A/N: Well, the 4th chapter is up! It's filled with a lot of action so I guess I can blame that for me taking a little longer. Sorry for the wait. THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS SO FAR, KEEP THEM COMING! I decided that our two protagonists should share some serious bonding (pun intended, you'll see. Noo! It's not bondage! Get your mind out of the gutter!) time so that they realise their true feelings for one another. That will be covered in much more depth through the next chapter. Remember that this collective *Spring* section of Seasons of Love will probably end up as something pretty long, so plot-building is quite important for me. Thanks for your understanding! Until next time! ^_^
Chapter 4- Tribulation
The two figures resting in the bedroom jumped up in a flash, both of their human bodies slumping back onto respective beds. Clad in black robes, one sporting orange hair and the other red hair, the two Shinigami jumped through the window and vanished into thin air, a nearby tree rustling from the slight draft. They travelled unnaturally quickly, disappearing and reappearing on various rooftops of the town, almost in synchronization with each other. They were being drawn to a place, where something had just materialized.
What is it with these Hollow and appearin' at night? Can't I get any sleep for once? The scowl on Ichigo's face darkened further as the reiatsu pulsed again, malicious intent clear. He looked over at Renji, and saw him wearing a concentrated, almost calculating look on his face. It's his first time facin' one of these. Guess he can't figure out what it exactly is as well. His last encounter with the new breed of Hollow had been short, but enough to tell that they were formidable. Urahara's words came into his mind, clear as cathedral bells.It can absorb reishi, so attacks using high levels of reishi, like your Getsuga, are useless unless they manage to overpower the Hollow's intake limit.
So he would have to Hollowfy. Recently, Ichigo had managed to extend, once again, the amount of time he could hold onto his Hollow mask. He had trained hard and his reiatsu level continued to rise, making it easier for him to access the power granted through Hollowfication. His inner Hollow was being more co-operative, realizing that right now he did not have enough power to overthrow the "king" without killing himself in the process. So I'm gettin' stronger. It looks like the Hollows are too.
Renji, however, had managed to refine his skills whilst in bankai state tenfold. His control, offense and defense had all improved, and his moves were no longer as predictable as they were before. Adding to that, he had become fast, enough to challenge even the likes of Soi Fong. Ichigo had watched the Shinigami improve over time and he had grown to respect Renji's undying attitude to become stronger, just like himself. He could see now, how the child who once lived in Rukongai's 78th District had clawed his way up to becoming a captain of the Gotei 13.
The two of them could fight on equal footing, each one's bankai no stronger than the others. This was the foundation for why they could completely trust each other in battle, as well as why they knew they didn't need to protect each other. When they fought, there would only be one sentence in their minds. I have to win. Ichigo remembered Renji once said, "Showing concern for a warrior on the battlefield is an insult to that warrior."
So as the two of them faced the enormous reiatsu that was drawing rapidly closer, fear did not find its way into either of them, pushed away by a stiff wall of resolve.
Ichigo could feel it. This one was different. Its reiatsu was a whole level higher than the last Hollow he had faced. Well, I guess it's only fair since we got two people fightin' it this time. He was assuming that Rukia wouldn't arrive in time, as she was currently located at Urahara's and that was quite a fair way away. I've got to make this quick. Don't want it draggin' out and deprivin' me of my sleep.They flashed the last yard and stopped, taking in the sight of the Hollow in front of them.
Except there was nothing much to see. All that was there was a figure, human in size and stature, back turned to them, cloak floating in the wind. As they approached slowly, the figure turned around to face them, face hidden in the shadows of its hood. "Ahhhh…looks like you have finally arrived."
"What do you mean we've finally arrived? If you'd known we were comin', why didn't you come after us?" Ichigo was getting frustrated. What a waste of time!
"Why come after you when I knew you'd come to me?" The Hollow shook off its hood, revealing the face that was previously hidden. It looked almost human, if you didn't count the fact that its eyes were completely blue, with no irises or pupils. "I have come to issue a warning."
"Whatcha mean? Why would we need a warning from a Hollow?" Renji sounded curious rather than aggressive.
"We are no ordinary Hollows. We are the Vasqueta, the elite breed that has just graced the world through our presence." The Hollow did not move an inch, standing rooted to the spot, eyes glinting maliciously as it delivered its next words. "I will only say this once. Do not interfere; you will only make it harder for yourselves. Sooner or later, Soul Society will be ours. Once it falls, we will come and claim the human realm for ourselves as well. Resistance is futile; the cogs turning the gears of fate have already begun to spin."
"To hell with that! I'm sick of mutated Hollows turning up and vowing world domination! Nothing here is yours! You won't be able to take Soul Society and you're definitely not harming my town! Aizen tried and he failed, you're no different!" With that Ichigo dragged his hand over his face, his Hollow mask appearing instantaneously. He glanced over at Renji, who returned the minutest of nods. "Bankai!" The two shinigami shouted the two syllables together, red reiatsu emitted violently from both of them, hurtling towards the sky as they transformed.
"Tensa Zangetsu." Ichigo was now clad in a set of tight-fitting black robes, the jagged tail of his cloak flapping violently in the resulting gust of wind. His mask was still intact, the black and yellow of his eyes showing from the slits. This was just one of the techniques he had managed to accomplish; he could now summon his Hollow mask even when he was not in Bankai.
"Hihio Zabimaru" The redhead's sentence was not shouted, yet still managed to project over the battlefield. He was now standing in the center of the coiled tail of Zabimaru's Bankai form, a fur cape draped over his shoulders, backbone of Zabimaru in hand. The heavy reiatsu emitting from him was palpable, emanating alongside Ichigo's. It would now have been almost impossible for any Shinigami below Fuku-taichou rank to breathe if they entered the vicinity, as the reiatsu was so overpowering.
Ichigo wasn't preparing to hold back. Black and red flames began to billow from his blade, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Zabimaru extend his head, rushing towards the Hollow, mouth open as it let out a scream. He flashed, landing behind the figure. Even as he lifted Zangetsu to strike, the Hollow turned its head, smiling at him and waving a hand. What? Isn't he going to block? "GETSUGA TENSHOU!" The malevolent red and black crescent burst from the edge of Zangetsu, slicing a path towards the Hollow.
"Hikotsu Taiho!" Renji's call could be faintly heard as Zabimaru unleashed a massive burst of red reiatsu on the Hollow's front side, the blast's diameter equivalent to the Hollow's height. With an almighty explosion, the two attacks collided with the Hollow, creating a blinding flash of light. Reiatsu exuded from the aftermath of the combined assault, rippling over the two Shinigami standing unscathed in mid air. It's dead. Nothing could survive that. Ichigo turned to leave, feet already stepping away when a voice cut through the noise like a knife through butter, freezing him in his place.
"Why are you leaving? Did you think such paltry attacks would affect me?" As the smoke cleared, the Hollow stepped out, body completely unharmed. Ichigo's eyes widened, as Renji grimaced next to him.
"Damn, this one's tough. Ya up for it, Strawberry?" That brought a grin to his face. It was strange how his friend could make fighting enjoyable, almost.
"Hah. You bet." He turned around to face the Hollow again, Zangetsu's chain jingling slightly in the late night breeze. The Hollow opened its mouth to speak again. He sure is talkative for a Hollow.
"Aizen was just another piece on the chess board. Let me tell you a bit about us. We are the top; the pinnacle of Hollow development which Aizen sought to achieve, but never obtained. Our rank system is completely identical to the dismal Espadas that you have previously fought, except that our numbers run from 1 to 20. You can't defeat me. I have merely come as a warning to you. I have shown you grace already." He lifted a hand to the top of his cloak , tugging it apart slightly so it revealed a number imprinted on his collarbone. 5…
Without another word, the Hollow pointed a finger straight at the two Shinigami. "Cero…Absorbitas" A jet black ray exploded from the end of the Hollow's finger, spreading out rapidly into a cone shape, completely engulfing the nearby area.
Renji and Ichigo saw the blast coming, flashing away at the last split second before the black wave swallowed the place where they were previously located.
Ichigo was confused. It's extraordinarily strong, and it's fast. Was that really a Cero? If I didn't dodge, it probably would've disintegrated my body! Damn it, he seems like an Espada.The voice of the Hollow rang out again. "I will say this once more, we are not Espada. They pale in comparison to us. We are the Vasqueta. And you, Kurosaki Ichigo, have the potential to be one of us. Which is why, today, you must die." The 5th Vasqueta abruptly disappeared from view.
Ichigo's body tensed at those words. He had always felt uncomfortable when his inner Hollow powers were discussed, especially when it was an enemy. What does he mean? I have the potential to be one of them? This is gettin' serious. Ichigo turned his head towards Renji. "Hey, Renji, it's between the two of us now. Stand back!" Seeming to understand the statement, the Shinigami captain backed away, bankai fading.
"Well, ya better survive this, or I'll kick your ass!"
"Heh! Don't worry about that. You should know that I'm not so easy to kill." Just at that moment, the Vasqueta reappeared. Somehow, it had procured a dagger, which was now heading for Ichigo's neck. Quickly, he brought Zangetsu up, parrying the blade, sparks showering the edge. The Vasqueta promptly changed position, blade aimed for the Shinigami Daiko's chest. Once again, the two blades met. The collision sent both parties skidding back a number of steps. A number of exchanges later, the Hollow scored a hit on Ichigo's back, blood dripping from the wound as the skin split. He hissed in slight pain before bringing Zangetsu back into an offensive stance. He quickly made a decision, donning his Hollow mask once again. This time, he could see each of the Vasqueta's moves, the sequence with which he initiated his attacks becoming clear. As it came in for an uppercut with its dagger, Ichigo knocked the blade to the side, stabbing Zangetsu straight into the centre of the Hollow's chest. He looked down at the Hollow beneath him. "It wasn't really that hard to find an opening in your attacks. Being so predictable tends to leave you dead." Then…What? The body at the end of his blade had vanished. A clapping sound came from behind him, and Ichigo whirled around, finding himself face to face with the previously impaled Vasqueta. "Well done, you did a fine job there figuring out the pattern I had laid out."
"How are you not dead? I saw myself run my blade through you!" Ichigo had a look of disbelief on his face as the Hollow seemed, once again, unhurt in any way.
"Since you have fought valiantly so far, I will tell you. We are special and unique in that first, we can absorb reishi, which you know already, and, second, in that we can manipulate time. By changing time around us, we can do anything." The Vasqueta's eyes seemed to flash at the words "manipulate time" as if emphasizing the fact. "And now that I have told you so much, I think that it is high time that I ended this encounter." The Hollow once again raised its finger. "Encloserte!" Ichigo tried to flash away, only to discover that he was paralyzed. Every limb of his body was trapped, unable to move an inch. Is he lyin'? Can he really stop and start time? Come on! Move…move…MOVE! Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Renji stiffen, before flashing towards the Vasqueta.
"Bakudo no. 61…Rikujokoro" The Hollow's finger was pointed at the empty space next to him, the spell hitting Renji right when he reappeared. Six shards of yellow light slammed into the redhead's body, trapping him in place.
"How foolish of you. Learn to not intervene; it's highly impolite." Ichigo saw Renji struggling to get free, but to no avail. Not even one of the six shards cracked. The Vasqueta returned his gaze to Ichigo, smiling slightly as he said his next words. "Expungio, Quedyme!"
The hands of the Hollow transformed, the fingers holding the dagger extending until they became talons, each one spanning a foot in length. The blade of the dagger suddenly melted, becoming a pool of silver liquid that flowed over the Vasqueta's fingers. It solidified, providing the fingers with a coating that mutated them into weapons. "I will tell you my name before you perish. May you remember it well in death. I am Karcifrus. Pleased to meet you. Goodbye." The talons drove into Ichigo's body.
The last thing the orange-haired Shinigami saw before the pain blocked out everything was the Vasqueta's collarbone, cloak having loosened enough to expose the skin underneath completely. No…it can't be… In front of the number imprinted, there was another figure. 15. 5 was only the second digit.
"NOOOO!" With an almighty shattering sound, Renji broke loose from the binding spell, reiatsu skyrocketing at the sight of Ichigo being stabbed by the Vasqueta. "BANKAI!" Zabimaru reappeared, roaring. Renji thrust the head forward, absolutely focused on crushing the Hollow with everything he had. He suddenly stopped, feeling a pulse of familiar reiatsu very close by.
"Tsugi no mai…Hakuren!" A wave of ice billowed from the end of a pure white zanpaktou, held by a short female Shinigami that had just arrived at the scene.
"Rukia! We have to get to Ichigo! He's seriously hurt!"
"What? Quickly, you attend to him. I'll finish this!" Rukia flashed away, landing lightly behind Karcifrus. "Some no mai…Tsukishiro!" A circle appeared where Rukia was standing, rapidly turning white. Just before a column of ice burst from the circle, Rukia flashed away again. The two attacks unleashed by Rukia met, one horizontal and one vertical, freezing Karcifrus in place. With a satisfied sigh at the blankness of the Vasqueta's two eyes, she quickly returned to Renji's side. She gasped when she saw the state Ichigo was in.
"Renji, what happened? How did he end up like this?" Renji gave no answer. Instead, he just continued to stare at the body of Ichigo in front of him, shocked. Rukia placed her hand on Ichigo's chest. "He's alive. He's still breathing, and his reiatsu isn't completely gone. We have to get him to Inoue, there's no way he'll survive without her powers."
"You should know that he's poisoned. Even if he doesn't die from the initial wounds, the poison will end his life in a few weeks." Rukia jerked in shock at the voice, turning her head around. Karcifrus was standing there, staring at them.
"How…?" Rukia's voice faltered. She looked beyond the Hollow's head and the saw the two columns of ice still intact, with no body trapped inside.
"My work here is done. Remember, we are the Vasqueta, and Soul Society is the next target on our agenda. Farewell." The figure disappeared, reiatsu vanishing completely.
Renji seemed to awaken from his stunned silence when the Hollow disappeared, jumping up onto his feet. "Who the fuck does that Hollow think he is? I don't give a shit about his Vas…something crap! Ya coward! Get back here and let me crack ya head open!" Rukia wore an incredulous expression as she watched her Taichou throw the tantrum. Is it really that bad? I haven't seen him this angry since the time when I got sentenced to death. She suddenly remembered that they had no time to waste. Ichigo, hold on. We're not going to let you die!
"Renji! Calm down! Our priority is Ichigo right now, care about the Hollow later! Come here and help me carry him to Inoue's place." Rukia's shouts seemed to snap the redhead out of his rage. Renji's shoulders slumped as he walked back over to Ichigo's body.
"Sorry Rukia. I guess I just got carried away. I hate the fact that the Hollow hurt Ichigo and ran away. Fuckin' coward."
"Never mind that. We'll have to carry Ichigo between us. He's losing too much blood."
'There's no need for that." Ishida's voice suddenly appeared. Renji turned his head and saw Ishida, Chad and Inoue running towards them.
"Inoue! You're just the person we need! Ichigo's badly injured."
"Kurosaki-kun?" She upped her pace, reaching Rukia's side in a few strides. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw Ichigo's body, legs giving way shortly after. "What…happened?" She was kneeling, Shun Shun Rikka's orange-domed Soten Kisshun already working on Ichigo.
Renji answered this time. "Just a Hollow attack. It managed to land a lucky hit on Ichigo and it turned out quite serious."
"There's no point in lying Abarai. That was no ordinary Hollow. I could sense its reiatsu from my home and I know it was higher than an Espada's. Plus, the fact that Ichigo was fighting with his mask on is enough evidence that it wasn't a 'lucky hit'." Renji said nothing in reply. His eyes were fixed on Ichigo. Ishida gave him a curious look. He usually fights back when someone criticizes him. Did he actually hear me? Rukia answered for him, seeing that he was preoccupied.
"Well, what you said is true. The Hollow claimed that he was part of a group called the…Vasqueta I think? Something about destroying Soul Society as well? I arrived late so I don't have all the details." None of the three showed any sign of recognition relating to this 'group'.
"Never heard of them," Ishida replied. Then he switched to the more important topic. "Inoue, what's Ichigo's condition right now?" Everyone's attention turned to the orange-haired girl.
"Well, I've managed to heal almost all of his cuts and bruises. There are two problems, though. First, Ichigo's reiatsu is really low right now, so someone will probably have to lend him some of their own. Second…" She stopped, words suddenly stuck. Tears began to flow rapidly out of her eyes and she sobbed painfully, trying to hold them back. "Why didn't you…tell me…about …the p-poison?"
"I'm sorry, Inoue. I thought that it wouldn't bother you much, since it's just a little poison that the Hollow had on its claws. You can reject it…right?" Rukia's tone was hopeful; perhaps a little too much so.
"It's not…a l-little poison! It's gone into his bloodstream and for some reason I…can't reject it. It's spreading right now. If we don't do something about it, Ichigo will…" Inoue broke down again, unable to say the last word. Ishida sat down next to Inoue, comforting her and calming her down. After a few seconds, he reminded them about Ichigo's reiatsu.
"Rukia, since you made Ichigo a Shinigami, I think it's best if you lend him your reiatsu. We need to hurry. At this rate, he'll probably have to go to Soul Society for treatment." Rukia agreed with a brief nod, leaning over Ichigo's body and placing her hands atop his chest. She quickly extended her reiatsu, with the goal of reaching out to Ichigo's so that it could bolster his currently weak state. Suddenly, she felt her reiatsu strands being blocked. It's not working. Something's stopping me from getting through! She searched for the source of the blockage and almost fell over when she realized what was causing it.
"Renji! Renji!" The redhead turned his head to her.
"Yeah, what's the matter?"
"For some reason Ichigo's already got a tiny bit of your reiatsu attached to him. I can't get through because it's rejecting me. I think you're the only one who can properly reach out to his reiatsu strands right now." Renji seemed confused by that.
"Why does he have my reiatsu in him?" Rukia looked at her Taichou impatiently, exasperated by his question.
"We'll figure it out later. Just do it, he's our friend and right now his life is in danger! Just do it!"
"Alright, alright." Renji hurriedly shifted himself so that he was facing Ichigo and placed both his palms on the Shinigami Daiko's chest. He replicated Rukia's process, summoning his reiatsu strands and urging them into Ichigo's body. He quickly found that what Rukia said was true, as he could see a tiny portion of one of his own reiatsu strands merged with one of Ichigo's. Renji pushed on and found, to his slight surprise, that he was granted access. His reiatsu flooded into Ichigo's body, each of his strands finding one of Ichigo's to latch onto.
The redhead moved onto the fusion process, putting all his energy into merging his strands with the orange-haired boy's. Soon, Renji started to feel an immense burning sensation as the colour of Ichigo's reiatsu strands began changing. Despite the pain, he pushed on, the words "Ichigo's life is in danger" repeated over and over in his head as a mantra spurring him on. At long last, his reiatsu meshed completely with Ichigo's, their combined strands pulsing together, a deep violet in colour. Renji let out a sigh, just realizing that he was drenched in sweat from the intense activity. When he regained his senses, he lifted his head and smiled at Rukia. "It's done." She beamed at the confirmation, giving him a quick hug before speaking to the rest of the group.
"Leave the rest to us. You guys can go back. We'll take him to Society and get Unohana-taichou. She'll know what to do." The group of three nodded; Inoue finally having got a hold of herself, sniffled only once.
Rukia and Renji lifted Ichigo up, supporting his weight between the two of them. Rukia quickly pulled out her zanpaktou, turning it and revealing a Senkaimon to Soul Society. "See you guys, he'll be safe, don't worry!" With that, the three Shinigami disappeared, the gates of the portal of light shutting after them.
~Chapter 4 Omake
Renji: Damn you, cuttin' him up like that! I think I need ta show ya what I do ta people who harm my best friends! *cracks knuckles*
J: I'm sorry! Please…it's part of the plan!
Renji: Well, it must be a crap plan if it involves Ichigo almost dyin'!
Zangetsu pops out of nowhere!
Zangetsu: Now, now, Renji, Ichigo is perfectly fine. There's no need to use violence to solve this issue.
Renji/J: Wahhh? Zangetsu?
Zangetsu: Yes, it's me.
Renji: I'm just worried for Ichigo, so I needed to vent some frustration.
Zangetsu: I think I have the perfect solution. I tried it and it's wonderful.
Renji: What's that? *narrows eyes suspiciously*
Zangetsu: Fishing!
2 hours later, at a pond in Renji's inner world
Renji: Fuck! I hate this! Not a single fish!
Zangetsu: Ooooh…this one looks interesting.
Zangetsu is standing with sword in hand, a whale stuck on the end.
Renji: How the fuck did you catch that?