This is the new version of this chapter, not much has changed though, only a few less important details and some wording. Still, PM me if you dont understand something or find a mistake. let me know any way you wish to, outside of flames.


Night was falling quickly in Karakura, spreading shadow across the ground as it took the city in its grasp. In the sky the full moon shone proudly, painting the ground below with what miniscule amount of light it possessed. In the far reaches of the sky a gargantua opened, hidden from sight by the blackness of the sky.

"Karin! Pay attention! Real or not we need to win this game if we want them to show us any respect!" From her position in the center of the field Karin Kurosaki jumped slightly, her head whipping around to stare at her teammate instead of the steadily darkening sky she had been scouring previously.

"My bad, Uronah-san. It won't happen again!" She took a deep breath, her eyes flickering back up to the pitch sky. Something wasn't right… She shook her head sharply and let her breath out in a sigh; if there was going on she trusted Uryuu and Chad to handle it. Right now all she needed to focus on was the game.

With another calming breath Karin set her eyes on the field in front of her and took off at a sprint, calling out to the forward ahead of her to drop the ball. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that hung over her.

On the sidelines Yuzu, too, felt the sudden change in the air. Her eyes narrowed in worry as she glanced around her, looking for anything out of place. Her eyes locked on her sister, who had suddenly lurched to a standstill in the middle of the field. Karin was staring up at the sky intently, as if she was searching for something. A teammate yelled at her and she jumped back into motion again, but that was all Yuzu needed to see.

Worried, Yuzu followed her sister's gaze, craning her neck back to examine the black sky. At first she saw nothing out if the ordinary, but then her eyes caught something. A small patch of the moon, the lower left curve, was covered in a sort of glittering veil. If she looked hard enough Yuzu could see the vague outlines of towers spiraling up off of a pale ground, but the view was all blocked as two figures stepped into view.

The taller of the two was clothed in a black top, with an open skirt of the same color flowing down to cover her legs. Yuzu could just barely make out the outline of dark hair falling in smoothly down to her shoulders. The most apparent of her features was her eyes; they shone like liquid gold in the dim light, emotionless and cruel, and they were staring right at her.

She shuddered under the woman's gaze, quickly flicking her eyes away, opting to focus on her sister. She pushed the two to the back of her mind, trying desperately to forget the deadly glare of the raven haired woman. A wave of ice ran down her spine, and Yuzu took in a sharp breath as a cool wind caressed the back of her neck. Her eyes slipped closed and she shuddered again as a terrible dread coursed through her. Something was going to happen tonight, and it wouldn't be good. It would not be good at all.


"Rukia! Hey, Rukia, are you even listening to me?" Renji reached out and grasped the petite woman's shoulder, shaking it slightly to get her attention. Rukia, who had previously been staring off into space, snapped back to the present. She spared him glance at him before turning her attention back wall next to them.

"I'm sorry Renji, I just… something does not feel right."

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Rukia, what are you talking about? We are in the middle of Sereitei, what could be wrong?"

Rukia shot him a hard look. "You know very well that anything could happen. Remember Aizen? Grimmjow is your lieutenant, how could you let yourself forget?" Rukia shook her head at her friend's foolishness and returned to her previous activity, staring out into the sunset.

Renji had the grace to look shamed, but retorted: "Rukia, I haven't forgotten! How could I? All I am saying is something like that will never happen again. We won't allow it."

Rukia shook her head. "There are some things that you can't avoid, Renji, and we cannot prevent everything. Fate won't allow it."

He scoffed at her. "Fate, Rukia we are fate."

Rukia sighed and bowed her head, "I thought time was supposed to make you wiser, not more arrogant Renji."

Renji laughed and slung his arm across her shoulders. Rukia shrugged it off. He shrugged on continued on. He paused a few feet away and called out over his shoulder, "Oh my dear Rukia, when have I ever been wise?" Rukia did not answer.

"Rukia?" He called out in confusion. Normally she would have leapt at the chance to insult him. The silence was disturbing. "Rukia!"

Renji spun around, his keen eyes searching the crowd for any hint of the petite shinigami. He caught a flash of ebony through the bustle of the busy streets, and sighed in relief. She was safe.

"Rukia," He called out once more, pushing through the crowd. "What are you doing? If you were tired you should have told-" Renji lurched to a stop.

Rukia was hunched over against the stone wall, her fingers gripping the stone so tightly that they were white. Her breath was coming in harsh pants. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, the skin drawn taunt over her violet orbs. She moaned softly and Renji watched in horror and confusion as Rukia dropped down onto her knees, carving long furrows into the stone as she did so.

A silver aura flickered into view around her, sparking in the twilight air, glowing like candles in the oncoming darkness of night. Renji watched entranced as the small slivers drifted in the air towards him and winced as they came into contact with his skin, the volts dispersing upon contact.

"No…" Renji's head snapped up as Rukia's voice reached his ears. She had pulled free by now and was doubled over the ground, digging her fingers into the dirt road. Her aura pulsed and the pure, radiant silver blinded him. The pain of the sudden light sent him to his knees, doubled over on the ground and groaning in agony. White spots danced before his closed eyes, blooms of color that didn't exist in anything but his mind. His ears rang.

"Rukia!" Renji managed climb to his feet, stumbling blindly around the street, pawing the air in an attempt to catch hold of the nearby wall. His yell tore through the air, leaving an echoing silence in its wake. Renji painfully pried his eyes open, immediately tripping as dizziness overcame him. "Rukia, what is wrong?"

There was no answer, not like he expected one. When Renji finally managed to see straight, Rukia was gone. The only trace of her left was the single piece of grey hakama fluttering in the soft wind.


Rukia leapt through the still air, a panic unlike any she had ever experienced coursing through her veins like magma. She was on high alert, every sense of hers sharpened to the max. Her skin tingled in the cool air. There was one though coursing through her mind right now: get to Ichigo.

A sigh of relief fell from her lips when the senkaimon came into view. Rukia gripped the icy hilt of her zanpakuto, pulling her out of her sheath and twisting sharply to the left and the gates opened with a deep rattle. She soared through the gaping opening and into the darkness that was the Dangai.


The tails of shadow writhed in the air around Ichigo, much like the man himself. They lashed out at anything and everything, leaving a pile of rubble around the man as he twisted on the filthy ground.

"Karin!" The man screamed, his voice hoarse. A single shaky arm propped him up off of the ground, and his whole body shuddered as he forced himself to his feet. "No, no, no…Not them! Anyone but them!"

his body wavered as his legs threatened to collapse. Ichigo took a single step forward, and then another, making it no more than two feet before he collapsed once more. His eyes glinted a murderous yellow and an inky black slinked its way into his sclera.

A ring of power pulsated from him, slamming into the buildings surrounding him and cutting most of them down. A scream was torn from his lips as he doubled over once more, his fingers clutching at his face and the mask quickly forming there. Harsh pants broke the sudden silence.

"Not now, Tatakai! Not now, I am not calling for you!"

"It isn't me, Ichigo, I swear! I am not doing it!"

"Then wh-argh!" Ichigo cried out, bloody fingers ripping the mask away for the third time. Rivers of scarlet ran down his arms. Just as quickly as they were formed the rips in his skin healed over, leaving faint, almost invisible scars as they did so. Then the mask began forming again.

"No, no no no no no no no!" Ichigo was scrabbling at the white bone and tearing pieces of the mask away, but just as quickly as he shed them more grew back in their place. Desperation was written clearly across his face as blood dripped from mutilated fingers. He was losing the fight, and he knew it. But if he lost… everyone would be lost.

His mouth opened in a silent scream as he drug his torn appendages over the ragged edges of the mask once more in a last, desperate act; hoping beyond hope that his actions would stop the progression of his transformation. It didn't.

White began to bubble from his gaping mouth, rolled from the corners of his eye like tears, streamed from his nose like blood, dribbled down out of his ears. The liquid hardened over his face, covered his arms and torso and extended down under his shihakusho until it reached his feet. A white, solid cloak of bone covered his body; sharp peices extended from the sides of his forehead, tapering to a point on either side. Long, curling twines of black tangled on the pure skin of his arms and created sinister patterns throughout his body. Long spears of black extended from the fist sized hole in his chest. a single bar of gold ran along the skin above his hollow mark before disappearing, only to reappear on his shoulders and down his arms. His once warm amber eyes shined a malicious yellow.

Ichigo threw his head back and howled. The scream cut through the hushed night like a well-sharpened knife. Ginger hair tangled in the wind.


Rukia froze as a scream pierced the night; a scream that she knew all too well, despite the very few times she had heard it. Fear washed over her; fear not for her, but for those near him. In this state, Ichigo knew nothing but anger and bloodlust, his mind was focused on one thing: death. The only people she knew of that Ichigo had refused to hurt, even in this state, was Orihime and herself.

She pushed off of the building she was standing on top of and sped towards where she knew Ichigo was located. She had to move and fast, or Ichigo would be gone, and no one would be able to get him back.

The hollow glared menacingly at the students cowering around him. Most were sprawled out on the ground, but a select few were conscious and their gazes were locked fearfully on him. A volatile smile tugged at his lips as glowing eyes took in his prey. Tonight he would feast.

It surged forwards with a cry. His mind had long since locked on a single person: a brunette, one of the few still awake; spirit practically radiated from her body. Adrenaline surged as he took in the look of surprise, confusion and pure and utter terror in hers eyes. She twitched, desperately fighting the power that held her body in place, her fingers slowly inching towards the decorative hilt of her katana. Fukushu's lips curled in satisfaction. She was a feisty one; she would be fun to devour.

Just as he neared the girl another power registered in his mind, one much stronger than any around him. He froze for a moment as he considered the options: devour this girl and then go for the powerful being behind him, or abandon the girl for the more powerful creature. His simple mind decided that he might as well finish the girl off now that he was as close as he was.

A primal roar shook the concrete foundations of the buildings as he charged forwards once more. Ten feet away, five, three, one… A malicious scowl twisted his face. He could taste it now, the blood; warm, salty, sweet blood. Saliva dribbled down out his mouth, streaking across his jaw and dropping down to the floor. Gold eyes sparkled with bloodlust.

"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" A wave of white cut across Fukushu's path; the freezing snow encased him and he was thrown backwards, out of reach of the girl. "Furizu." The flakes pulled back, moving instead to encircle the beast as he leapt to his feet before it freezing in place, creating an impenetrable barrier. Kyoi snarled in anger and his already impressive reiatsu flared.

"Calm down, Ichigo. Stop this." The soft voice came from somewhere to his left, and the beast spun around to face the woman who spoke. The woman was clothed in a black shihakusho, the short hakama billowing around her in the wind. She was crouched down, a pure white sword outstretched diagonally before her in a defensive way. Ebony hair danced in the wind as her violet eyes bore into his.

He opened his mouth to snarl at the woman, hate boiling up inside of him. This woman, no this shinigami, was keeping him from his meal. He moved forwards, inching closer to her so that he could swat her away, so that he could kill her against her own barrier. A clawed hand slashed at her chest, but the woman leaned backwards. His attack did no more than slice through her clothing.

He howled, tensing his body in preparation of his next attack. Then he sprung, or he tried to. Something inside him was rebelling, keeping his locked in place despite his efforts to move. Something was stirring in the back of his mind. "No! No, not her. Not Rukia."

He brought one hand up to his face, snarling as he ripped at the cracking shell over his face. The bone crumbled slightly. "Not Rukia!" A screech of pain was ripped from his lips as agony rolled across his body, all of that pain converging in his mind. A white bone tail whipped from side to side as he collapsed onto his knees. Unbidden, his body began to convulse. His bone skin began to crack, just slightly at first, but then more and more. Large chunks began to shatter, the pieces raining down onto the ruined ground.

His mask was shattered. Fukushu screamed as the light, even as filtered as it was, began to dapple his face. The other consciousness was there now, palpable in his mind. He screeched at it, struggling desperately to escape its grasp, but it was no use. The grip that it had over him was too strong. The hate rolling off of him in waves was too powerful to ignore.

"Get out of my body." It snarled, "You have no place here." Then a wave of torturous pain rippled through his body. Fukushu felt his skin shatter and light flood his sensitive skin. Distantly he heard a screeching howl shattered the night. Then he knew no more.


Cold wind rushed across her skin as she flew, soaring through the air like the light she was named after. A certain fire roared in her eyes as her gaze locked on the transformed Ichigo below as he stalked towards a girl who looked about a year or so younger than she. The girl cowered back against the ground, her eyes wide and unbelieving as the hollow approached. Her mouth gaped, and she seemed to be attempting to speak if the way her mouth gaped had any say in things.

Rukia's eyes snapped back to Ichigo as his malevolent reiatsu dipped slightly and horror coursed through her as it returned. His reiatsu was no longer spiteful; no, now it was murderous. Her hand settled on Sode no Shirayuki automatically. Her eyes bore into his ever moving figure, her fingers tapping against her hip in a calculating manner.

Ichigo stumbled and his head turned her way slightly. His hip length copper hair flowed behind him as he did so, hiding the hollow hole from sight. He seemed to smell the air, and at one point she could have sworn he flicked his tongue out, as if to taste it. Then, as suddenly as he stopped he started moving again, lurching forwards and sprinting towards the horror struck girl.

Immediately Rukia gripped the silk wrapped pommel of her zanpakuto and drew it in a single smooth motion. She fingered the hilt as she watched Ichigo approach the young woman and when he showed no sign of stopping she flipped the sword in her hand so that the blade pointed down.

"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" She dropped the blade in a semicircle around her, the point sinking four times into the air before she flicked the blade back up and directed it at the ground, at a point directly before the rushing Ichigo. A cylindrical cone of spiraling ice erupted from the air before the point of her blade, rushing towards the ground with the force of a moving train. It exploded outwards on contact, engulfing the transformed Ichigo in ice and snow. " Furizu."

The small flakes pulled back, away from the monster it had once held, and instead spun in a circle around it. As soon as it was in place the snow stopped moving, instead hardening into a clear, crystal like ice and spreading across the ground like moss. Rukia lessened the reiatsu focused in her feet and slowly sunk through the air until her feet hit the ground. She settled into a stance and, with Sode no Shirayuki extended defensively in front of her, she called out to her friend.

"Calm down, Ichigo. Stop this."

The beast spun around, his eyes glinting with hatred, and he snarled at her. The malice in that one action was enough to send fear and panic streaking through her; maybe she was too late, maybe he was already gone…

Her eyes widened in horror as a single clawed hand lashed out at her, forcing her to lean back so that he didn't tear her chest to shreds. The sound of tearing cloth reached her ears, and she winced at the thought of what would have happened if that blow had landed. She would have been dead.

A piercing, hate filled howl nearly burst her eardrums and Rukia had to fight to stand upright, the pain was so bad. Her hands twitched in response, and she nearly dropped Sode no Shirayuki. She saw Ichigo move out of the corner of her eyes and started, her muscles coiling in anticipation. She went lax as soon as she saw what was going on.

The beast was clawing at its face, taking off bits and pieces of his mask as he snarled at nothing. His body was quivering and jerking, as if he wanted to move but something was stopping him, holding him back. A profound relief coursed through her veins. Ichigo was awake.

The beast screeched and his reiatsu flared, agony simply radiating from his every pore. His power went wild, kicking up dust and a little debris around him in a weak whirlwind. His white tail thrashed, totally annihilating the little that was left of the buildings that had surrounded him. Even through her relief she felt panic as the beast convulsed and fell to his knees, doubling over and digging his fingers into the ruined concrete road.

Rukia had to look away as his skin began to chip, small cracks running through the white bone. She could still hear it crumbling away, though; she could hear the clatter of bone against the ground. She could still hear his screams of pain, so like Ichigo's own that it hurt. There was a sound like shattering glass and a last loud, piercing scream and then nothing. It was silent; an eerie sort of silence, one that made her hair stand on edge.

Then the silence was broken by a single groan, by the soft sound of cloth rubbing against cloth as a body moved to her left. Rukia could have cried in relief as she spun on her heel and rushed over to Ichigo's side, falling to her knees beside him and carefully shifting his head into her lap. Her fingers brushed over his forehead softly, pushing back the stray curls of his hair until they rejoined the rest.

His eyelids fluttered, revealing groggy amber eyes through the narrow space that allowed him to see. Ichigo coughed lightly, swallowed and took a deep breath as he slowly came back into consciousness. His eyes focused on her face and he smiled weakly.

"Rukia, what are you doing here?" His voice was scratchy but strong, revealing inner warmth and a happiness that she hadn't heard in a while. She had missed this; she had missed him. Despite her anger she smiled back.

"You baka," she murmured, swiping halfheartedly at his shoulder. "Do you have any whatyouve done?" The fire in her eyes surprised the man and he scooted back a little.

"Look, Rukes, I have no idea what I did to tick you off but I am- ".

"Didn't you make a deal with Tatakai, something about him not taking over anymore?"

"Yeah, but why does that matter?"

"Look around you, Ichigo." Rukia waved her hand through the air. "This is why it matters. Just what happened?" Ichigos gaze followed her movements and he immediately paled. His amber eyes went misty and he head fell forward and Rukia gripped his shoulders carefully as he swayed slightly.

"Tatakai claims that he wasn't the one who took over, he said it was someone else. Zangetsu vouched for him, as well. According to them it was something that they had never seen before. Apparently it looked like a partially decayed skeleton, or something. it looked just like a normal human, but its spine was completely visible, like the flesh around it had been cut out and burned away. The weirdest thing is that, according to them, the skin had grown back in the area around and behind the spine, and it rejoined the body seamlessly at the base of its neck." Ichigo paused for a moment and cast his gaze to the ground, his eyes closed in a way that made it seem like he was in pain. "It was clothed, but not in a shihakusho, like Tatakai and Zangetsu. It was wearing… it was wearing golden armor, Rukia, golden armor all up its legs and across half of its chest. They remember seeing carved skulls before it disappeared. It didn't say anything other than what they take to be its name: Fukushu-"

"-Vengeance." Rukia turned wide eyes to Ichigo. "His name means vengeance. Ichigo, do you think…"

He hung his head. "Yes, Rukia, I do."

She closed her eyes and sighed softly as she murmured under her breath, "Well, this is going to complicate things." She felt more than heard Ichigo's laugh.

"Yeah, I wonder why-" He went rigid underneath her fingers and Rukia's eyes snapped open. Together they swiveled to the side and stared in opposite directions, searching the night intently. She felt it when Ichigo began to shake and a soft cry of agony slipped from his lips. Concerned Rukia reached back and grabbed for his hand and was surprised when he gripped it tightly before letting go. The next thing she knew he was gone.

Yuzu snapped her gaze up to the woman, taking in her crimson dress and nutmeg skin. Glee glittered in her golden eyes, and a delighted smirk was spread across her ruby lips. She flexed her fingers, examining the bloodstained nails before wiping them against her dress dismissively.

"Hmph, well that wasn't fun at all." She turned her head to the side and sighed. "Oh well. Your turn." Her gaze locked on Yuzu, and the girl rose to her feet shakily.

"Who are you?" Yuzu whimpered. "What… why are you doing this?"

The woman smirked. "Well, it is only fair for you to know the name of your killer, isn't it? If you must know my name is Bella, Bella Morte, and it is time for you to die." Bella lashed out with her hand, deadly nails cutting through the air towards the terrified Yuzu.

Yuzu didn't scream, nor did she cry out in the face of impending death. She stood quietly with her head bowed, almost welcoming Bella to kill her. Bella would have, if it wasn't for the sudden appearance of an obsidian blade in front of her fingers.

Bella drew back with a soft his, shaking her hand as if pained. Her golden eyes flicked flirtatiously up into Ichigo's. "Well, isn't this getting complicated? Hello there, Ichigo Kurosaki. What a pleasant surprise." She cooed. Ichigo snarled at her.

"What are you, and how do you know my name?"

Bella clucked, shaking her head at him. "Temper, dear. That is no way to speak to a lady."

"I see no lady," Ichigo sneered. "Only a monster in a woman's body."

Bella gasped, bringing a clawed hand up to her heart in faked pain. "How hurtful! Didn't your mother teach you manners, young man? If you haven't anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!" She chided.

Ichigo spun Zangetsu in his hands until the point came to rest inches before Bella's chest. "What are you?" He asked forcefully.

"Hm, impatient are we? Very well." Bella drug her fingers along Zangetsu's blade. A small crackle was heard, and she drew her fingers back with a sneer, rubbing them together lightly to get rid of the sting. "I am the first of the Ibrido, Bella Morte." She cut a sharp glance down at Karin's corpse and smiled.

"Ibrido… that means hybrid, correct?" The question came from behind her, and Bella twitched in response. "Your name, Bella Morte; it is Beautiful Death if I am not mistaken."

"Karin…" Tears poured down Yuzu's cheeks.

Bella's form flickered and disappeared. Ichigo tensed and held his sealed blade point first towards the ground as he turned around slowly.

"It seems that I will not be able to escape this without a fight. Oh well, I guess I cannot be helped… Fondere!" A wave of power washed over the three, the density enough to make Ichigo stumble. Karin fell to her knees, her face flushed with the effort to keep herself upright. Yuzu collapsed onto the ground, her eyes closed and her breathing labored as she weakly pushed against the grass in an effort to stand.

"This power… what is this?" Ichigo gasped. A laugh rang out across the field, beautiful and alluring, as Bella stepped out from the whirlwind she had caused. A tiara stretched across the length of her forehead, braided into her dark hair. Her eyes glowed with power. A smile stretched across her lips.

"It has been so long since I last let loose like this!" She laughed. Ichigo felt his mind cloud over. Her smile, her laugh, they were so beautiful… He took a step forward.

"Hey, Ichigo, what the hell are you doing? She killed Karin! Fight her!" Tatakai's voice broke the spell. Ichigo lurched to a halt and brought a hand up to his head, blinking rapidly. "What is wrong with you?"

"I… I don't know, my mind just… it went blank. It was as if I was being pulled towards her."

"Well get over it; for Kami's sake Ichigo you are supposed to be a shinigami, so protect your sisters why don't you!"

Ichigo straightened and took a deep breath in preparation. When the allusive mist had totally receded from his mind he opened his eyes to stare directly at Bella. Immediately his mind began to fog and he shook his head in desperation. When the cloud had dispersed enough for him to function Ichigo looked away from her.

"I see you have figured out how to counter my power. Very well; no matter how long you resist, you will not be able to last forever. Eventually you will look upon me, and the moment you do you shall become mine."

"Never…" Ichigo murmured.

"What was that?" She asked sweetly.

"I will never become your puppet. I would rather die." He spat. Bella's lips contorted into a grim smile.

"That can be arranged."

Ichigo closed his eyes tightly, squeezing them closed until he could see nothing but darkness. "I would love to see you try."


R&R!