem but the problem was the body. Who would be in control of the body if the mind is gone? That was why he initiated his shikai. Any who look, will see nothing.
That was the nature of the shikai.
Once eyes peer into onto the unreleased zanpakuto they will see only what Ai-ni wants to them to see. They will see nothing. He did not want interruptions.
Talking to his zanpakuto was delicate at first. It wasn't as if she was irritable or mean or vicious but just difficult. The first time they met, she was easily cowered, changing her appearance in accordance to whatever he wanted. She wanted to please him. A lot.
Any eleven year old boy would know that something was wrong, especially one raised by Isshin, one who was caring and thoughtful. Despite the rather hectic and somewhat bruise worthy life, Aizen came out as a well-rounded child. He could spot emotional trauma miles away. He might become a psychologist when he grew up.
Therapy was needed.
Together they got therapy. That itself was a problem. How could he get therapy without Isshin finding out? The crazy father would most likely blow it out of proportion. Firstly, he tried it by bringing a therapy book inside the mindscape.
That didn't exactly work. She would know the answer immediately and give him the answer that he expected or answers that were right. Therapy doesn't work like that. Therapy was peeling away at the trauma and bad memories and working into the person deep inside hidden by the shields. Coaxing the frightened being out and making them suitable for the outside world.
The next route was actually going to a therapist. That was hard to work around too. First was manifesting the zanpakuto. He can't really go there with a sword and trying to explain that he was concerned of his sword's mental state. And when he did finally managed to manifest the zanpakuto into human form, she looked too old for him. That would raise eyebrows and alarms. Also it took a lot of spiritual power to even manifest her in the first place. His necklace shattered after an extremely tiring try.
It wasn't as if he could ask Urahara for help. Mind you, Aizen was working around Urahara. He didn't want to disappoint his sensei by failing horribly. So he talked to her, daily, coaxed her out of her shell.
He referred to her as a she even though she can be whomever he wanted. But he wanted her to be someone who he can hug, who he can talk to. He didn't want her to be too intimidating. As he grew older, she grew older as he did. When he changed his hair, she did. He started reading other types of books so she would have something to do. Ichigo teased him when he caught Aizen reading some woman magazines while Yuzu thought it was so cool that her brother was getting in touch with his feminine side.
It was all worth it. All the effort, all the books and chick flicks. She grew out of her shell, and started changing her physical appearance to her own personal preference. She was being her own individual. She was a bitchy, tough and somewhat controlling individual. She also was extremely knowledgably and extremely willing to help him. She was ruthless at times, cold and manipulative.
In other words, she was like him.
He didn't know what happened in her past that traumatized her so but he wanted to help her. He also wanted to find the last wielder and beat that person's head in with a pipe. Aizen rarely got homicidal tendencies. Those tendencies were usually beaten down with ice cream sundaes.
Whenever he had a nightmare, she was there for him. Whenever he couldn't keep going on, she was there to push him on. During his time of need, she was there for him.
When she was relapsing back into her 'doll phase', he was there. He would always be there, always watching, always waiting, always lending an ear.
A true relationship between shinigami and zanpakuto is to two parts of the same side of the coin. They are partners in every definition of the word. They love as one and they mourn as one. At times, the zanpakuto can be more detached to the situation and at others; they are equally enraged as their other half.
In the mindscape, the two sat on their floating spoon chairs, looking at the complex seals that canvass the mindscape. One door was open and the other door was closed. The closed door was bigger than the other and covered with runes.
"So, are you ready?" She asked, drinking her tea.
Aizen shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be." He indicated to the runes. "So this stuff as been in here ever since I was two?"
She nodded.
"Hmm…" Aizen tapped his chair idly with a finger. "I would recognize Urahara's work and brilliance. This is far more brilliant than anything I've ever seen him do."
"Ah, no matter." He continued, stretching out. "All you need to do is destroy it."
She smiled. "Of course."
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Rukia stared at Aizen-taicho in shock as her two friends lie on the ground dying. She couldn't move, couldn't speak. That was how afraid she was of Aizen, of how ruthlessly he cut down the two shinigami and how calmly he explained his reasons for starting this whole farce.
Aizen, the supposedly dead captain, was alive and healthy. He was also the mastermind behind Rukia's execution. Aizen, the nice man, was actually very evil. He had hidden his true self underneath his smiles and nice words. His two subordinates stood behind him saying nothing.
Three captains. Three traitors and one who no one would have suspected at all.
"Stand up Rukia Kuchiki." He ordered, standing above her.
He reached for her collar, ready to pull her up and drag her but as his hands neared her it smacked into a shield.
"You are one sick puppy." Stated a voice a small boy in shinigami garb materialized before his eyes.
The shinigami in question was short, dark haired and not amused. Aside from his clothes, the only distinct thing about him was the single ear clip as decoration.
Aizen shattered the shield with a hand, staring down at the obstacle in his way. "Who are you?" He did not calculate for this to happen.
The boy ignored Aizen, peering around him to see Renji and Ichigo. Ichigo was awake and twitching. He was rather resilient for a person who sliced in two, with only his spin holding him together.
"Oy, Ichi are you okay?" The boy shouted, making Ichigo raise his head to look at the kid in shock.
"Who are you?" He asked befuddled and in pain.
The boy sighed in deep suffering and did not answer.
"He did as a valid question drifter." Stated Aizen, a mite bit ticked off at being ignored.
The boy rolled eyes back at Aizen. "My name is Kurosaki Aizen."
Rukia stared. Aizen blinked. Gin opened his eye for a fraction before closing it. Tousen was stock still as a statue. Ichigo hissed.
"We share a name." Aizen noted. "How repungent.
The boy snorted. "I totally agree, having a complete dick share my name gives me tremors all over."
"Ai-ni?" Ichigo asked a question in the air. "What are you doing here?"
"Saving your sorry ass that's what."
"What do you mean by that!" Snapped Ichigo.
"You went to Soul Society for a gril! A girl!" Snapped AI-ni. "And she's not even your girlfriend."
"She saved my life. I owed it to her." Ichigo answered automatically.
"Pssh." Ai-ni whapped himself on the forehead. "Seriously, what did happen when I was gone?"
"When were you a shinigami?" Ichigo knew his brother could see ghosts like himself but this?
Ai-ni twittered. "Uhh…a few years before you?" He answered weakly.
'What!"
"Amusing as this is, I do want you to move child." Aizen wasn't happy. He had an Orb to retrieve, people to demoralize and a new home to refurbish.
"You.." The boy vanished. "Should shut up."
Aizen slid back a few feet. The boy had kicked him in the chest, kicked him before he could dodge it. That said something about his skill. He was intrigued. He might as well have some fun before the others arrive. He won't hurt him too badly.
He drew his sword. He couldn't see the child but he knew who to target. Rukia's eyes widened as Aizen leapt at her, blade slashing downward.
The sound of metal hitting metal ringed in the air. The boy's blade intercepted Aizen's. He was blocking the older man with surprising power and precision.
Aizen inspected the boy. "You look oddly familiar. I just can't place where."
"Maybe I'm one of the kids you killed for your own ambitions." Ai-ni said tartly, pushing Aizen back with all his strength.
"Perhaps." Aizen merely smiled and attacked again. The boy blocked the first strike, parried the second and with a quick back slash drove Aizen back. A cut appeared on Aizen's face.
"You cut me." In his voice, there was a slight tinge of shock.
"Ya, that's what happens when a blade touches skin," Ai-ni said snidely. "Want to try again?"
"Your form is loose, there are holes but you are compensating." Aizen smiled his fake smile. "But you are no match for me."
"Shut your trap." Ai-ni went into a defensive stance. "Put your money where your mouth is."
"Very well."
Aizen disappeared from Rukia's eyes. But Ai-ni wasn't bothered at all. To Rukia, all she saw were flashes and the sound of blades coming together. It seems Ai-ni was able to keep up with Aizen, blocking his attacks.
"You are good." Aizen said, as the two separated. "Captain level at the very least."
More blade flashes and sounds of metal biting metal, blood dripped onto the floor from Ai-ni's wound.
"But your height is somewhat troubling. I do suspect you are bigger in your normal form." Aizen tilted his head. "You are the elder are you not?"
Their swords locked. "You can bring that up to Urahara-sensei." Ai-ni muttered dryly. "That is if he doesn't kill ya first."
"I am amazed you can keep up with me." Aizen noted. "Most cannot."
Ai-ni rolled his eyes. They clashed again. "Maybe it's because I can see what is obvious while everyone else is looking two steps behind?"
Rukia caught sight of a second Aizen, coming up from behind. "Look out!"
Ai-ni turned. Aizen swung down only to recoil quickly, dodging a back kick that spilt a leaf. The boy's foot was merely inches away from Aizen's face. The other Aizen was an illusion. "Isn't it great I closed my eyes?"
Aizen frowned. How did this drifter know of his zanpakuto. In fact the only person who knows about the true nature of it was the Unohana and her vice captain.
"It is time to end this."
Aizen blurred out of sight. He reappeared in front of Rukia, blade dripping in blood. "It seems your friend's bid to give you more time has not worked."
"Urk." Ai-ni fell onto his knees, blood spraying out from the slash wound. It seems Aizen was only toying with him. It was incredible how fast he had disappeared. His shunpo was insanely fast. Ai-ni was not going to lose here. His eyes caught the movement, his body moved to block it but he was too slow. It was time to break his promises.
"I am sorry, Urahara-sensei." He murmured and pulled the last limiter off. Deep in the mindscape, the runes were destroyed as the signal was sent. It was time to see what exactly Urahara had been hiding from him.
A column of pure reiatsu appeared, shooting up to the sky like a beacon. The wind warped and twisted around his figure and the rocks rose in the air. The air grew heavy while pressure doubled no tripled. This was his unreleased power. It flowed rapidly uncontrollable.
"Ah…how interesting." Aizen turned his head to gaze at Ai-ni. "How…familiar."
It took Ai-ni but seconds to take the power and put it under his control. It sank back into his body as his body changed. He grew in size and height. He grew older, stronger and had a longer arm reach. Adjusting to the power jump would take time he didn't have. Had he more time, then he would've been able to control his power.
But alas, like all Kurosaki's, he ran into the situation sword first.
Ai-ni was now what he looked like when he was in his body. The seventeen year old was lean and muscled. All the exercises he did and all the workouts gave him compact muscles and a high endurance rate.
His eyes were narrower, losing their child like innocence.
It was Tousen who realized it first. He saw the world through reiatsu and as he gazed and felt the strong reiatsu he immediately understood why it felt so familiar.
"Who are you really?" Whispered Aizen, as he too realized why the boy was so familiar. It seems his plans has gotten monkey wrenched for a brief time.
Ai-ni brandished his sword. "Urahara-sensei told me that if I wanted to strike I had to want to kill the person I was attacking." He looked at Aizen coldly. "I want to rip your entrails out and wrap them around a tree with you still attached. "
"To want to protect because Ichi's friends are my friends, Ichi's enemies are my enemies." Ai-ni grew frighteningly cold. "You are my enemy."
Through out this all, Aizen realized that perhaps his plan won't go off without a hitch after all. But he had to admit, it was amusing. It would have been boring explaining how he had easily hoodwinked everyone.
Breaking down this pale copy of himself would be even more fun. This would the first time he ever met a clone, a poorly flawed clone but a clone nevertheless. It had to be a clone, what else could it be?
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All across Soul Society, Ai-ni's releasement of energy was felt. The shinigami were very confused. Two spiritual pressures of the same likeness? What was this?
Ichigo was equally confused. Not just on the name or the spiritual pressure but the fact that when he compared his Aizen to the other Aizen, they looked alike. If you gave Ai-chan the other haircut he would look exactly like Aizen. In fact, as a child he closely resembled this evil Aizen.
He wanted to get up and scream 'what is going on' but could not. His body was too battered. He was lucky to be alive. Had the blade sliced one inch deeper, he would be very dead.
Orihime and the others felt the second horrible powerful reiatsu. She wondered what had happened to the elder Kurosaki and now she had her answer. He was up there with Ichigo. "Please be safe, everyone." She whispered as the group ascended.
In the living world, Urahara stared at the broken necklace. A few seconds ago it had shattered completely.
"So, it is coming full circle." He stated, eyes lidded. "Don't mess up."
It is unknown to whom he was referring to.
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Oh and um…Do you guys like it?
Show some appreciation for the chapter please, you know you want to do it.
smirks
Or else I'll sic both Aizen's on you!
BAUAHAHAHHAHA
