Chapter 9

A.N.: Lobiosomen616, yes, Flaming Fist to the Face does sound like a kickass name for a vodka. Strikes Faster than Starlight, the reason I had Orihime be stronger is because of the fact that she sort of became next to useless in the manga after she left for Hueco Mundo.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Ichigo, Orihime & Tatsuki Vs. Aizen….
Ruins of Tatsuki's Palace

Ichigo's hand gripped the arm that was holding him, his fingers growing nails as his eyes turned completely black and yellow. "AIZEEEEEEEEEN!" Ichigo screamed, ripping his arm away from Aizen's grip. Aizen flashstepped away when Ichigo swung at him with Tensa Zangetsu, a smug look on his face ; satisfied at getting a reaction from the boy.

"Ichigo?" gasped Orihime, who tried to move closer to her friend but was pushed back when his spiritual pressure flared black and red, forcing the two girls to brace themselves from his growing power. "Ichigo, calm down!"

If Tatsuki had a heart it would've felt fear as Ichigo's mask reformed over his face. "Ichigo, stop!" She saw the look on Aizen's face and knew that this was all part of his trap. "It's what he wants! You have to stop!"

"AIZEEEEEEEENNNNNN!"

Both Orihime and Tatsuki realized that Ichigo was too far gone; words could no longer hold him back. Ichigo's mask fully formed over his face. Eyes filled with murder at Aizen, Ichigo threw his head back and let out an earth-shattering scream. To Tatsuki's and Orihime's horror, a hole opened up in Ichigo's chest, his body engulfed by a swirl of dark energy.

"Splendid," Aizen said, not even sweating from the boy's power-up. "He's even more powerful then I speculated." Tatsuki gave the man an ugly look before turning back to Ichigo.

And then her eyes widened in shock when she saw her best friend, fully hollowfied.

Meanwhile….
Rukia & Co.

All heads turned to the direction of Ichigo's explosive spiritual pressure. Szayelapporo was nearby, dead from Mayuri's drugs. Captain Unohana was treating the group's wounds while Byakuya stood guard. Kenpachi merely sat on a rock and looked bored. "Ichigo?" Rukia gaped. She could feel her friend's anguish even from here. And hate. His spiritual pressure was soaked in hatred. "What's happened to you?"

Uryu was about to say something but Byakuya beat him to it. "He's succumbed to his inner hollow." The others looked at the elder Kuchiki in horror. "Aizen has provoked Ichigo into giving in to his darker impulses."

The Quincy struggled to his feet. "We need to go stop him. If we don't…Ichigo might never come back." Despite everything he truly did consider Ichigo to be his friend. "We have to stop him!" Renji, Rukia and Chad all rose to their feet, despite Unohana's insistence that they finish their treatment. Byakuya nodded and took a step forward.

"Don't bother."

Everyone turned to see Mayuri stepping over to them. "By now the boy's mind has been completely swallowed by his inner hollow. He is a creature of pure instinct. Try as you might, but reasoning with him will only lead you to your grave," the scientist warned. "Feel free to run to him, if you'd like. Just be prepared for him to rip you limb from limb." Mayuri tapped his chin and bit his cheek as his thought formed dark conclusions. "But the real question is: Why did Souske Aizen make him hollowfy? By my calculations, Ichigo Kurosaki is more than a match for him now. What is it that that man intends to do with Ichigo?"

Kenpachi merely looked on; feeling the rumble of in the sands beneath his feet caused by Ichigo's swelling spirit energy. "You'd better not die, Ichigo. It'd be boring not being able to fight you," he grumbled.

Rukia merely looked on in Ichigo's direction, fear for her friends claiming her heart. "Ichigo…."

Back to Ichigo Vs. Aizen

Ichigo had been truly transformed. His body was now hollow white, red tufts of hair sprouting from his wrists and ankles. His hair had grown and now sprawled down his back, his clawed hand clutching Tensa Zangetsu until his bones strained. But the most shocking transformation of all was his mask. Tatsuki noted how it was no longer the mask Ichigo had donned when they fought. Red lines ran down the eyes of the mask while horns adorned the sides, yellow and black eyes gleaming with fury. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Aizen opened his lips to say something but was interrupted when Ichigo charged at him, his speed surpassing his limits. To Orihime and Tatsuki it seemed like the entire world shook as Ichigo's blade collided with Aizen's, the hollowfied substitute pushing him back. "What's the matter, Ichigo?" Aizen taunted. "You seem upset. Was it something I said?"

"AIZEEEEEEN!" Ichigo chopped at him, only for Aizen to disappear from sight. The hollow whirled around and saw Aizen standing on the remains of one of the ruined pillars, his mouth uttering an incantation. A red orb formed between his horns as he leaned forward, intent on blasting Aizen to kingdom come.

Aizen finished his Kidô incantation and pointed a hand at Ichigo. "Hadô #88: Hiriogekisoshintentraiho."

The two spectating girls were blinded by the flashing energies of red and blue that erupted from their wielders. The cataclysmic explosion came close to blowing them away; thankfully Orihime's shield protected them. The supports to Tatsuki's palace cracked and shook from the blast. Tatsuki peered through the golden glow of Orihime's shield and tried to see through the smoke and dust. "Ichigo!" she called out. "Are you alright?!" She saw as Orihime lifted the shield that Ichigo was completely unharmed.

A beastly growl through the smoke let her know that Ichigo was still in one piece. And when the dust settled, they saw to their disappointment that Aizen was still standing. "Blocking a Kidô at the eighties that had a full incantation with a mere Cero. You've surpassed my expectations."

Tatsuki heard a low growl come from Ichigo as he charged Aizen, the two exchanging blows. Ichigo leered at Aizen as he spun around, backhanding him and sending the man flying. Aizen recovered quickly and flashstepped back to Ichigo, his blade clashing against Tensa Zangetsu. But beneath that feral sound coming from Ichigo, she heard something else. "Tatsuki…I won't…let you…hurt her…." Tatsuki gasped, a tear rolling down her face. 'He's doing this…to protect me?' She remembered what Aizen had taught her; that hollows were creatures driven by their deepest instincts, with Tatsuki being the exception to the rule. It looked as if Ichigo was forcing himself to fight thanks to his deep desire to protect his friends.

Or more specifically, he was fighting to protect her. "Ichigo…."

Apparently Aizen heard it too. "So, your baser instincts are guiding you to protect Tatsuki. Interesting," the villain noted. "Then let's see what happens…" Ichigo's head snapped forward when he saw Aizen point a hand at Tatsuki and Orihime, "When I do this."

"Hadô #50: Haien."

A violet ball of fire shot towards Tatsuki. Orihime brought her hands up to her hairpins but she was too late to throw up her shield. A bright flash blinded Tatsuki as the attack connected, only to realize when she was facing the ground that she had been shoved out of the way. Looking up, her eyes widened in horror to see Ichigo standing before her, having taken the hit in her place. His back was badly burned from the strike. She looked at Ichigo and saw him drop to his knees from the attack. Orihime started to cry when she heard the low groan of pain come from him. 'Wait a minute! If he's hollowfied then shouldn't his Instant Regeneration be kicking in right now?'

"Shouldn't his Instant Regeneration be kicking in now? Is that what you're thinking?"

Tatsuki whirled around and was horrified to see Aizen standing directly behind her. "Haien is more than just a flame Kidô. If the person survives being hit, their cells begin to break down from the burn it causes, which acts like a poison. The spell's effect is breaking down Ichigo's body faster than his Instant Regeneration can keep up," Aizen explained. "How tragic," he mused, scolding the weakening Ichigo. "You had a golden opportunity to strike at me but you threw it away to protect Tatsuki." He drew Kyoka Suigetsu and looked down at Tatsuki, the shadow of contempt in his eyes, the Hogyoku in his chest pulsing. "Unfortunately I have no use for either of you anymore." Tatsuki braced herself as Aizen slashed at her, intending to kill her with one blow.

"TATSUKI!"

Opening her eyes, Tatsuki was horrified beyond all thought when she saw Ichigo jump in front of her and take the blow, Aizen slashing him across his chest. "ICHIGO!" the Arrancar screamed, catching him as he fell. As she held him, the mask on his face broke and his hollowfication fading, the hole in his chest closing as his body returned to normal. But Tatsuki was horrified when she saw the sizzling burn in his back still eating away at his body, his blood spilling from the wound in his chest, his breath haggard. "You…" she stared at Aizen with venom in her crying eyes. "YOU MONSTER!"

Tatsuki drew her zanpakuto but Aizen was much faster, flashstepping behind her and slashed her back, the worn out Espada collapsing next to Ichigo. Aizen looked amused as he watched the two wounded friends writhe in pain. "How romantic. Two best friends forced to fight each other now get to die together," he said amusingly, the irony not lost on him. He held his hand and looked at both teens, who looked on in fear. "Goodbye, Ichigo. As a research subject I no longer find you interesting. And Tatsuki, I no longer have any need for a disobedient Espada…."

Aizen mouthed a Kidô chant to finish them off but was caught off guard when he was hit from behind by Orihime's Koten Zanshun. Staggering, but remaining on his feet, Aizen turned around and looked at the defiant Orihime. "You should know by now, Orihime, that that's not going to work on me." He gestured to the Hogyoku still in his chest. "No matter what you do, your technique will never be able to kill me." As if to prove his point, the wound on his back began to heal quickly.

Orihime stared her tormentor down. "Maybe that won't work. But thanks to you, I know what I can do. Something that nobody else can." Orihime balled her fists and summoned her Shun Shun Rikka.

"Soten Kesshun."

Ichigo, back to himself now and fighting the pain in his back, grimaced as he sat up and watched as Orihime enveloped Aizen with her barrier. "Orihime! What do you think you're doing?" Even Tatsuki was confused. Why would Orihime put Aizen in her healing barrier?

But while Ichigo was confused as to what Orihime had in mind, Aizen knew exactly what she was about to do. "I don't think so!" he said, swinging Kyoka Suigetsu at the barrier, only to be repelled. "No…." He looked up and realized that he could not escape Orihime's barrier.

"Souske Aizen…." Orihime whispered. "I…REJECT!"

What happened next defied everything that Ichigo knew. Aizen was…fading? "Orihime, what are you…." He couldn't finish as he watched the Soul Society's archenemy start to vanish.

"No!" Aizen uncharacteristically roared, the Hogyoku powerless to stop her. He continued to swing at Orihime's barrier out of desperation, feeling his very existence be consigned to the void, only for his zanpakuto to be repelled again and again. "This…can't be…" In mere moments his zanpakuto had faded, leaving him helpless to Orihime's death sentence.

The group watched as the Hogyoku pulsed, fighting the power trying to erase it; but as Aizen had said before, Orihime's power defied all phenomenon. Even something that was . "You hurt my friends," Orihime said, showing a hint of anger in her hazel eyes. "This is for Ichigo! And Tatsuki! And Rukia! And everyone you've hurt!" The Hogyoku's blue glow faded as it was sent to oblivion, leaving Aizen to his fate.

His body now transparent, Aizen dropped to his knees, knowing that his end had come. 'So, I defeat the strongest captains and my own creation,' his eyes turned to Ichigo. 'Only to be done in by one girl's power. The irony is not lost on me….'

Tatsuki scowled as Aizen chuckled. "What's so funny? You're dying, you bastard. There's nothing funny about it."

Turning his head, Aizen looked at Tatsuki, his lips forming a knowing smile. "Expecting a deathbed change of heart? My reasons are my own. But I'll say this before I go, Tatsuki. You and Ichigo are by far my finest creations."

The Espada's eyes burned with anger. "We aren't your toys! What do you think a human life is?"

"What indeed?" Aizen retorted, Orihime's power still forcing his body to fade. "I've no regrets. I strove to create a worthy opponent, someone who could match me in strength. It was for that reason that I've furthered Ichigo's development."

"But why?" Ichigo asked, wanting to understand him. "Why go so far, to betray your comrades and to kill the Soul King."

"I never liked the idea of someone standing over me, that is all." Seeing the look on the three teens face made him chuckle. "I must say, you three were quite entertaining…." As Aizen was wiped from existence he laughed into the open air.

That laugh was the last thing Ichigo, Orihime and Tatsuki heard before Aizen faded away, his body and soul erased from existence along with the Hogyoku.

The three stared at the spot where Aizen had been for several minutes before Tatsuki turned to Orihime. "I take it back, you're not tough, Orihime. You're terrifying." Orihime gave her friend a smile before collapsing from exhaustion, the technique completely wearing her out. "Orihime!" Tatsuki, who had already recovered from the wound Aizen inflicted, caught her as she fell. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Orihime nodded. "Just…take me to Ichigo." Nodding, Tatsuki Sonidoed over to the defeated boy and set her down next to him. Mustering what strength she had left, Orihime summoned her sprites one last time and began to heal Ichigo, saving him from the Kidô eating away at his body. Once Ichigo was fully healed, he sat up and the three friends hugged one more time. "Is it over?" Orihime asked, tears running down her face.

"Yeah," Ichigo sighed, running a hand through both girls' hair.

"Yes," Tatsuki murmured. "It's finally over…."

When the captains, sensing Aizen's disappearance, made it to what remained of Tatsuki's palace, the found the three passed out from exhaustion, still wrapped up in their warm hug, each not letting go of the other two….

To be continued….