Jeez, I am so tired. You don't even need to know that. I don't know why I typed it.
Seven
'So... everything Rukia and I can see may just be an illusion?'
'Yep,' Hollow Ichigo confirms. 'Unless I can see it too, in which case I can guarantee it is real.'
Rukia sighs. 'We... we need to g-get back to the Soul Society so I c-can get my sword and t-then...' she trails off.
Ichigo is immediately overwhelmed with worry and guilt. To have spent such a brief time with her sister only to witness her death, and then to find out it was only an illusion after all... that has shaken Rukia up badly. He himself isn't feeling to good about the way he treated Rukia when he believed she had killed Masaki... and his mother's accusations when she appeared...
But it's just a dream. None of this is real. The Hollow is right.
And for once, Ichigo is glad that his Hollow is here.
'And you'll help us?' Ichigo asks. He's just got to get that clear.
Hollow Ichigo yawns. 'Got nothing better to do.'
Ichigo clears his throat. 'Right, well, going to the Soul Society is probably going to get us into a load of trouble but it's the best idea we've come up with all night. Going to Kisuke is not an option because the chances are we can't trust him-'
'Probably shouldn't under normal circumstances,' Rukia says with a small smile.
'- and so this leaves us with one option,' Ichigo says. 'Rukia, will you be able to open a senkaimon without your sword?'
Rukia winces. 'No. I don't think so.'
'It's not as if you're going to need it,' Hollow Ichigo says, pointing at something behind the other two. 'Look'. They turn to see a senkaimon appearing just a few feet away, but no one is coming through.
'I think it's for us,' Ichigo says slowly.
'Yes,' Rukia agrees. 'I would imagine the culprit behind this illusion would like us to visit the Soul Society next. So I guess this means we're following their plan. Whether we like it or not.'
XOXOXOX
'This isn't right,' Ichigo whispers as they walk down a darkened street of the seventy-eighth district of South Rukongai, or 'Hanging Dog', the place where they rather randomly ended up.
'Not so random,' Rukia murmurs. 'This is the place where I grew up.'
'Where is everybody?' Ichigo says, staring around.
'It's night time. They're in bed. What's the problem?' Hollow Ichigo answers.
'No, the streets always had people on them, even at night,' Rukia says as she peers in the dirty, stained window of a building. 'I don't think anyone's here at all.'
'Less people to get in the way,' the Hollow says at the same time as Ichigo mutters, 'Less people will be in danger.' They stare at each other before the Hollow continues, 'Same amount of syllables, too. Weird.'
'What's weird is there's no one here,' Ichigo says, his frown deepening.
'It's an illusion, I would imagine the creator probably felt no need to bring more people into this other than necessary,' Rukia says.
'It's too quiet,' Ichigo says uncomfortably. 'It feels like something really bad is about to happen.
'Oh, will you shut up?' Hollow Ichigo snaps. 'It's like you're paranoid or something.'
'Why don't you just-?'
'Knock it off, both of you,' Rukia says without bothering to face them. 'We need to leave this place and get my sword as soon as possible. It will be quite a long journey but if we flashstep we can get it done a lot faster. Come on.'
She disappears and reappears on the roof of a building further down the street. Ichigo copies her and Hollow Ichigo ends up performing the most embarrassing act he's ever committed in his rather short life. He trips and falls over.
Ichigo and Rukia stare back at him in bewilderment. 'What are you doing?' Ichigo asks after a moment of silence.
The Hollow lifts his head up, feeling himself going hot in the face. 'Nothing.'
'Why'd you fall?'
'Shut up.'
He pulls himself to his feet and tries to sonido again. This time, he manages not to collapse to the ground but instead grabs onto a wall in time to hold him up.
'What's wrong?' Rukia asks, tilting her head slightly.
'I- nothing.' He lets go of the wall and tries again, only to fall to his knees, his eyes open wide in astonishment. 'I... can't sonido,' he says disbelievingly.
'You what?' Ichigo asks.
'I can't sonido,' Hollow Ichigo repeats, glaring up and Ichigo.
The Substitute Soul Reaper lets out a little snort of laughter. 'Seriously?'
'This isn't funny, Ichigo!'
'Sure, sure.'
'No, he's right. It isn't,' Rukia says with a frown. 'Why can't you do it?'
'I don't know. I-' he breaks off as he hears someone's voice.
'You're quite a problem, little Hollow.'
'What?!'
'What?' Ichigo asks.
'Didn't you hear that?!' Hollow Ichigo shouts. 'That voice!'
'Wait, you're hearing voices?' Ichigo says sceptically. 'I mean, I'm the one who's supposed to hear voices, aren't I? I mean, you're the voice so I'm not sure if that counts...'
'I'm being serious.'
'As you're a problem for me, I guess that means I'll return the favour. Now figure out how to solve it. Time's ticking.'
'You... have no spiritual pressure,' Rukia says, staring at the Hollow with wide eyes. 'Your... powers are gone.'
'It's the person behind this!' Hollow Ichigo snarls. 'They've taken my powers and they say I've got to figure out how to get them back! How the hell is this possible?! It's an illusion, and it's only supposed to be targeting you two!'
'I could have destroyed Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki by now. If not for you. You're ruining my plans, Hollow, and now you must pay.'
'It says... because I've been helping you guys, I have to... pay the price.'
Ichigo looks horrified. 'But if it's an illusion then you can't really have lost them, right? It's just tricking us into thinking that.'
'It's managed to convince our senses this,' Rukia muses. 'Almost like... hypnotism. As long as a part of you believes something, then the rest of you will automatically be convinced. In other words, you literally have the equivalent of losing your powers.'
'Damn...' Hollow Ichigo closes his eyes. What the hell do you want me to do?
'The truth is hidden in plain sight. In your true problem you'll find your key.'
'Oh great, a riddle!' the Hollow snaps sarcastically. 'I always wanted the shit confused out of me!'
'A riddle?' Ichigo asks.
'ICHIGO! LOOK OUT!' Rukia shouts.
At that moment, a large explosion comes from the building on which Ichigo and Rukia were standing. The area is coated in thick layers of smoke as Ichigo and Rukia flashstep to stand beside the Hollow. As the smoke clears, an army of Adjuchas are revealed in the spot where the building once stood.
'Damn... Kidô won't be good enough for this,' Rukia hisses. She might be able to take one or two out, but she knows that Hollow Ichigo won't be able to fight like this and that just leaves her and Ichigo. He could take them out with Bankai but from what she understands, as Muramasa came earlier, that might not be possible.
'Great,' Ichigo mutters. 'Just great.'
'I need my sword,' Rukia whispers. 'But they're probably here to stop me from going on any further.'
'Then I'll distract them,' Ichigo says, turning to her, his determined brown eyes meeting her anxious violet ones. 'You go on ahead. The Hollow and I will stay here. I'll get rid of the Adjuchas.'
'Ichigo-'
'Find your sword, Rukia. And be careful.'
'I don't need to be,' she says angrily, his sudden decision for them to split up surprising her. 'I told you to stop underestimating me, remember? I can handle this fine. I'll be back soon- with my sword.'
She understands what's happening here- he's finally accepting that she must do some things alone. She'll definitely thank him later. But she can see the doubt and pain in his eyes that suggests how terribly worried he will be. She knows what he's thinking of- she always does. It's the same thing, going through his head all over again. That time when they were rescuing Orihime in Hueco Mundo. They split up, and Rukia defeated an Espada, almost costing her life. Then Ichigo confronted Ulquiorra, and found out what had happened to Rukia. He was going to rescue her, but instead he chose to fight. That rash decision has been weighing on him heavily because if Byakuya had not arrived, Rukia would have been killed, and Ichigo would have always seen it as his fault.
She steps closer to him, and rests her hands on his own, enclosing her fingers around his. 'I'll be fine. You'll see.'
Slowly, he nods. She smiles and disappears in a flash.
Idiots! Hollow Ichigo thinks. They think that the Adjuchas are here to stop Rukia from getting her sword- when really the culprit wants to seperate them. This is exactly what it wants.
'Inform them of this and I'll prove to you exactly how powerful I am. You are just one little Hollow. I have slain thousands of Hollows in my time. You are no different.
Hollow Ichigo grins. Says who?
There is silence in his head as the voice contemplates this, then it says, 'I can take more away from you. Or I can give you what you least want. Do as I say or I will break you.'
Just a fair warning, Ichigo's pretty resilent. Super stubborn, in fact. You're gonna have a hard time beating him.
'Does complitmenting your Soul Reaper mean you actually have faith in him?'
No, it means I'm laying out the facts for you. Think of it as a warning.
The voice seems frustrated that its words does not seem to be able to effect the Hollow. 'You're like a puppet on strings, Hollow. Destroy your source and you are helpless.'
This is one sick game you've planned out for Ichigo and Rukia, Hollow Ichigo replies.
'Oh, believe me... the game is just beginning.'
Yippee! Bedtime! (What's wrong with me?! But staying awake to write FanFictions is really so hard and I... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)
