Hey guys! Hope you enjoy the chapter and thank you to reviewers Illidan the Half Demon, hitsugayatoshirou1220, Zangetsu50 and fuzzibunniez! Please can everyone else review, it keeps me writing! Thanks!
Urahara was still deciphering the messages on the stones when the door closed shut behind him. Rubbing his chin, the man looked through the notes of the journal, his eyes scanning the pages.
'It makes sense after all…Ichigo-san has the Hogyoku embedded within him.' Urahara realising the grim truth. Shaking his head however, he flipped to the back of the book, seeking some further answers. 'But that's the only thing that makes sense. How did the Hogyoku shatter? I made it, so I should know best that it can't…' From behind him, footsteps were beginning to make themselves more apparent as someone came towards him, making their way down the weakly to himself, Urahara lowered his hands to the desk and sighed, looking up at the ceiling, the green lights shutting off at once, the sound of muffled footsteps closing in.
'It's you isn't it?' Kisuke smiled. 'The one who killed Mayuri-san? Kuchiki-san too, perhaps?' at this, the hooded figure moved into the sole light hanging over Urahara's head, the Shinigami hunched over the desk, not facing the enemy. They sat in silence, Kisuke's eyes fluttering in the light. He could feel the figure watching his back intently, prepared for any movements.
'Will you kill me as well?' Kisuke asked, his voice echoing in the silent room. Chuckling meekly, he hung his head. 'Of course you will…' he turned his head slightly, his piercing eyes visible in the dark.
'I won't try to stop you if you do. Just so you know…' Urahara continued, facing the desk again. '…it won't bring Rukia-chan back.' The figure behind him stirred, shuffling awkwardly.
'I have to try.' came the voice, Urahara nodding, understanding. 'It's the only way…he said it was the only way…to bring her back…I didn't want…I didn't want…' the figure began, Urahara raising an eyebrow, the sound of the shadowy person's sword shaking and rattling in his nervous hand loud in the room. Then, there fell silence again.
'Is it because I was near to the Hogyoku?' Kisuke piped up, the figure breathing heavily, no reply. Suddenly, the figure threw his sword onto the ground, a sound, that sounded almost like tears striking Urahara in the heart.
'This is wrong…you…you had nothing…nothing to do with her death…I shouldn't be killing you…' the assailant began, trying to make sense of the situation when Urahara suddenly turned and faced him.
'Did the others have anymore to do with it than I?' Urahara whispered coldly, the figure staring up at him. Smiling again, Kisuke reached down slowly and picked up the zanpakuto lying on the ground. Pressing it's hilt into the man's fingers, the Shinigami wrapped his hands around it and drove the blade into his own stomach, the assailant gasping.
'No…you…' came the voice, but Urahara chuckled weakly on the blade.
'It's better this way…either you kill me…or Aizen kills you. Besides…I know…everything I need to. Thank you. Everything…has fallen into place. The time of ascension has come.' Kisuke whispered cryptically, the sword still in his bloodied hands. 'You shouldn't…worry about me. I know in my heart…Ichigo will win. I bet on it. Dying…is but a natural cycle for those…who are human…for those…who are good. For those who live…only in the darkness…they continue to return to life…merely to try and get a glimpse…of that light…that those who are good…revel in all their life. Sometimes, you just have to make some crazy choices.' he smiled before falling to his knees and collapsing beside the figure who grabbed his sword and held it in his hands, shuddering. Looking around, he ran back to the exit, the bottle of green liquid shattering, the burlap sack tearing up into the air, the etchings on the walls slowly turning to dust.
Ichigo burst through Soul Society, Zangetsu out by his side. His head was down and he barrelled through the area. Suddenly he threw his foot out in front of himself and came to a screeching halt, dust roaring up around him.
'That's…Urahara-san's reiatsu! What the hell, it just totally vanished?' Ichigo thought to himself, looking around frantically. Then, out of nowhere, a Shinigami leapt at him from the shadows, Ichigo whipping his blade around him like a black mist, pulling it down upon the man, kicking him aside and down the staircase he was currently ascending. From behind however he was attacked, the next man grappling with his shoulders, forcing Ichigo's back to begin to crack, the boy cursing. Out of nowhere, a bright blue light struck the man, sending him over the side of the stairs and crashing down to the ground below. Kurosaki turned, Uryu leaping over a railing and landing neatly onto the stairs beside him. They were near the top of the Seireitei and had almost run a full circle, once again near the Repentance Cell, this time only much higher up.
'Ishida!' Ichigo laughed, Uryu standing, firing up his bow instantly.
'There was someone following me, someone in a hooded cloak, I didn't see his face…' Uryu panted, completely out of breath. Ichigo's eyes widened at the description and he began to think back.
Suddenly, amidst the chaos, something caught his eye and he looked up, dazed. In the hole created by the explosion, a figure stood, wrapped in a black hooded cloak. Ichigo couldn't make out his face but the shadowy figure grinned.
'Is that…?' Ichigo spluttered.
Uryu tugged at Ichigo's arm, urging him to hurry up. There was a horde of Shinigami thundering up the stairs, surrounding the area and swallowing up the surrounding buildings, all of them aimed for the two intruders.
'What happened to Sado? And Urahara?' Ichigo barked at the Quincy as the two of them sped up the stairs, throwing the occasional Getsuga Tenshou or firing off an arrow at the pursuers. Uryu had a solemn look on his face, but he kept running.
'I don't know about Urahara-san. But Sado-kun…I saw him fighting a large group of Shinigami…he said he was creating a diversion for me and wouldn't allow me to stop and help…I…' he continued but Ichigo slammed to a halt, grabbing Uryu by the collar and pulling him close, raising his voice so it was almost hoarse.
'So you just left him! What if he's dead! How will you live with that!' he roared, Uryu grimacing.
'He told me to go…it was a matter of honour you fool, not sacrifice!' Ishida snapped, pushing off of Ichigo.
'There's no such thing as honour! You saw him and you left him, it's as simple as that! We go home together, Ishida!' Ichigo croaked, the wind whipping up around him, his hair blowing in front of his face as he fought back the tears, Uryu looking away in shame. 'Don't forget that…' Ichigo whispered and he ran on ahead, Uryu standing, watching the oncoming Shinigami. Kurosaki turned sharply, looking down at him. '…what are you waiting for! Come on!' he shouted, but his eyes widened as he looked on at his friend, the Quincy summoning his bright blue bow on the end of his wrist, his eyes hidden behind his glasses.
'You're right, Kurosaki. No one dies. We all go home together.' Uryu said faintly, Ichigo standing about forty steps further up than him, the Quincy choking as he grit his teeth. 'That's why I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but you must go to Inoue-san alone. I will go back and find Sado-kun.' he whispered, standing tall, the wind furiously whipping at his white coat. The Shinigami had reached them and Ishida grinned at them, firing off hundreds of arrows, taking out multiple enemies, but they breached. It was inevitable, and, Uryu took it. He ran, pushing into them, shoving them, blasting them aside. He was cut on the leg, then the arm, then the back, but he whipped his Seele Schneider from his belt and slew the man closest to him, kicking his body from the stairs.
'Ishida…' Ichigo mumbled, Uryu panting wildly, blood running down his forehead now. He span round and looked up at the boy, cursing.
'Go Ichigo! God damn you, go!' he snapped, Ichigo blinking, throwing himself out of the stupour. Turning to run, he braced himself and turned back.
'Ishida!' he snapped, Uryu hitting another attacker aside, turning to the Shinigami. 'You better not die! 'Cause when you've found Sado, I'm gonna come back for you!' he ordered, before taking off, disappearing up the stairs again. The Quincy gave a small smile before turning back to his fight, cracking the nearest man in the face with the hilt of his Seele Schneider, but in his mind, he could only see Ichigo running.
'Ichigo…I don't know if I will make it. But, if I do, I will come to you. I will help you fight them, Ichigo. You're not alone.' he whispered before disappearing into the mass of Soul Reapers, his brilliant blue light fading into battle.
Ichigo sprinted to the top, ignoring everything else, the very top of the stairway in sight. Behind it stood the enormous tower, still, it's authoritative shadow looming over everything, the Sokyoku Hill lying majestically beside the stairs. As he continued upwards, he stopped, his eyes fixated on the very final step. Standing atop it was Orihime, her eyes closed, her long, orange hair billowing out into the wind. She was teetering dangerously over the edge. Ichigo leapt for her, but she suddenly opened her eyes. In that instant, she fell backwards.
'NO! INOUE!' Ichigo screamed, the girl falling to the floor thousands of feet below. Kurosaki leapt over the edge, his arms by his side as he soared towards the falling girl, the wind pushing against his face as he swept her up into his arms and span round, vanishing moments before touching the ground below. In a flash, he appeared at the top of the stairs again, the girl under his arm, his hair down his face, breathing heavily in and out. The girl was also breathing heavily before she suddenly screamed for Ichigo to run, the boy's chest pounding all of a sudden as the floor in front of him began to ripple and from the stairs emerged Aizen, covered in the sickening purple vines.
'At last, Kurosaki Ichigo, the time of ascension has arrived!'