Author note: First and foremost i must apologise for the lateness of this chapter. I actually never expected to write this one then one day i thought about and decided to go through with it. I will leave the rest of the author notes at the bottom because there is one or two things i feel i need to explain in regards to this chapter, but for now here is the usual disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, or any of the characters associated with it. If I did... I would be earning a crap load more money than I am earning now.
As always please read the chapters in the order that I have published them in, there is some method in my madness, and some things don't have the same level of impact if you read them chronologically. You have been warned.
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Hey Ichigo part IX
'Normal End'
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"Hey Ichigo."
"Yeah?"
"What are you doing?"
"Defeating Aizen."
"It doesn't look like you are."
"You're blind then."
"Idiot."
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He lay there, his body broken and battered. Aizen stood atop a cliff, energy radiating from his very being. Ichigo had enormous strength, speed and power, but he lacked the ability to finish Aizen, to deal a fatal blow that would end this once and for all. No… Lacking the ability was the incorrect phrase to use. A refusal to use that ability may have been the more correct term.
They were connected. She understood that better than anyone. She didn't need that dodgy shop keeper to tell her otherwise. When 'Aki-no-tsuki' returned to her, she saw the city skyscraper as well as the man that resided at its peak. She knew what they represented and she was also aware of the effect that she held over the strawberry Shinigami. So it was little surprise to her when his world became flooded by his fears, hers also collapsed under its pressure.
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"Hey Ichigo."
"Yeah?"
"Why don't you defeat him already?"
"It's not that easy."
"What are you talking about? He's not that strong."
"I have him right where I want him."
"Yeah… sure you do."
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He slowly picked himself of the ground, standing straight to return to the fight. His long hair wavered ever so slightly as he used 'Zangetsu' as a crutch. He couldn't defeat Aizen if he continued to fight him with one hand tied behind his back. What a stubborn idiot. If he would just use 'it,' this would be all over in a matter of seconds. If he just used that technique, the technique which he learned in the depth of his soul, amidst the flood of worries, he would be able to end this. The 'Saigo no Aki-ga Tenshou.' So why couldn't he use it and just end this once and for all? End the long battle that Soul Society fought against Aizen. It was a simple question with an even simpler answer. He couldn't use it because of the sacrifice that would come with it.
The equation was actually quite simple. Aizen had amassed such a large amount of power through the help of the hogyoku that he had become a being that surpassed that of Shinigami, Hollow, Arrancar or Vaizard. He existed in his own dimension, so in order to combat such a being; you would have to sacrifice part of yourself in order to achieve a higher level. Those that are unwilling to sacrifice anything wouldn't be able to achieve anything. Unless you were willing to forfeit something, you wouldn't be able to accomplish your goal. That was the type of cruel world they lived in.
When Ichigo first obtained Shinigami powers, he sacrificed the life he had previously. When Senna saved them in that forgotten life time, she sacrificed her very existence. When Ichigo saved Senna, he sacrificed part of himself to do that. So in order to obtain the power to defeat Aizen, what did Ichigo have to trade for it? The answer was simple. He would have to trade his Shinigami powers and everything that was sustained by it.
He walked forward with shaky legs. Passing her in an attempt to return to the fight, to continue to fight against the choice he was given. He knew better, but he was also unwilling to sacrifice anything. He obtained power in order to protect those dear to him. He didn't obtain power just to discard those he wanted to protect. That was simply too cruel to the man that was known as Kurosaki Ichigo. So she made the choice for him, the two options before her were the same as those in their first lifetime together. The decision was already made and it would always be the same. She would gladly choose his life over her own.
The punch came quick and hard, catching him completely by surprise. His weakened body collapsed onto her petite frame. She could see the consciousness fading from his eyes. He had fought Aizen without the use of that technique. He may have had the advantage in the early stages; however the hogyoku allowed its host to continuously adapt and grow ever more powerful. This meant that Aizen was able to grow beyond Ichigo's current abilities; he had been completely overwhelmed as the battle dragged on.
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"Hey Ichigo."
"…"
"You idiot."
"…"
"But I guess that's why I love you so much."
"…"
"Now just rest, leave the rest to me."
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She turned to face Aizen. His grotesque form had evolved further, appearing more and more hollow than human. Or was he more human than hollow now? It was simply too hard to tell. Aizen had obviously grown impatient as a cero flew close to the pair. It didn't matter. Time was such a fickle thing. When faced with the void, everything seemed to be comparatively insignificant. She sighed as her reistsu began to swirl.
She was a memory. That was a fact. She was sustained because a certain Shinigami altered his soul in order to fulfill a promise. However that Shinigami also had other promise's he wanted to keep. He had other things he also wanted to protect. So he got stronger, he obtained more power in order to protect all of those that were precious to him. But that wasn't what she wanted to protect. When 'Zangetsu' explained of what would happen should he use the 'Saigo no Aki-ga Tenshou' she knew instantly he would not be able to go through with it and use it. If it was just his power that he had to give up he would have done it in a heartbeat. That wasn't the case this time around.
When Orihime and Chad obtained their power from Ichigo, it developed on its own. Their abilities were similar to a Shinigami's Zanpukto, it developed and progressed just like a Shinigami's and thus also was able to change. For one of them their body changed in order to protect those around him. The other had a precious object altered in order protect and heal those important to her. It wouldn't be surprising that their inner world would adapt and change in order to accept this power into their lives. The difference laid in the fact that while Ichigo had influenced their development, he did not give it to them himself. Their inner worlds weren't tied together; her situation was a completely different scenario.
She had no power, so Ichigo went ahead and kept her Zanpukto safe. She had no power, so she came and forcibly retrieved it so she could also protect him, to stand by his side. She had no power, so she did everything she could in order to change that, to prove to him that she was a Shinigami; a Shinigami that was forever defended by him. This technique, this 'Saigo no Aki-ga Tenshou,' would mean that Ichigo would lose his Shinigami powers as well as those that were sustained by it. His power was also preserving a precious memory. A memory the Shinigami refused to let go off.
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"Hey Aizen."
"…"
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"…"
"Let me show you what Ichigo couldn't."
"…"
"The 'Saigo no Aki-ga Tenshou." (Final Autumn Fang Heaven Piercer)
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The 'Saigo no Aki-ga Tenshou' was a technique where one of them would become the Aki-ga itself. It wasn't limited to just Ichigo himself. The pair was connected; their inner worlds were almost one and the same. This was a technique that required sacrifice for immeasurable power. If you generate a flame too large, the flame itself would eventually burn itself out. That flame/sacrifice was their Shinigami power; it after all steamed from the same source. Ichigo may have been unwilling to sacrifice the power that kept her memory alive, however if the alternative was to stand-by and watch him die then there really was no alternative.
It would still be option 2 every time.
Her Shinigami garb faded away replaced by a dark energy. Her hair twisted and grew jet black like the moonless sky, while her eyes shone a bright orange like those of maple leaves in Autumn. Her power radiated outward but oddly enough nothing around her seemed affected by it, as though they couldn't feel her presence to begin with. She saw Aizen's eyes grow wide in shock, but she felt no need to explain anything to him. The 'Saigo no Aki-ga Tenshou,' was their final technique, a technique that they both shared.
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"What is that form!?"
"…"
"Ridiculous! It's not possible!
"…"
"A mere human surpassing me! That could never –"
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Aizen's cries fell on deaf ears. She was no longer on that battle field, she was somewhere far away. She was standing before him, in that weird inverted world that kept him alive. The place that was once a small town flooded with worries but now had its skyscrapers reaching upwards once more. Along with a single maple tree that grew in the city midst under the setting sun. She reached forward a beam of energy formed in her hand. It glowed a radiant red; just like the ribbon she wore. The rain began to fall.
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"Mugetsaki." (Moonless Autumn)
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The final technique that 'Zangetsu' could teach had been affected by her. The Autumn had come and replaced the moon and the sky. So she stood before him, in that final moment before the technique collided with Aizen. In that moment before the technique was used, she was called back before him. Into that inner world where her memory was saved and 'Aki-no-tsuki' was guarded.
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"Hey Ichigo"
"Yeah?"
"Sorry."
"It isn't like you to apologise."
"I thought I should this time around."
"Why?"
"Because, I couldn't respect your wish the second time round."
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That's right. They never talked about that previous life time together or of the decision that was made at the end of it. The world was collapsing in on itself, she still had a connection with the Nobody's, so she decided to sacrifice herself to use its power to save everyone. No, she wasn't thinking of everyone at the time. She was only thinking of the orange haired Shinigami that was standing before her. Nothing had changed the second time round, because to her the world was only fun because he was there.
Facing him wasn't easy. He stood there, the rain coming down heavily. She stood before him, head slightly bowed in apology. She did not regret the decision she made, only of the consequence of it. In the first place she was nothing more than a memory. In their first lifetime together, she was merely a construction of 'other' people's memory. When her power ran out in that lifetime, those memories disappeared. In this lifetime she was the memory of the Strawberry Shinigami a memory he fought to hang onto no matter the cost. When his power faded, this memory would also disappear. She was truly blessed to have been able to meet him twice. However no matter how blessed a person is, their luck would eventually run out.
She could feel it. 'Mugetsaki' had been used, her body had already started to fade; both here and in the real world. Kisuke Urahara had explained it to her once, the mystery behind her ability to form a real body out of autumn leaves. It was because she was a soul that was being sustained by spiritual energy, that spiritual energy was given form in both a physical and metaphysical sense. When she was a Shinigami powered by the energy of the 'Nobody's' she formed her body from the 'Valley of Screams.' When she was a Shinigami sustained by him, she would mold and adapt his spiritual signature into the form he knew all too well. Just like his memory of her.
The real question at hand was really when she was 'born.' She lived alone and couldn't remember her birth parents that well. She had documentation at her home showing names but she didn't have memories associated with it. She didn't even have a surname so she was simply known as 'Senna.' She may have been born just a few months prior or have lived in Karukara town for the past few years. She wasn't sure, the memories simply didn't exist. She had vague memories of somebody who she associated as her 'father' and her 'mother,' but she was unable to differentiate between those of the 'Memory Rosary Senna,' and the 'Shinigami Senna.' It was funny really, she often had a small hope that one day 'his' family name would be behind her, so she would truly be apart of something. To no longer be just called just 'Senna.' It was to late for that after all as she felt it happen.
His eyes widened as he noticed the autumn leaves had started to fall; winter was coming with the change of season. Time stand stills for no one. So before the season completely disappears, she took a step forward on fading legs, leaving autumn leaves in her wake. She closed the gap between them in one fell swoop not allowing the orange haired Shinigami to think, before wrapping her arms around him amidst the autumn leaves. Her body was slowly disappearing in the same way that Autumn always parts to Winter. She felt his arms circle around to the small of her back as she brought her lips to his. That's right, they promised didn't they? That they'd talk about this once he got back. It's ironic really, just as he returned to her, she was leaving him. However that was the furthest thing from either of their mind, for everything seemed so simple in that moment.
There was still so much she wanted the idiot before her to know, but she had moments at best before the spiritual energy that sustained her was gone. His hands held her tighter as she buried her face into his chest. His fingers tangled them self into her hair along with her ribbon. She knew it didn't matter. Once the energy sustaining her disappeared, all those that interacted with the person that was known as 'Senna' would forget; just like in that previous memory. She would be the first to go, then shortly after all the memories of her would disappear and then finally the Shinigami powers of Ichigo would fade from existence. So she asked as she always asked, started their conversation as they always started it.
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"Hey Ichigo."
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"I know."
"I'm glad I met you, both in this life and the one previous."
"I know."
"I'm so happy right now."
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He held her tighter until he was holding nothing at all. All that remained of the being that was known as 'Senna' was a few maple leaves and a single red ribbon in the palm of his hand. It was her final gift to him, the item that connected their lives together from that Autumn all those life times ago. The message she was trying to convey was loud and clear, something she could never bring herself to say directly to him. The most painful word there was.
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"Goodbye."
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-fin-
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Okay to begin with, this is considered the 'Normal End' of "Hey Ichigo." I will say this now i have no real intention of writing anything past the defeat of Aizen simply because i just didn't enjoy the full bring or the quincy arc. If anything the only good thing that came out of the last arc was the reference to the valley of screams the possibility that the existence of 'Senna' was actually all canon (even though i am still having trouble placing the movie 'Memories of Nobody,' into the correct bleach timeline). From here i believe he will go back through the rest of the arcs as per normal with only very slight modifications.
So since there is a 'Normal End' there must be other endings correct? Well given the nature of how I write, and how I enjoy my time skips you'll just have to wait and see what other endings there are associated with this particular fanfiction. I've had a bit of a thought of the time and i've more or less get an idea in my head that i would like to see pan out, the real question i suppose is when will i actually get around to writing these idea onto paper. Guess i'll just have to wait and see what i come up with. But for now i hope you enjoyed Part IX of 'Hey Ichigo,' and look forward to the possibilities of other endings in the future.
As always please R & R as feedback is always greatly appreciated.
-Destria
