Kuroi no Taiyô – The Sun's Blackness
-o-
Heya! I bet y'all thought I wouldn't update for another century, RIGHT? Ha! Y'all thought wrong! HA!
Um... yeah, sorry, I'm high on sugar XD
And in this Chapter a character will die... just so you know...
Those knowing me probably have an ugly idea whom I might talk about...
If you're having an idea... well, then... think about who might kill them! HA!
…
Then again... the 'killer' is one of my other favorite characters... aw... who cares anyways, nobody EVER reads these Ans
Oh, and, when thinking out a story I always get ideas in random intervals, but forget to include explanations and reasons, so if anything isn't clear, say so in a Review and I'll include explanations in later Chapters XD
-o-
"From dawn to dusk"
proverb
-o-
Shi: Dusk of the Black Sun
-o-
-Dusk may be the End of the Day but it's also the Beginning of the Night-
Ichigo sighed as he walked through the dark system of caves towards where they were storing their food, the glow emanating from his skin being enough to guide him through the blackness around him.
Why did she have to ask me about my Bankai anyways? Stupid chibi... now I'm upset... and I need chocolate when I'm upset... annoying, little chibi-imp...
Did he just call her little three times in the same breath?
With an aggravated snarl he entered the room-sized cave they misused as a kitchen, stopping dead in his tracks as he saw a little girl jump up and down to get something from a higher shelf. He frowned. What the hell?
-o-
Seireitei...
A freshly patched-up Renji and one Hisagi Shûhei stood surrounded by the Captains remaining as Yamamoto stared at them. "I take it you found evidence as to where the Zanpakutô are hiding?" The black-haired man nodded. "Hai. We found them near one of the entrances to the huge cave system running throughout Soul Society, near the outer edges of Zaraki."
The Sôtaichô mumbled. "So he is planning his move..."
-o-
Back with Ichigo...
"Aw, damn Haineko! Always hiding my stuff, stupid, old hag..." The brunette girl frowned with her lips in a small pout as she stared at the huge bell that hung over the shelf just out of her reach. When she jumped up once more she felt two big, blazing hot hands get a grip on her hips and pull her upwards. Tobiume was too shocked to react at first until the Spirit holding her spoke up behind her.
"Oi, I don't want to have to hold you all night. Get whatever you were trying to get quick, okay?"
Her mouth gaped open. Him? But why would he bother? Shaking herself out of her stupor she hurriedly grabbed the cloth with the huge bells attached to each end, feeling him put her back down on the ground. Turning around she stared up at the glowing form of the former Shinigami who didn't spend her a second glance as he searched the cabinets for the chocolate he had come there for in the first place.
Ichigo had just gotten a grip of the treat he was searching for when Tobiume's voice spoke up next to him. "Why did you bother?" The fiery blade stopped dead in his tracks as he slowly averted his gaze towards her. "Why shouldn't I?"
She threw him a look of confusion, head tilting to the side some. Deciding to drop his question, for she knew no answer to it, she asked one of her own yet again. "I don't understand you. Why did you betray them? I bet you have family and friends, so... why?"
He stared at her for a moment, then scoffed and closed his eyes as he turned his head away. "And asking me why I bother...?" His bi-colored irises opened back up as he averted his attention back on her, sad smile firmly in place. "If you really want to know... I decided it was better to betray them before they betrayed me. Satisfied?"
"Care to elaborate?"
-o-
How they ended up sitting around the low table in the middle of the cave, tea cups in front of them – chocolate long forgotten – he honestly didn't know. He was staring into the cup he was holding in his glowing hands as he tried to ignore her inquisitive stare. "Why do you want to know anyways? You all hate my guts..."
Ichigo noticed the petite girl shaking her head out of his peripheral vision and raised his face to look at her. "We don't hate you. We just don't understand. When we were still connected with our respective Shinigami... we saw everything they saw. How you interacted with them, how you acted... we are well aware of your morals and your ways to react to things... so we... seriously don't know how to take your sudden change of mind... uh... how should I call you?"
He shrugged. "Dunno. Rukia still calls me Ichigo – albeit me telling her differently. She's stubborn like that."
Tobiume put her left index to her lips and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Eto... I'd like to call you Amaterasu, but she's a woman..." Ichigo scowled. "You want to call me after a goddess? Are you nuts, kid?" The brunette Spirit pouted. "That was mean!" He sighed as he took a sip from his cup. "Go on, I'm curious with what you come up next."
She scrunched up her face as she thought hard when her features suddenly lit up. "Amatsuhiko!"
The new Spirit raised an eyebrow. "You mean the grandson of Amaterasu? Seriously, I thought you'd just say something like Tai..."
"But that's boring!"
Ichigo sweat dropped. "I really don't see where you are supposed to be like that Hinamori kid..."
Tobiume blushed as she looked aside with a soft glare. "I-I am nothing like her! She's boring and useless!"
The fire blade's gaze softened. "You really think that lowly of her?"
"Yes! If she wasn't so useless we would've hit materialization a long time ago!"
The orange-head couldn't help it. He started laughing. "You sound pretty much like Rukia! She once said if she wasn't so useless she might have gotten her Zanpakutô to materialize ages ago!"
The little girl crossed her arms. "Well, it's true! It's not like we Zanpakutô need to learn our Bankai, our Shinigami are what limits us," she looked him up and down out of the corner of her eyes. "I bet you can use your Bankai, just because of Hinamori's weakness I'm not able to. Must be great to be you."
His eyes dimmed as he tightened his grip on his cup of tea as he shook his head. "It's not great at all. I hate my Bankai."
Tobiume snorted. "Now you sound like Suzumebachi's choleric Shinigami."
He raised a questioning eyebrow. "Soi Fon," she replied with a sigh. "Seriously, do you even know my name?" A blush answered her question. A snarl. "It's Tobiume, baka."
"Oh... sô ka..."
"You are hopeless."
-o-
"So, tell me. Why do you hate your Bankai?"
Ichigo let out a deep breath as he looked her in the eye. "Promise you won't tell anyone about anything."
Tobiume let out an aggravated sigh. "Promise."
"Well, you see... heck... it's because my Bankai looks similar to that thing that nearly executed Rukia."
She raised an eyebrow. "In case you didn't know. My Shinigami was in the hospital during Kuchiki's execution, I don't know what to make of that."
He shook his head. "It's not like you have to know its form. It's just that I was scared like hell that I wouldn't make it to rescue her in time, and that she'd die by that thing. I don't want to be reminded in it every time I go Bankai."
Tobiume's face softened. "You love her, don't you?"
Ichigo didn't know what to answer.
-o-
When Ichigo and Rukia entered the main cave the next day Rukia – and nearly everyone assembled – nearly got a cardiac arrest when Tobiume waved at him with a light blush. "Ohayô Amatsuhiko!" The fire blade sighed. "You really were serious about that yesterday, huh?" "Yup!" He grinned. "Good morning to you, too."
Further conversation was cut short when Rukia dragged him away, the other Zanpakutô doing the same with Tobiume.
"Why are you so nice to him?"
"Why is she so nice to you?"
Needless to say that both were getting an earful that morning.
-o-
Some days later...
More Zanpakutô had been defeated by their respective Shinigami – mainly some of the Captains and Lieutenants – so Muramasa decided it was time to move his plan into action. So now the Zanpakutô and the Kuchiki siblings were on their way to the far out regions of Rukon* to a place only Muramasa knew what they wanted there.
But when they arrived there Shinigami were already awaiting them.
Let the fighting unfold.
-o-
A smirk made its way on Ichigo's features as he saw Tôshirô approaching. "You sure you wanna fight me? Fire and ice don't match."
The white-haired Captain didn't answer and only reached behind him and got a grip on the hilt of his Zanpakutô. The fire blade scoffed as he raised his left hand. With a flip of his fingers a ring of fire surrounded Rukia who stood some feet away causing her to let out a startled yelp. "What the fuck!"
Ichigo chuckled. "Just to keep you save. You don't have a Zanpakutô with you so just stay put, midget."
"What the-!"
Ignoring her Ichigo materialized his Shikai form and lunged at the short Captain, fire and ice cascading from both their swords.
-o-
The fire blade did a back flip when the blue dragon of ice came at him causing the attack to miss. Immediately the orange-head used shunpo to appear next to the white-haired boy. Lashing out with his golden blade he was disappointed to see his attack blocked by the silver blade of his opponent. "Tch." Applying more pressure on his sword form Ichigo managed to overpower Tôshirô, drawing him back but was kept from attacking further in the very same second as the ice dragon came back around, capturing him between its fangs.
The blue, frozen water encased him, holding him in place, eyes still wide. Hitsugaya was already turning around when he said, loud and clear. "Seems like fire learned its place, Kurosaki."
"I wouldn't turn your back to him if I were you."
The short Captain opened his eyes slightly as he looked down at the Kuchiki – still encased in Ichigo's fire ring. Eyes widened as he turned back around-
-too late as black fire exploded from the icy prison, an eagle made of pitch-black flames lunging at the white-haired genius successfully throwing him back and scorching him slightly upon impact. As the fire subsided a bored-looking Ichigo became visible, dusting of his right shoulder with his free hand. "No, more like ice has yet to learn its limits."
Both charged forward again, blades colliding and sparks flying as gold and silver built a cross between their wielders, the shorter gritting his teeth whilst the taller man smirked. That smirk, however, soon vanished as he felt the ice cold chain at the end of the Zanpakutô's hilt wrap around his midsection. In the same breath the golden chain attached to his sword form trapped Tôshirô in the same manner, trying to compensate as best as possible.
In the blink of an eye black fire shot from the metal around Hitsugaya's middle, scorching his skin after burning the clothes away whilst Ichigo got once again encased by ice, however, it melted away quickly enough by his blazing body heat.
It was the moment the white-haired prodigy felt his skin burn crimson that he decided Bankai would be the only thing saving his ass in that fight.
-o-
Ichigo relaxed his stance as he watched Hitsugaya unleash his Bankai. "There you have it! I told you in the beginning this was a stupid fight!" His eyes widened as Tôshirô vanished from his vision, the next thing he knew from the shorter warrior him stabbing his stomach. "Ryûsenka." Once again Ichigo was encased by ice. Just when the white-haired genius was about to shatter the frozen prison with Ichigo still in it the ice exploded and the fire blade gripped Tôshirô's wrist tightly, rising his Reiatsu.
"This Ryûsenka... you should know it only works on people who won't melt the ice on contact. Why the bother?"
"If the ice doesn't work then the stab wound does, doesn't it? Blood loss will catch up with you."
Ichigo grinned. "Is that so? Then why..." Hitsugaya's eyes widened as black, liquid flames ran down his silver blade. "Aren't I bleeding right now?" In a flash the white-haired Captain retracted his sword from the others stomach, watching in horror as the orange-head chanted something causing just as vivid orange fire to close the wound. The grin widened. "My turn now, Tôshirô."
-o-
"Who would've thought he'd be into abusing little kids."
Rukia's eyes widened in shock as she whirled around to see his Hollow standing right outside the protective ring of black fire, Zangetsu standing right next to him. Noticing the direction of her gaze his sickening trademark-smirk made its way on his white complexion. "Long time no seen, huh, Rukia-chan?"
BAMM
He blinked his yellow eyes. Did she just throw a medium-sized stone at his forehead? What the hell?
"Don't call me Rukia-chan, you sicko!"
Blink
Blink
"Sicko?"
"YES!"
"You DO realize that I was born from Ichigo's soul, right? Does that make him a sicko, too? Oh, and the old, shady man here, too. All a bunch of sickos, are we?"
"Shut up!"
Shirosaki's face became blank. "Seriously, you spend way too much time with the King."
Further (pointless and childish) banter was cut short when the Hollow's eyes widened in utter shock causing Rukia to turn around, face paling in horror.
-o-
"Hyôryû Senbi!" A crescent-shaped wave of ice flew towards the fire blade. He, however, evaded the attack not noticing Hitsugaya making sure no one was in the near vicinity.
"What was that ab-"
"Hyôten Hyakkasô!"
The next Ichigo knew was blue light shining from a hole in the clouds above them, illuminating his already-glowing features with a ghostly shimmer, snow falling soon from the skies above.
-o-
"What the hell," whispered the fire blade as he looked up at the snow falling from the sky, not noticing how everywhere it fell on ice flowers sprouted, soon covering large parts of the grounds. His bi-colored irises followed one of the snow flakes as it landed on his right arm, a blue flower of ice soon blossoming and covering the limb and part of the sword completely. Eyes widened. "What the...?"
"After the 100th snow flake touches you, you'll die, Kurosaki."
Ichigo glared. "Tch."
-o-
Hitsugaya watched as the ice slowly formed a huge obelisk, trapping the former Shinigami in its cold depths. His eyes narrowed as black fire appeared where Ichigo was being held, slowly filling up the whole tower of ice flowers and finally caused it to vaporize. "What was the point of all this crap, Tôshirô? Are your brains frozen solid from your fight against your Zanpakutô, or something?"
"Bakudô no roku-jû-san, Sajo Sabaku."
A thick, yellow-glowing rope shot from Hitsugaya's outstretched hand towards the Spirit, binding him in spot. As Ichigo struggled against the bindings he didn't notice Tôshirô coming at him, until it was too late.
-o-
Ichigo's eyes were wide as his lips parted slightly, moving slowly in an attempt to say something but nothing came out as the silvery, ice cold blade had pierced his neck.
His hand was shaking as he brought it up to the cold metal, the fingertips barely making contact with the silver material as his bi-colored irises dimmed and his hand fell to his side.
"ICHIGO!"
-o-
I'm having a poll going, please vote! It concerns this fic to a certain degree...
Me: So, okay Ichi, last Chapter we got to know one of your techniques, right?
Ichigo: Um... yeah...
Me: Shall I tell everyone one of your two offensive techniques?
Ichigo: Why bothering? I hit the grave...
Me: -aggravated sigh- SO WHAT! It took me, like, forever to come up with them!
Ichigo: Then why did you kill me, damn it!
Me: I didn't kill you!
Ichigo: Tôshirô did!
Somewhere far away a white-haired imp sneezed...
Me: -glare-
Ichigo: -covers behind bed- O-okay, go on...
Me: -smiles- Okay~ So, you have two offensive techniques. Whilst one of them shall remain a secret for now (Ichigo: WHY FOR GOD'S SAKE! I'M DEAD!) SHUSH! Anyways, I will explain the other.
The name of the attack is 'Honô no Ikô, Hizakari'. The translation is something along the lines of 'transition of flames, meridiem'. It creates black flames with red outlines (a bit like Getsuga Tenshô) that, upon contact, reduces the subject to ashes. They don't burn, regardless what it is, everything is turned to ash. As compensation, your life force and Reiatsu is drained the longer you use the technique, just like with the healing one.
Ichigo: Sounds like the bad morning breath of that fatass Ba-whatever...
Me: …
Ichigo: … Seriously? You looked it up from him? How uncreative are you, woman?
Me: … Beatrice-sama! Ichigo is mean to me!
Beatrice from Umineko appears: What should I do?
Me: -grins- Let Lust have her fun with him.
After that Ichigo wasn't seen for a very long time...
-o-
Ryûsenka is one of Tôshirô's Bankai techniques meaning 'dragon hail flower'
Hyôryû Senbi is another one of Hitsugaya's Bankai attacks meaning 'ice dragon swirling tail'
Hyôten Hyakkasô means 'frozen heaven hundred flower funeral' (the technique he used against Halibel... that strange obelisk of ice :'D)
Sajo Sabaku is the way of binding 63 and an extension of Bakudô #4, Hainawa
*I moved the place where Kôga is sealed to Rukon because a) it sounds more logical (why the fuck are all the evil guys sealed away/targeting Karakura? That's stupid) and b) because Ichigo would go ballistic if Karakura was destroyed by Kôga XD
-o-