Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach, nor am I affiliated with it's creator, Tite Kubo. However, my OC's and the new plot-line are in fact my own creation. Don't use Kai without my permission please, or give me some credit. You wouldn't like it if I stole your OC's, would you?

Pairings: Minor OrihimexOC but mainly IchiRuki throughout. Ichigo and Rukia were made for each other, I think.

Brief: After the Winter War comes to a conclusion, Ichigo and the gang are in for some all new shocks to come!

Warnings: Romance (if you hate the odd spout of fluff, I urge you not to continue), strong language and potential gore.

Note: In this Fanfic, Kai has taught Ichigo the ways of the Neo-Vizard, just to clarify that!

Bleach After the Winter War

Chapter 6: Reform, the Power of Drako Revealed

Kai barely ducked out of the way of another slash from Zangetsu's curved blade. Ichigo stopped and looked at him seriously.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. "Usually you'd be giving me a run for my money."

"I'm fine." Kai grunted.

"Well I'm not!" Rertyan growled inside Kai's head. "The buzzing won't stop dammit!"

"Buzzing?" Kai repeated the word in confusion. "What the-"

He was cut off by an inhuman shriek that echoed through the teenager's mind and out of his mouth. His head spun as his knees buckled and he fell to his hands and knees, barely able to stay up as he was forced into his inner world, a white mask forming over his face by itself.

Kai's Inner World

Kai opened his eyes in the dark cave that was his inner world. Supernova looked troubled as Kai struggled to his feet and approached the zanpakuto.

"What am I doing here, Supernova?" he asked, feeling the ground tremble.

"Rertyan's suffering a great deal," the dragon explained. "he is reforging his mask in the process. It is a dangerous, painful process which will either grant him greater power... or kill him."

"And that would kill me, yes?" The spirit nodded. Kai sighed. "Bloody fantastic, as usual."

Underground Training Area

Ichigo watched as Rertyan straightened before him, mask formed. He growled, then threw his head back in an ear-piercing, heart stopping, blood chilling roar of pain. His mask began to glow red and the horns began to destabilise, turning to red reishi particles that swirled around the Hollow's body.

"AAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" came the roar, alerting Ichigo and Rukia (who had come down to see what was happening) that something wasn't right.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, unsheathing Sode no Shirayuki as a precaution.

"Rukia, what the hell is going on?" Ichigo asked, eyes fixed on the swirling red electrical energy.

"He is destabilising. It happens somethings with high levels of spiritual pressure, like when you deflected that Cero from a menos grande. It could kill him."

"Dammit! We have to do something!"

"There's nothing to do but hope for the best."

Kai's Inner World

Kai focussed on Rertyan and felt his pain emphasized by the destabilizing mask. He closed his eyes and concentrated his red reiatsu into the hollow, giving him the extra power he needed.

"Rertyan, don't give up on this fight!" he growled, willing the hollow on.

Underground Training Area

Rukia and Ichigo watched in wonder as the horns remade themselves and slowly grew as the remaining reishi was absorbed with a series of cracks and crunches. Another roar and the body became shrouded in a storm of dust, causing Ichigo and Rukia to shield their eyes.

"Reveal your true power," came a distorted yell from the dust-cloud. "Supernova Dragon!"

A forceful blast of reiatsu forced the shroud aside, revealing a strange sight to the Squad 5 Captain and Lieutenant. Kai's face was completely hidden behind his mask (which now sported a triple horn on the top and two rams horns that curled once and pointed straight upwards, ending just above the central horns) but the left side of his body had changed into it's hollowfied equivalent. The left side of his top had become shredded in the force of the hollowfication along with the left leg of his trousers, going from ankle to mid-thigh. The white skin was tattooed with red markings that seemed to spread out from his hollow hole. His shoulder held a large shoulder pad with three spikes sticking out of it. Around the Hollow's ankle was some red fur that clumped around the ankle, while the wrist sported a shackle with a broken length of chain hanging from it. Rukia gaped at the sight as the hollow drove it's blade into the ground and drew it's right pistol, charging a red and black energy sphere. It also had a dark red and black Cero charging in it's left hand.

"What the hell?" Rukia said.

"What the hell is going on?" Ichigo asked. "I thought you said he'd be killed!"

"I said he could be killed! Use your ears, idiot!"

They didn't have time to argue as the pistol was fired at them, causing the duo to split up. Ichigo turned and saw the Cero fire at Rukia, but he used his Shunpo to get between the two quickly.

"Zangetsu!" he yelled, activating the Shikai II before intercepting the Cero, but even with such high a power in the zanpakuto, the Cero seemed to be draining the energy to fuel itself.

"Getsuga..." Ichigo said through gritted teeth, willing as much power as he could into the lunar fang as it charged. "Tenshou!"

Even with the lunar fang combating it, the Cero was stubborn, but eventually the two cancelled each other out. Ichigo panted for a moment, then turned to Rukia.

"We've got to suppress him." he said. Rukia nodded.

"Bankai!" they said, taking on their full forms.

"Tensa Zangetsu." Ichigo said.

"Heavenly White Snow." Rukia said. (If someone could let me know the Japanese for this, I'd be most grateful!)

Rertyan laughed with joy.

"Finally!" he yelled. "With this power, I'll be near unstoppable!"

"Think again!" Ichigo yelled, trying to use his Demon Moon Piercing Eternity, but the hollow turned and grabbed the black blade as it came at him, causing Ichigo to freeze momentarily.

"Idiots leave themselves open like that, Captain of Squad 5." Rertyan growled, raising his sword again. "You should pay more attention."

The hollow went to stab Ichigo but Rukia Intercepted the strike with her shield.

"Fourth dance," she said, focussing. "White Blast."

The shield shone brightly before freezing the flames around Supernova and sending a huge blast of ice and snow over Rertyan, freezing him.

"That'll hold him for a while." Rukia said firmly, keeping her gaze fixed on the hollow.

Kai's Inner World

Kai growled.

"Rertyan!" he yelled. "What the hell are you playing at?"

"What'cha mean?" the hollow replied innocently, but Kai wasn't fazed by this.

"You know exactly what the bloody hell I mean! Your mask is solidified, so why haven't you relinquished control?"

"I figured I'd take tonight release time a little early, seeing as how I have all kinds of new power. Just breakin' in the mask, what's the big deal?"

"How about you give me back my goddamn body before I break the damn mask off and keep you here until I feel the need to release you."

Rertyan sighed.

"Touché King." he sighed, allowing himself to be dragged back into the inner world. "There you go. Oh, by the way, we're kinda frozen so good luck with that."

"Thanks a bunch(!)" Kai growled before returning to his body.

Supernova turned to the hollow and cocked his head to one side slightly.

"So, what was it like?" he asked.

"Friggin' awesome." Rertyan replied with a smirk. "I'll show you it some time."

Underground Training Area

Kai forced a large portion of reiatsu out of his body as he took control, shattering the ice that held him. His mask was still intact, although the hollowfied parts of him had returned to normal, so he decided to see what it now looked like. He sheathed Supernova in it's chain and raised both hands to carefully peel the mask away from his face before turning it around and staring back at the lifeless eye-holes with surprise.

"Wow," he murmured. "I didn't expect this at all."

"You aren't the only one, Kai." Ichigo said, catching the Captain's attention. "So that's what the hogyoku can do."

"Seems like it. We'll go look for it tomorrow, for now lets get home and get a little sleep. I'm gonna go tell the Vizards what we've learnt."

Later, Urahara Shop Second Bedroom

After the damage Kai's hollow side had done to the training area underground, Ichigo and Rukia had been given the spare bedroom on the second floor of the shop itself, since it wasn't being used. Oddly enough, it seemed like Ichigo's room; a bed under the window, a desk next to it and a cupboard with an extra bed in it, in which Rukia slept.

A thunderstorm had rolled into Karakura, blotting out the night sky with roars of rage and strikes of fury. The heavens bawled with each blast of light that cracked the sky and each growl that disturbed the citizens.

Rukia hated it. Each flash and bang awoke her from her attempts at sleep and scared her for an age.

Ichigo was also struggling. The rain reminded him of bad memories, as it did Rukia. Ichigo's mother had been killed in the rain, Rukia was taken to the Soul Society for her execution in the rain, and Ichigo was taken by the Black Hollow in the rain. Ichigo was asleep, but in the grip of the nightmares of his memories from the rain.

Rukia jumped and let out a squeak as another crash of thunder rolled over the unsuspecting town. She sat bolt upright in Ichigo's closet, breathing rapidly, trying to calm herself.

It was just the storm, the petite Soul Reaper thought.

She sighed at her own silliness, opening the closet door and swinging her legs out. She watched Ichigo stir in his sleep, his brow furrowed, body thrashing and, every once in a while, a word or a jumble of incoherent babble slipped from his mouth.

"Mum..." he mumbled. "Don't do it... Don't leave... I need..."

Rukia smiled sympathetically at his muddled words about his mother... Or, at least, she thought it was his mother.

"Please don't... Rukia..." The teenager rolled onto his back.

Rukia didn't have time to consider what the orange-haired teen's words meant as a flash of lightning and a loud boom of thunder scared her, and she fell from the closet with a thud onto the floor.

"Rukia!" Ichigo yelled shortly, waking from his nightmare.

There was a shocked silence as Ichigo clamped a hand over his mouth before he could blurt out more than he wanted, the silence broken only a flash outside and a crash as the thunder rolled over the small shop. Rukia yelped and stood up, going to the closet again, when her hand was captured in Ichigo's, halting her.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Of course I'm ok- Ah!" Rukia had tried to stop him worrying, but another loud thunder clap scared her and she jumped into Ichigo, clutching his chest tightly, as if she feared it would vanish from existence. She realised what she was doing with a blush, inhaling his scent deeply as she calmed herself.

"I don't like the rain or thunderstorms." she explained, embarrassed.

"Come on." Ichigo whispered in her ear, embracing her. "There's nothing to fear, I'll protect you."

Rukia felt herself calm further just from being in her Captain's arms in the pitch black.

"C-can I sleep with you, Ichigo?" she asked carefully, not wanting to offend him. "It'll be just for tonight, and you won't even know I'm-"

Rukia stopped as she felt a pressure on her lips, eyes wide. As soon as she realised it was in fact Ichigo kissing her, she closed her eyes and kissed back. Not even the dark clouds above them could stop their moment, which only ended when they needed air once more. Rukia gazed into Ichigo's warm chocolate eyes and he stared into her sapphire globes, both smiled slightly.

"Come on, it's no problem." he told the small Soul Reaper, picking up her tiny frame and carrying her to bed.

The two settled gently in the folds of the bed, arms wrapped around one another, each inhaling the other's scent.

Outside the door, Urahara and Isshin moved away from the door, a grin on the shop-keeper's face.

"It seems that your son and Rukia have finally gotten together." Urahara smirked.

"Yeah, and I owe you twenty." Isshin grumbled, digging into his wallet and handing his friend his money.

"Yes, it's a pleasure doing business with you again, Isshin."

Ichigo: You bastard! You were betting on me and Rukia?

Urahara: Of course, I'm a business man after all.

Ichigo: And you too, dad?

Isshin: I wouldn't be a good father if I didn't. Oh, Ichigo, give your father a hug, you're finally a man!

Ichigo: Get the hell away from me you freak!

Yeah, I gave in to my temptation and gave a nice chunk of Ichiruki goodness.

I don't care what people say, it should be Ichiruki and Ishihime, not Ichihime!

Anyway, apologies for delays, that bastard called homework got me again.

Anyways, enjoy, read, comment, and see you next time!

Oh, and Happy Halloween guys and girls!