The final process ended quickly. Ichigo felt it happen, felt the one last surge of quincy power win out and he arched in his seat. Deep in his soul he saw Zangetsu's face, drenched in rain. Even his hollow self was screaming to him.
But they were muted. Silenced. And he lost sight of them.
"Son?"
"Don't call me that." He was barely conscious, head dropped forward, but he mustered this last resistance.
"But that's who you will be, very soon. My son, in every way that counts- my heir to the Vandenreich throne, and the son of the woman I loved."
"My father is Isshin Kurosaki."
"And he has not come for you. I rescued you from them, you will see soon enough. And then we will conquer the zero squad and the soul king together. It is the time of the quincy, Ichigo, and it is time for you to be your true self."
He undid the straps and pulled him up.
"Now, shall I take you to say good bye to Grimmjow?"
They stood in the kitchen for a long time. Ichigo wasn't quite so spent as the process had be shorter and his body already close to the final change. So he was able to stand on his own and hold Grimmjow back. But the silence between them was drowning. Neither knew what the King had said to the other, but they knew everything was going to change now. And Grimmjow couldn't quite hide the edge of anger in him. Eventually it was Ichigo who pulled back and looked up at the espada.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." He lied. As angry as he might be, he still seemed intent on protecting Ichigo.
"Just say it. I can see you're upset."
Grimmjow watched him. "He says you know what's wrong with me."
"Oh."
Grimmjow shut his eyes, Ichigo watched the ripple in the muscles of his face. He was trying to contain himself.
"Let's sit down." Ichigo led them to the couches. He looked to the closed door on the other side of the common area.
"She's in her room." Grimmjow explained.
"She's in there alot these days. When I'm around, at least."
"I guess she's giving us our privacy."
"And when I'm not here?"
"She comes out more. We play chess." Ichigo shut his eyes.
"What is it?"
"I'm terrified, Grimmjow. I'm terrified of what's about to happen to me, and I'm terrified that if I tell you the truth now, I'll lose you too."
"He did break me, didn't he?"
"Yes." The word was just a whisper. Grimmjow gripped his arm tight.
"How do you know?"
"Because there's something very wrong with you Grimmjow."
"You're killing me, kid, just say it."
"Please."
"What?"
"Please wait."
"Wait for what?"
"I don't know. I just...he's going to try to brainwash me now. And if I start to lose my mind-"
"If you tell me what's wrong, you think I'm going to lose my mind?"
"Yes, Grimmjow, I do."
"FUCK, Ichigo! I need to know!"
"What's wrong?" his head shot up to the door.
"Halibel, will you fucking tell me what he's talking about?"
Ichigo glanced back at her, pain deepened his expression. Grimmjow growled. "So you two are keeping secrets together now? Great."
"Trust me, we're not." Ichigo sighed, turning back to him. "But if she agrees with me, then I know even more certainly that I can't tell you."
"He's right, Grimmjow, just let it go."
"Halibel, please just stop this. Just tell me."
Ichigo rose. He picked up the book that was on the coffee table and handed it to Grimmjow. "I know you're upset, but I think he's going to come for me soon. And before I lose myself, I just want peace like we had before. Can we all just sit here and be together one last time? Can you read to us?"
Every fibre in him wanted to fight this out, to dig until he got the answers he wanted. But those pleading eyes were more than he could handle, so he took book and he sat, and Ichigo leaned into him. Halibel took her spot on the other couch, and his deep voice carried them from their turmoil and chaos to a non-existent realm, where fear and tension were not their own, where characters overcame impossible odds, and good triumphed over evil.
And then the King came. And he took Ichigo away for the last time.
"What was that?" Grimmjow stood when the ceiling shook. Even under layers of quincy spells, he felt the unrestrained burst of power wash through the room. It was Ichigo. "Shit, what's he doing to him?"
Grimmjow had been waiting on edge ever since the King came, pacing back and forth in the building tension, but now Halibel stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Grimmjow." He turned to her.
"What is it?"
"Just promise me you'll stay strong."
"What?"
"Whatever happens, hang onto Ichigo, he'll stand by you."
"Stop saying shit like that, Halibel. Come on." He grabbed her hand when the ceiling shook again and pulled her after him to the door. "I can't let them do this to him, and it could be out best chance of escape."
"I know." She dropped his hand and took the lead. "We're getting out of here, Grimmjow."
The next wave of power sent a crack down the wall. The pieces of their chess game rattled and fell, rolling onto the floor. Books tumbled from the shelf. Then another crack of power and the whole door frame split.
They were out in seconds. Debris was already distracting their guards, they escaped down hallways and up a flight of stairs. Grimmjow followed her through the medical ward, back toward the cell where they'd been held for so long. Then they came upon the disastrous scene. The King had his hands locked around Ichigo's head, but even he seemed to be struggling to withstand this power. Wave after wave of blue light came from the boy.
He was screaming.
"ICHIGO!" Grimmjow fought his way past the flood of power. The King looked back at him and released Ichigo. The teen continued to writhe where he was restrained, eyes unfocussed, terrible screams ripping from him.
"It's too late." The King warned him. "His mind broke easier than I could have hoped."
"I don't believe you."
"His spirit is not his own anymore."
"Fuck that!"
He tried to run to the teen but the King caught him, holding him in place so he was forced to watch.
"Is it a familiar sight, Grimmjow?" The word echoed into his ear over the roar of power. He watched Ichigo in his throes of agony, but the vision became blurred with another. He saw naked tan flesh writhing there, felt the explosive spray of water strike him, the room, destroying everything it touched.
"What is that?" he whispered but the king heard.
"Do you remember?"
"I..."
"I told you I had already broken you."
Ichigo lurched again. Blood ran freely from his wrist from all his efforts to break free.
"No." He shoved back, though he couldn't dislodge. "Ichigo!"
"It's over. Remember, Grimmjow. Remember what happened in this room."
Pain lanced through his head. He couldn't escape memories of water, of her screams. That time and place merged with this one. He saw Ichigo and Halibel all in one, strapped in that chair and screaming.
"Stop."
"Never."
"STOP!" The King let him go. Let him drop to his knees. They splashed in water from another time. He felt the bone deep chill of it all over, and yet he was dry, and that chill was something else, something deeper and more painful.
"Grimmjow." She knelt next to him, her hand on his shoulder all that kept him from being consumed by the dread he felt growing in him.
"Halibel?"
"Don't let him do this to you, not now. Ichigo needs you."
The room dried. He saw nothing but Ichigo screaming in that chair, and her hand in his. "ICHIGO!" The straps that had held the teen prisoner all this time, all those agonizing days, snapped. The chair that had kept him in his hell fell to pieces under the weight of his power. But fogged eyes widened, and they locked on Grimmjow.
"No." He heard the King above them, and he knew Ichigo was not gone.
"Ichigo!" He called again, rising.
The boy was aflame with blue light. It nearly choked Grimmjow but some restraint in Ichigo kept the full force from striking him.
"Ichigo stop." the king commanded, drawing his sword. Worry was etched in his features. He'd lost control of his Frankestein.
"Fuck you." the teen held out his palm. The broken blade that had been hung on the wall for weeks, ripped from its purchase and into his grasp. Blue fire forged it together again, and he held up Zangetsu to Bach's blade. "You lose."
Steel met steel and the resulting wave of energy crashed over Grimmjow. He was floored. The room was disintegrating around them from their combined powers. But Ichigo couldn't last, not like this. He couldn't maintain this level of output when his body was so weakened.
"You'll pay for defying me." the King sneered when he had the teen on his knees.
"The Fuck he will." Red hot cero light burned through the atmosphere. All those layers of quincy spells that had sealed his espada powers had been blown away by this storm. The King had lost sight of him in his battle with Ichigo, so Grimmjow took the opportunity to catch him off guard.
He didn't wait to see what damage was done, if any, he just got his arms under Ichigo.
"RUN!" Halibel screamed at him. He did. He left that room. He left the King and he never let go of the boy on fire. The energy was escaping him uncontrolled now, no longer enough to harm Grimmjow but a drain on Ichigo's system.
"Calm down." Grimmjow instructed him.
"I'm trying." But he jolted as another surge escaped him. He lost his hold on Zangetsu but Grimmjow caught the sword before it fell.
The fortress began to crumbled around them.
Grimmjow didn't remember the day they were brought here, all he knew was that they were in a facility in the depths of the Ice Palace that was the domain of the quincies. But Halibel knew where to go, so he followed after, slicing through anything that tried to stop him, but for the most part, their escape was masked by falling stone.
It took him a while to realize there were other forces at work, and this was no all Ichigo's doing. When they rose up another flight of stairs, he felt the wash of Soul Reaper power.
"They've come." He whispered.
"Who?" Ichigo was struggling to remain conscious against him.
"You're friends, Ichigo. They're here." He felt hands tighten against him, and this spurred him to run faster.
Another wave told him the King had been engaged. They had a real chance of escape.
And then they were out. After months of dreaming of this moment, Grimmjow stood barefoot on icy stone, winter cold striking him from all sides, the endless wail of a wind storm tore at them all, he clutched Ichigo tighter.
"Grimmjow." Halibel warned. He looked up.
"Shit." He hadn't really thought this through. He stood at the top of the ice stair, but at the bottom was a row of Soul Reapers.
"Stop!" Ichigo turned at the sharp voice.
"R-renji?"
The lieutenant stood at the bottom of the stair, shock over taking his features as the ice shattered at Grimmjow's back and battles raged inside.
"Ichigo!" He and the other members of the sixth with him pelted up the step to them.
"It's okay." The teen said when he saw the look he shot Grimmjow. "He's with me."
Ichgio shifted and Grimmjow let him stand, though he couldn't stay up without support. Renji was looking him over, the change in his spirit and body unmistakeable. He reached a hand up to his face.
"We tried to get here soon."
"Just tell me you can get us home." Ichigo breathed.
"Right." He gave Grimmjow another glance but in the turmoil seemed ready to let him take care of Ichigo.
"You men, create a portal back to Soul Society."
There was another crack, a great sheet of ice fell from the roof and shattered behind them.
"Renji, who's fighting in there?" Ichigo asked.
"It doesn't matter."
"Renji, who?"
"Your father."
An explosion made them all stumble. Grimmjow hiked Ichigo up again when the front of the palace began to cave and they all had to run.
"This way!" Renji instructed. He got a hand around Grimmjow's shoulder and pulled espada and boy through the forming gateway and the ice world disappeared behind them.
Warm light washed on them when they stepped onto the hill. Ichigo fought his way out of Grimmjow's hold, and as unsteady as he was grabbed Renji by the front of his robes.
"We have to go back!"
"We just got you out of there!" "You said my dad was fighting! The whole place was coming down."
"He wasn't alone, Ichigo. He'll be fine. Other captain went with him. We got you, we brought you back, end of story. Now let's get you checked out."
Ichigo stood adamantly staring at where they'd come from.
"Give me my sword, Grimmjow."
"Ichigo, you're not okay." He didn't withhold the sword though, it wasn't his decision to make, but he did catch Ichigo's arm. "Kid, think about this."
Ichigo held Zangetsu, staring at the blade that glowed blue, betraying the change in him. Then he brought his eyes up to the one person who understood what he'd been through.
"I heard you calling me. I was losing myself, but I heard your voice."
The hand on his shoulder moved to his hair. "I told you he wouldn't win, couldn't break you."
"Yeah. But what if he gets them, my father, my friends?"
"Then we'll fight, but after you get better. He still has Pantera after all, and Tiburon. We'll all go face him when we're ready, right Halibel?"
Ichigo watched him turn and look back at her over his shoulder. Dread consumed him when he saw the looks in the soul reapers' faces.
"No, Grimmjow, it's not okay." She said to him.
"Why? What is it, Halibel?"
"The Soul Reapers. They're going to separate us."
He glanced to them, saw all their eyes fixed on him. "Ichigo?"
"Grimmjow it's okay. Renji, we're fine, can we just go now?"
But the lieutenant was staring just as hard at the espada. "What's wrong with him?"
"Not here, Renji." Ichigo urged.
"Remember what I said, Grimmjow. You have Ichigo." Halibel continued.
"What are you saying?" He let go of Ichigo and stepped toward her, his hand closing over her arm. "Halibel please."
"I'm sorry, Grimmjow." She looked over his shoulder to Renji and he followed her gaze.
"Ichigo," the lieutenant started, "who the Hell is he talking to?"
Fwef, so I've been waiting for this 'reveal' for a long time and I absolutely have to give credit to Inominatenoname for figuring this out from the very fist chapter! Good on you! I feel that several of you caught onto the twist as well but I hope it was a surprise for some. More explanation of course in the next chapter if things are still a little unclear.
Also I appreciate the very inciteful reviews. I definitely think my characters have changed because I went into this trying to create romance rather than letting it come about more organically. I just spent 150 pages building a romance between Ichigo and Grimmjow in another fic that I may publish in a bit and I think it came out way better. But I am still enjoying this one so I hope you stick around for more!
Riza.
