Chapter 10

~ My Nature is THIS ~

In that abstract world of falling sky. Black and white inverted. His body was regenerating, those open flesh wounds on his body, the exposed bones on his shoulder and ribs of red, red blood, were slowly recovering to before. Even so, there he stood crouching to the still recovering Ichigo who laid on the building's ground.

Why are you here?

I'm really hurt. You're not so happy to see me? The Hollow cooed leaning his face towards the shocked trembling Ichigo.

The flow of hands bodies and kisses suddenly felt interrupted. Rukia managed to regain her composure. She pulled herself off Ichigo's body, her hands arms, legs and lips still uncontrollably trembling. She felt dizzy, her mind still lost in the last few minutes. Her heart still beating, in heavy thumps so hard it pained her.

"Ichigo," she whispered, "Are you mad?!"

Ichigo looked right towards her, his eyes wavering.

Idiot! She doesn't love you.

"You mustn't tell anybody this happened. We can't let this happen anymore, Ichigo," her eyes filled with tears, "Please for Orihime's sake."

Just made yourself look so sick in front of her.

Ichigo sat up, his eyes filled but no tears spilled, "Rukia…"

"Stop it, already. Stop it!" Her heart raced seeing him like this, seeing that her heart was slipping into his fingertips.

Pale paper white fingers entered tangling the short spiky locks of orange. Gripping tightly pulling harshly both identical—yet opposite visages met almost touching. The Hollow began to speak, his breath blowing in his face.

You heard, you know, she cares for you in a way that you can never accept. And even if there is a chance, no way will she even allow it. She will never open herself to you in the way you want. Instead, she hands you something else. You know that makes me mad…

His other arm supported Ichigo as he lifted him up.

I must have you… he rasped, absorb your soul, have you inside me… My King, grant me your power. I will tear her to shreds—no one will have her!"

"Ichigo? Ichigo?! Can you hear me?" called Rukia. Her heart dropped. Feeling distraught because suddenly just so suddenly his face transformed into a sickly pale as he broke into a cold sweat. Sitting up he was beginning to fall to the side. Rukia desperately grabbed him. She wrapped her arms around him. Falling to her lap, she saw how his eyes started to lose it's shine.

Pulling out slowly the white zangetsu blade, the Hollow licked it from it's base to the tip.

Say you…

The Hollow took the blade and placed its tip over his abdomen, What?

Don't hurt her, I won't let you but—

Even though now she's causing you to suffer? He screeched, pushing the blade inside him. Ichigo gagged and coughed up blood.

I…never…wanted……I…never…asked to……feel this…way…

Do you ask to feel hunger? Do you ask to feel pain? NO, it is a desire that comes that you must satisfy. He forcefully began to draw a circle around his belly. Ichigo cried in tortured anguish. The Hollow was creating a hole where his own hole was located.

"Oh no, Ichigo," she voiced in a trembling tone. Placing her fingertips first, the palms of her fingers, then the base of her hand, moving slowly across his cheek slipping to his jaw line. He tossed as if in fever; his body trembling slightly. She was torn.

What should I do? She thought wildly. There's no doubt about it, the hollow inside him was returning. I can go and race towards Urahara's shop but leaving him here alone is a recipe for disaster. Besides, he needs me. He's suffering, really suffering. How long was he going through this?

"Ru…kia…"

She was snapped out of her thoughts. Seeing him there, her tears spilled once more as she saw the listless eyes stare back at her vivid ones. A trembling hand reaching for her face. A hope stuck her.

"Ichigo..." she grasped the raised hand and held it tightly. Quickly, she placed it back on his body, "Hold on, be strong," she whispered with a break in her voice," she pulled out her cell phone.

Having peeled off the skin of that circle, the Hollow grabbed and slurped in the intestines, crimson coated his jaw, his neck, staining drenching his pure white shinigami clothes. His fingers, hands, arms, too, were soaked in Ichigo's blood. He felt his power pumping into him. What a feeling—so rich and divine.

How am I still alive? How am I still breathing? I, I don't feel anything. Everything is completely numb, completely numb. Damnit, I can't move. My arms, my legs, my feet… they're useless. These strange thoughts, these feelings they're suddenly flooding my own thoughts. They're not mine They're not mine, they're his… You feel that this is the best for me? You want to help me? You've always followed me, but now feeling I can no longer guide myself…

His fingertips that rested near, grabbed his hollow's cloak. The Hollow lifted his head. His lips a mess.

Why are you still moving? He grabbed his hand staining Ichigo's palm. He flattened his fingers against his. Both hands pressed against each other, colored against white. Ichigo lifted his head, both of them exchanging glances.

Human. Shinigami. Hollow.

Each of us has a path to follow. Guided by our instincts, we walk through it faithfully. My nature is this. I want what I need. I devour whom I desire. Whom I treasure. My instinct. Pathetically I am not helping, you say? You wait and see, how much better it is to not feel anymore. To not care and to selfishly gain more and more and more…

Why should it matter to care? I am damned. Eternally cursed plagued to be forever chased by shinigami. Why? I, born out of the desire to be strong, the desire to do what is impossible.

Power. Love. Greed.

I want. I need. I have.

In the end, this wheel turns and dictates such. Calling, telling that in the end I die. But will never surrender to those chains that fate binds me to. I refuse. I refuse. I refuse. Do not ignore me. Do not push me away.

You are me.

I am you.

We are one.

We are one.

We feel the same.

We feel the same.

Rukia was dialing the number to Urahara's shop. Before pressing the final numbers, Ichigo's body suddenly jolted. She dropped the phone falling into the grass. His hands clasped around her neck. Her back crashed against the trunk of the tree.

"Ichiiiiigo!!!" she screamed.

"Rukia…" he rasped in a harsh whisper. His eyes glowed a sable, bright sickly yellow orbs burned scorching, branding it's violent image into her memory, "RUKIA!!!"

He screamed.

She lost her voice. The world began to spin out of control. Her vision blurred, kicking, kicking, kicking. She moved her body frantically. Her small hands grabbing the wrists that grabbed her neck and fastened her against the tree.

No Ichigo, please! No, Ichigo stop this! Please come back, Ichigo! Please! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Help me, help me, please!

"RUKIA!!! RUKKIIAA!!!! RUKKIAAAA!!!!" He rattled her head banging it against the tree repeatedly.

Her vision wavered black and white. Black and white. And this whole time, she feared more greatly the safety of his own soul, of his life. A red color flooded into her vision.

Sasori's pad and pencil crashed silently to the ground. He watched in utter shock. Lifting his phone he took a picture, sending it immediately to Deidara, "Why bother to feel," he whispered, his hand with the cell phone dropped, "To only go insane in the end… why bother?" he repeated looking down into his own marionette hands. Hands that have long lost the sense of touch. But yet watching this caused him intense sadness. A feeling he hated, a feeling he always ran away from, "I want to feel nothing."

"RUKIA!!!"

Sasori looked to the left and saw a tall red head shinigami making it's way to the scene. Suddenly, he felt a huge gust of wind blow down on him. Looking up he saw a blonde with a half pony tail tied up high. One large dark blue eye visible glanced worryingly down on him. Landing his large bird he jumped down and embraced him.

"What a horrible scene," he whispered, "Danna, you must of felt so much fear," his arms squeezed him tight.

He did not raise his arms, but he slowly closed his eyes in silence.

Deidara stepped back and ran his hand through the soft red chestnut hair, "Danna," he whispered pressing his forehead against his, "Let's go home."

This feeling. I still feel. Because I still have this. My heart.

"No."

"Hmmm?"

Sasori turned, "I want to see how this ends."

He smiled in return, "Then, I'll protect you… Danna, can one of them be a puppet?"

"…"

Renji gasped losing his voice quickly afterward. Rukia's body suddenly went limp, falling to the side, landing with a thump to the grassy earth. Ichigo stood slowly. A screech, rasping, a sound, escaping from his mouth. Hissing, breathing, harshed turning around slowly. Renji's hand quickly moved to the hilt of his zanpatou.

No, this can't be Ichigo…Had I come too late?

Renji's vision, his eyes shook with fear. Red and white bone mask. A hollow's red and white bone mask covering his face entirely.

"Ohhhh, good. I've been looking for someone to kill… Who knows, maybe I devour you too…"

"Y-you. YOU MONSTER!!!" He bellowed, "What did you do to her!!!!"

Before Hollow Ichigo can take another step. Rukia reached weakly for the hem of his cloak. Blinded by her own blood, nearly unconscious, it was instinct. A need. A dire worry.

Right in front of Renji, he kicked Rukia like a piece of garbage sending her against the tree finally knocking her out cold.

Renji flared, wrenching his blade from his sheath, "HOERO, ZABIMARU!!!" He charged propelled by instinct. Hollow Ichigo smiled wildly underneath the mask and zoomed to meet his blade against his.

End Chapter

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- Zerolr -