1A/N: Well this took a lot longer to finish than expected so sorry about that. It took awhile to get everything to flow together and even in the end I don't think I quite got it. I guess in the end, it just helps to finish it so I can move along to the next one which of course will probably be no better which brings me to my next point...
Perpetual Twilight
Chapter 4: Desperation
By: Finalitylife
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Bleach or its characters. That's all I got..
Ulquiorra stepped into the large meeting room, bowing slightly to Aizen but nobody else. Aizen was the only one he truly respected...was the only one with more power and control than himself. At least that was what he believed.
Ulquiorra could see his fellow 'brothers and sisters' scattered around the room, some standing alone in the shadows barely being noticed and others sat with their lackeys in plain view, wanting to be seen...challenging with their presence. There was of course the two other shinigami captains that had escaped with Aizen, the blind Tosen standing stoic to the side of Aizen and the ever smiling Gin Ichimaru lounging away to the other side as if he did not have a care in the world.
"Ahh Ulquiorra. I see you've finally returned. I trust your mission was a success?"
"Of course Aizen-sama. Allow me to show you."
Ulquiorra reached up, his slender fingers reaching into his eye socket, grasping on to the fleshy orb, and pulled out his eye. He felt a sharp pain as he did so, but physical pain wasn't even an annoyance to a being born so purely of despair and tragedy. He stared for a brief second with his one eye at his other eye held within his grasp before crushing it. Dust fluttered from where the eye had been destroyed, flowing through out the room toward every one within, swirling around each of them in some type of uncomprehensible dance. Everyone closed their eyes as Ulquiorra's memories flashed within each of their minds as of they had actually been there observing the orange-haired human boy.
Almost a minute passed before Aizen's eyes slowly opened, a satisfied smile forming on his normally bored features.
"Interesting...very, very interesting. Excellent work Ulquiorra." Again Ulquiorra bowed though in truth he cared little for praise of any kind.
"So what will the next step be Aizen-sama?"
"Nothing for the moment, but soon enough, we will 'ensure' that we have a new ally to join our ranks. It should be simple enough." Ulquiorra went to say something, but was cut of by the arrogant and defiant words of another of his fellow Espada.
"This is all total bullshit. We don't need any more pansies in this army. Let's just kill him and all his little friends and be done with it. We shouldn't be screwing around with this crap, and just go slaughter the whole damn group of um."
Ulquiorra's eye shifted over to the one who spoke: Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, the Sixth Espada. Ulquiorra could clearly seen the barely suppressed bloodlust and insanity in the arrcanar's twisted smile, his eyes wide with what could only be anticipation for battle. The sudden spike of his spirit power only confirmed such thoughts.
Grimmjow was nothing more than a nuisance to the stability of the grand plans albeit a powerful nuisance. Ulquiorra preferred never to deal with him, and often avoided him completely, truly only tolerating him because at the very least, Grimmjow knew his place when it came to Aizen.
"Eloquently put as always Grimmjow, but I have other ideas for this particular boy. He could prove an extremely powerful asset to my goals, and I won't have anyone acting rashly to endanger my prospects. Is that clear?"
Aizen coldly stared at Grimmjow, his power level rising sharply, being felt by everyone in the room, only a few being able to shrug it off without much thought. Gin seemed to only smile wider at the display. Grimmjow tried to stare back with strength, but instead quickly walked out of the room, cursing heavily as he did so. No one said anything.
--
Byakuya emerged from the gateway he had opened back to the living world, his hand brushing against Senbonzukara slightly as he stepped forward. He was completely aware that he might have to fight, though for the first time in a very, very long time, he did not feel completely confidant that he would be victorious if a battle did truly break out. When he had fought Ichigo, he had the human boy defeated, ready to strike the final blow, only to find that his opponent had changed...changed into something far more powerful.
It had been this opponent that had been the one to truly hurt him, had forced him to give up continuing the fight and resort to one final clash of power to decide it. Byakuya knew that he looked forward to a rematch with Ichigo one day, but he also knew it was not in his best interest to have to fight that monster that wielded the relentless dark energy again. He was not afraid, just simply knew when a battle would be a poor choice...for the moment at least.
As Byakuya took a few more steeps forward, he found himself meeting the yellow, almost glowing eyes of a black cat that almost appeared to be smiling at him. He stopped, staring at the small creature that suddenly was now speaking to him in a distinctively male voice.
"I figured you would come back soon, and of course exactly through the same gateway. I am glad I didn't have to wait long."
Byakuya only barely hid his surprise at this unexpected encounter. He studied the small creature carefully, realizing that it was in fact smiling mischievously at him, and there was something incredibly familiar about those eyes. Despite the obviously male voice, Byakuya knew those eyes and that smile could only be found on one being, and he was going to trust that undeniable truth even if the form and voice tried to deceive him.
"It also would seem I do not have to go through the trouble of finding you and receiving an explanation on what you allowed that boy to do to Rukia, Yoruichi."
The large smile on the black cat's face melted away, leaving only the smallest hints of it still on the animal's face.
"It would seem you are just as smart as always Little Byakuya. How is your sister by the way?" Byakuya narrowed his eyes in a cold glare, not even bothering to try to make her use his title. She never had and never would.
"If you are going to try and change the subject, then you are of no use to me. I will simply go to the 'source' of the disturbance." Byakuya moved forward again a step before again he heard the male voice from the cat.
"I would ask that you not do that. It would be better if you simply allowed myself and my associates to deal with the problem for the moment. Your presence would only serve to antagonize an already delicate situation."
The voice was stern yet diplomatic, reminding Byakuya of the tone he himself used often when dealing with negotiations back in Soul Society. Her behavior sometimes made it hard to forget that Yoruichi was once the head of a powerful noble family just as he.
"And what would you suggest I do then?"
"Go back to Soul Society, watch over Rukia, and I will contact you when I have a better grasp of the situation."
"It would be against the rules to simply ignore this problem now that I am truly aware of it, but since I know you care nothing for the rules that Soul Society lives by, then it is the simple fact that it is far too dangerous to simply allow this problem to get any worse than it already is...especially considering it is in the Living World. It must be dealt with immediately."
"I am not asking you to ignore the problem nor am I asking you to break your precious rules. I am simply asking for a little more time to find out more on what is going on. That is all."
"Time? I imagine this whole situation is the result of you and your 'associates' actions, and you haven't done anything yet. There is no more time. He must be stopped before everything is put in danger."
With finality in his voice, Byakuya strode past the small feline, making it a few feet past before he was stopped by the sudden emergence of an easily recognized female voice.
"Byakuya!" Byakuya slowly turned his head around, unable to hide his shock this time as he saw the clear visage of a very naked, dark skinned Yoruichi staring at him with her glittering golden eye. He immediately snapped his eyes away from the inappropriate sight though catching the smallest smile forming on her face...for that brief second he had even been able to focus on her face. He did his best to compose himself quickly.
"Do you have no shame?" Byakuya meant it as an insult, but Yoruichi only laughed.
"None at all hehehe. It seems being uncomfortable around me being naked is just a second thing you and Ichigo have in common."
Byakuya would have liked to direct a cold glare at Yoruichi for the comparison to that boy, but he was not going to turn his eyes back toward her, instead asking a question.
"And the first thing we would have in common?"
"That one is easy...you both care deeply for Rukia." For some reason, that statement made Byakuya listen more intently to Yoruichi.
"Of course the care you feel toward her is a bit different than I think Ichigo feels toward her, but its there. You wouldn't be standing here at this exact moment if you didn't care for the girl."
"The members of my household as well as the contents of my heart are infinitely none of your business."
"Of course. I'm just saying that you've come here in order to avenge Rukia...to protect her, but what do you honestly think will be her reaction if something happens to Ichigo at your hands? Hmm little Byakuya?" Do you think she could ever forgive you for that again?"
Byakuya felt his hands clench in an uncharacteristic fit of anger for he simply did not have an immediate retort. He wanted to make some comment about how could Ichigo hurt Rukia if he truly cared for her, but he himself had put a great deal of effort in to helping his sister be executed...even though he did care for her well-being.
He wanted to deny the fact that Rukia could even care about the brash, orange-haired loudmouth, but he had seen with his own eyes her face light up when he had come to save her...had seen the fire within her reignite. For as long as he could remember, Rukia had been nothing more than a ghost floating through his house, not dead but barely alive, especially after the incident with Kaien Shiba. However, the last few times she had been back to Soul Society it truly felt like Byakuya was looking at a whole different person. It warmed his heart to see her living again even if her brightness was caused by a source he was not particularly fond of.
Rukia had been generous enough to forgive him for all the secrets he had kept, all the actions he had taken that had harmed her and her new friends, but as he stood clenching his fists at this particular spot in the living world, he knew that if he were to hurt Ichigo again, Rukia would not forgive him again...nor would Hisana... With the soft, smiling face of his lost wife floating in his mind, Byakuya relaxed his clenched hands.
"I will grant you your request. I will give you a few days to 'tend' to the situation, but then I will inform Commander-General Yammamoto of what is going on. I believe that will be agreeable."
Yoruichi smiled slightly even though from the tone in Byakuya's voice there would be no further negotiation. This was about as good as she could hope for, and it definitely beat the alternatives which consisted of Ichigo's premature death or an all out war with Soul Society.
"Thank you Byakuya. I won't let you regret this."
"In time, the consequences of my decision this day will become blatantly obvious, no matter the outcome. You know this as well as I do. There will be no regret...there will be death."
With that final word, Byakuya flash-stepped away, leaving the still naked Yoruichi standing in the dark, knowing exactly what he had meant but also realizing she never had gotten confirmation on Rukia's condition. All she could do was shake her head.
"Well I've tried to do my part Kisuke...now its up to you. Please don't get killed."
A few seconds later, a black cat darted off into the night.
--
During the course of Kisuke Urahara's long, long existence, this was truly only the second time he had seen such a broken figure standing right in front of him...such a pathetic and disheartening sight that it actually made him feel sad.
The first such occasion had been only a few years ago when one of his oldest and closest friends had for the briefest of moments allowed the unrelenting grief and pain of his wife's death and the guilt for not being able to stop it rush out completely from his soul, to pour down like some torrential rainstorm on all those around him who simply could never find the words to comfort him. In the end, all those emotions were locked away so that his precious children would not be burdened by his pain even as they suffered through their own. To this day, that action was truly one of the bravest and selfless things Urahara had ever seen, but Isshin's response had simply been, 'It's not that hard when you're a father."
Kisuke Urahara had one of the most far-reaching, creative, and inspired minds in all of existence, but even in his wildest 'predictions', he never thought he would be standing here with the son of his best friend, with that terrifying similar broken expression etched into his body, heart, and soul. It almost sent a shiver down his spine but only confirmed just how much the boy cared about Rukia Kuchiki...though he truly doubted the boy was even aware of the depths of his feelings.
Urahara held his released zanpakuto in his hand, feeling the familiar energy melding into his own, hearing a beautiful, soothing song only he could hear which helped him relax and beat back the tension. Decisions made long ago before this boy was even born, decisions made only a few months ago, and decisions made by himself and dozens others made by allies, enemies, and the forever neutral; it had all led to this, and Urahara wasn't really sure anyone was truly to blame, though he imagined just who Ichigo was blaming with ever fiber of his being at this moment. Thankfully, Urahara was not that person because if he was, it probably would be impossible for him to try and reach Ichigo to help him.
Urahara studied the figure in front of him, garbed in the dark shinigami clothes, but there was no strength there. Ichigo's shoulders were slumped, his face not even registering its signature scowl but instead a sorrowful expression. Zangetsu stood upright, its tip firmly implanted in the ground in front of Ichigo, but every time the boy reached to grab that familiar hilt, his hand would stop just short, start to shake, and retract back to his side. He was unsure, confused, and very, very afraid.
Urahara suspected the first step to helping Ichigo was for him to regain some confidence in himself before they actually could attack the heart of the problem. Good news from Yoruichi about Rukia would be incredibly helpful at the moment, but she had yet to return. Hopefully nothing bad had happened to her in her quest for information but if anyone could truly handle themselves in any situation, it was the 'Goddess of Flash' Urahara repressed a small smile from forming on his face at the thought of in his mind the most perfect nickname for Yoruichi on many, many levels. It was time to be serious.
"I will make you stand all day here if I have to, but you WILL pick up that sword."
Urahara used a challenging, slightly mocking tone, hoping to get some type of reaction from the often confrontational young man, but his body and expression remained completely passive, his eyes disturbingly empty.
Urahara let out deep sigh, closing his eyes for a second to think. Working with Ichigo had been so much easier before when he was dead set on a single goal...to save Rukia. Now however, his mind was chaotic and unfocused, and unlike before when Urahara knew exactly how to help him, this time he had not a damned clue as to what to do to suppress the raging hollow within. Everything Ichigo pretty much did was motivated and fueled by the deep emotions that he felt toward his family and friends yet the essence of the Hollow thrived on pain, despair, and all those terribly things a person tried to suppress from their waking thoughts. How do you defeat someone's own tragedy of their soul without destroying themselves in the process?
Heck, Urahara wasn't even sure how he was going to get out of this one unscathed when things finally got moving. Perhaps it would be best to stop, sit back, and fully analyze the situation. This of course was his usual course of action when it came to anything whether it was a new invention or a plan to spend time with Yoruichi. Urahara was not overly the impulsive type, every one of his actions having a reason and a purpose behind every detail, and that had helped him survive many situations that could have ended with his death. The problem with this situation was that not only was he not in control of the time table, he didn't even know how long the time table was. Frustrating didn't even begin to describe the situation.
"Ichigo...it does nobody any good for you to take no action. Wallowing in self pity will not heal Rukia nor will it give you strength over your own soul. Do you want something to happen to someone you care about again? Do you want to end up hurting your father, your sisters, or maybe next time you'll actually kill Rukia. You know you have to do something so now do it!"
Some unseen wind began to blow as this time when Ichigo reached out his hand, it took firm grasp of Zangetsu, his hand clenching tightly around the handle.
"You're right..." It was barely audible but Urahara heard it, smiling slightly.
"Finally, that's the Ichigo we need to see. Let's..." Urahara did not even have a chance to finish speaking as Ichigo shot forward, his sword coming down swiftly with ever intention of cutting Urahara right down the middle. The former shinigami Captain managed to get his own sword up to absorb the attack, confusion taking hold as he was faced with Ichigo's cold yet determined eyes.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Something...something that will make sure I don't hurt anyone again."
The two swordsman jumped back from each other, landing a few feet apart, but the reprieve was brief for Urahara as in a flash, Ichigo was attacking again. Urahara managed to block every strike, but did not retaliate hoping to figure out what was going on before having to attack. He pushed Ichigo back, suddenly feeling a strong spike of spiritual power in the air, knowing what was coming. Ichigo screamed out and unreleased a blast of energy, Urahara having no choice but to block it with his blood shield. The shield withstood the blast, the dust slowly settling around them.
"I have every intention to try and kill you, so if you wish to survive, you will have to kill me...you have to kill me."
Ichigo's voice was cold and empty, a resignation in it that Urahara was slowly beginning to understand.
"I'm certainly not going to kill one of my best customers, and I don't believe you have the will to kill a man so I guess that ruins that idea...well whatever the hell is going through your head at this moment. How about you just channel the energy you are trying to kill me with into suppressing the Hollow that's inside you. Sound like a plan?"
The two remained motionless, Urahara waiting for a response, and Ichigo appearing to be deep in thought.
"You're right...I wouldn't be able to kill you, but I know someone who will force you to take this serious."
Ichigo closed his eyes, his spiritual power beginning to increase exponentially, Urahara following suit just to be able to handle the spiritual pressure the act was creating. Ichigo's energy finally stopped increasing, his eyes opening to reveal one human eye glowing blue with power and one Hollow eye glowing yellow with malice and rage. At that moment, Urahara wasn't sure who he was now faced with.
"Kurosaki?" He received crazed laughter as a response.
"Hahahahhaah...Ichigo is not hear right now, may I take a message?"
Urahara instantly went into a defensive stance, as Ichigo started moving around him with casual movement, a twisted smile on his face as slowly a Hollow mask began to appear on his face.
"You know Kisuke, I really should be thanking you because without you, I would have never been able to claw out of the depths of Ichigo's mind those months ago. I think it would be impossible to truly show my gratitude so I guess instead of thanking you, I'll just butcher you into tiny pieces and consume your soul. How does that sound sandal-hat?"
"Actually, that doesn't sound very beneficial. How about Kurosaki just pulls it together for a few seconds, and puts you back where you belong. Hmm? How about we do that instead?"
"Good plan but that would only work if Ichigo was actually still putting up a fight?"
Urahara narrowed his eyes, his body ready for anything.
"I find that hard to believe."
"Oh its not that hard to believe. You know just how far Ichigo will go to protect his family and friends. He's decided that the best course of action is to simply not fight me in hopes that the great former Captain of the Twelve Division will have no choice but to destroy him, ending the threat before it can get any worse. The self sacrificing fool...does he not understand that no one can stand against me, and he's only ensured everyone will die. Oh well...let's see what you got old man. Ichigo has put his faith in you being strong enough to beat me though I really find it hard to believe your lazy ass can do anything but die."
Urahara watched as the Hollow mask nearly formed to completion on Ichigo's face, now knowing what the young man had intended when he first attacked. He wanted to die...to destroy the Hollow and himself at exactly the same time before things got worse. Urahara couldn't completely argue with the logic of the noble young man's decision, but he was fairly certain quite a few people would be upset with him if he wiped Ichigo from existence. Dealing with those people would just be far more trouble than it was worth.
His opponent attacked forward, distorted laughter filling the air, and Urahara quickly decided that he really had no choice but to stop Ichigo as quickly as possible before the Hollow could increase its power anymore, and he knew exactly the most efficient way to do that. He closed his eyes, calmly saying a single word, hoping that he would not go to far.
"Bankai."
--
The Captain of the Fourth Division stopped back in to Rukia's room, quietly closing the door behind her as she stepped in. She sat next to the bed, studying the small girl on several different levels of perception, still trying to understand the 'imbalance' that continued to dwell within her. It felt like some foreign energy had invaded her body and was preventing her own spirit energy from stabilizing. Whatever it was seemed to hide just below the surface of understanding for the captain, just like when she knew something was wrong with Aizen's body, just couldn't put a finger on it.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds, letting out a deep sigh as she continued to go over all the possibilities as to what it was when she suddenly felt something grab hold of her wrist tightly. Her eyes shot open, meeting the now clearly open violet eyes of Rukia Kuchiki as the girl shot into a sitting position. The strangeness of the girl's energy only increased now that she was awake, but all Unohana could do was focus on the desperation in the young woman's eyes and her quiet plea.
"Please...help him...help Ichigo..."