"Gave it all to you…letting go of me…reaching as I fall…I know it's Already Over now…nothing left to lose…loving you again…it's Already Over…"
-Already Over by RED
Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: Man, this fic is long!
Chad:…..
Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo:…What? No compliment or complaint?
Chad: *shakes head* No.
Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: Ok….well….can you do the disclaimer?
Chad: *nods* Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo doesn't own Bleach, that honor is Tite Kubo's.
Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: Thank you Chad. *thinks* Weird. I'm used to long conversations with these guys and…
Chad: Are you going to start the chapter now?
Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: Huh? Oh yeah! All right then! Here we go! Enjoy!!!
Chapter 14: Taken
Ichigo watched as Rukia healed Kyomi. "She ran ahead of us. We didn't know she had left so soon. I hope everything is alright." Renji explained. Ichigo just rubbed his head. "I'm not exactly sure about that. Things really have been going to hell recently." He sighed. When both Renji and Rukia gave him funny looks, he decided to explain. "Way to go, Ichigo! Didn't know you had it in ya!" Renji laughed and smacked his back. "Now's not the time to be joking around, Renji!" Rukia snapped. His face grew serious. "Sorry." "Soul Sync isn't new or anything though. It can happen to anyone. But, like Sakura told you, it's very rare." Rukia said. She stood back up, wiping her forehead. "She'll be ok." She sighed with relief. "So, if you got linked like that, you're in a jam." Renji said, putting on a thoughtful look. What are we going to do now? Ichigo thought. He closed his eyes in order to think. Suddenly, he saw something. He saw Kenji walking towards him, but there was something wrong. How'd I get here? he wondered. He was at least three miles away from where Kenji was. "You are coming with me, Kurai." Kenji said. Ichigo opened his eyes to find himself back where he was standing. "Well…we can take her to Kisuke's." Rukia said. Ichigo turned around quickly and began running. "Where the hell are you going?!" Renji yelled at him, but he didn't respond. Sakura needs help! He thought, and ran even faster.
Sakura took a step back. "I have no idea what you want." She said to Kenji. He only laughed. "Oh, but you do. But just to be nice, would you like me to tell you?" he asked. She shrugged and took another step back. "If you're like all the other bad guys in the world, you'll tell me whether I want to hear it or not." She replied. "I'm n tike every other bad guy, but I'll tell you all the same." He suddenly stepped back as the ground parted in front of him. "Heh, you honestly can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Sakura waited for the dust to clear before she saw who caused it. "Ichigo!" she gasped. Ichigo was in bankai, his cape waving through the wind.
"Well, what timing. I guess I'll never get to say why I need you with this…insult near by." Kenji spat. Ichigo walked over to her and gave her a quick hug. "You know, I'm not good at sensing spiritual pressure, but you are. You sensed him nearby, huh?" he asked her "I didn't want anyone else getting hurt." She explained. "Well, I'll handle this." He turned around and stared at Kenji. "You have some nerve, attacking an innocent girl like that." Ichigo said, holding Tensa Zangetsu out in front of him. Kenji shook his head, a mock look of pity on his face. "If only you knew what she has done, you wouldn't think her as 'innocent'." He said, sounding sad. "What did you say?!' Ichigo almost growled, gripping his sword tighter. He felt a hand on his shoulder and another on his sword. "Stand down, Ichigo. I'll handle this." Sakura said to him.
Ichigo shook his head. "No way. I won't have that. I promised your sister that I'd keep you safe." He told her. Sakura laughed quietly. "Then standby in case I need you." She told him. As she walked forward, Ichigo went to follow, but her voice in his head made him stop short. "Please…don't move. I will finish this!" she told him. He just sighed. "I'll ask you again then. Please don't die." He responded. Sakura stood in front of Kenji. "You've been hounding us for a while now. You've hurt many people, and I won't stand it any longer." She told him. Kenji laughed, unfazed by her words. "So, you are going to fight me? Don't you remember what happened last time?" he asked, and then summoned a long sword. "I thoroughly trounced you both." Sakura's gaze was fixed o the ground. "Yes…but I didn't give it my all." She replied darkly. She took her zanpakuto, which was suddenly in its released form. She didn't call its name! Ichigo thought. Does that mean… She twirled it on her fingers and stabbed it straight into the ground. "Bankai!"
Ichigo watched as her sword suddenly vanished into a black mist. After a moment, Kenji laughed. "Bankai? Is that it? You are a fool." He laughed. Sakura stood there for a moment. Ichigo had no idea what was going on. That was…until he saw her shadow. It began to shift and change, until it resembled a Chinese dragon. It slithered its way a crossed the ground and snuck up behind Kenji. It rose from the ground and struck quickly, but Kenji saw it coming. He leaped out of the way as it made a large hole in the pavement. "Whew. That was rather naughty of you." Kenji sighed as he turned to look at Sakura. The dragon rose and flew to her hand, reshaping itself into a large sword, covered in shadow that flickered around the blade like a dark fire. "Kage ImonoKen." She whispered quietly.
Kyomi sat up, rubbing her head. "Wow, talk about a headache." She mumbled. She looked around and found herself in a small room. "Where am I?" she wondered. The door slid open and a man in a green and white hat walked in. "Ah, you must be the sister of Sakura! I'm Kisuke Urahara!" he said, rather cheery. "You know my sister?" she asked, not believing it. Rukia kicked him in the side. "Get out of the way before you freak her out, Urahara!" she yelled. He limped out of the room while Kyomi snickered. Her smile faded when she saw Rukia's concerned look. "What's wrong?" she asked. "There's a lot of spiritual pressure coming from a small point in town. Ichigo's gone bankai, but the other…" Kyomi held her hand up and concentrated. Her face suddenly lit up with fear. "My sister's gone bankai!"
Kenji let out a loud laugh. He's insane! Sakura thought. "Excellent! Just excellent!" he laughed. Both soul reapers just stared at him. "I wanted to see your bankai. All the more reason I know I'm right that it is you I need." He explained. Sakura leaped in the air and brought the sword down. "I'll let you take me…when you're dead!" she yelled. It was quick. Before she even struck the ground, a sword ran through her chest, causing blood to come from her mouth. "Sakura!" Ichigo gasped, and then coughed up blood as well. Damn this! He cursed. Sakura landed on the ground, winded. He walked up behind her and tied her wrists. Ichigo tried to get up, but he couldn't move. What the hell? He thought. "The body is a predictable thing. I know where to strike so that I won't kill…" He put a blindfold over her eyes. " But render you immobile and capable of feeling pain." He explained with venom in his voice. He turned to Ichigo and smiled.
Sakura tried to get free, but her hands were bound. What's going on? She thought worriedly. She could feel Kenji's presence in front of her. "Now I'll ask you nicely. Will you come without a struggle?" he asked, venom in his tone. Sakura spat in his face. "Kiss my ass and go to hell." She said. She could hear Ichigo laugh and smiled. Kenji let out a long sigh. "Very well then. It looks like I must get very rough." He said, sounding sad. Before Sakura could brace herself, she felt as though her chest was run through by a pole. But the problem was that it wasn't her chest. ICHIGO!!! She thought in horror.
Kyomi wanted to leave. "My sister never ever goes bankai unless she's desperate! She needs help!" she yelled. "You've told us five times already!" Renji yelled and turned to look into her dark green eyes. "But you're still recovering, and she's with Ichigo. She'll be fine." Kyomi looked at the ground. And then suddenly felt that pricking sensation. "No…we need to go now!" she screamed. She stood up, grabbed her zanpakuto, and ran out the door, ignoring the calls from behind her.
Sakura flinched as she heard bones snapping. She felt as though her arm was broken, chest punctured in three different places, and head was hit really hard by a bus. But it wasn't her pain. "How about now?" Kenji asked. "Don't say yes!" Ichigo's voice shouted in her head, sounding like it was in pain. "No." she whispered quietly. Kenji shrugged and threw Ichigo into a park bench, causing it to splinter. Sharp pieces of it punctured Ichigo's chest, causing him to cry out in pain. Sakura cried out as well. He then grabbed Ichigo and slammed his head into the ground. He held him over Sakura, causing his blood to drip slowly onto her head. "Now?" he asked. Sakura shivered as his blood gently fell in her hair, staining it red. But Ichigo's voice told her to keep denying him, and she refused again. "No…I won't." she whispered.
Kenji just sighed and threw Ichigo up in the air. He then grabbed him and impaled him on a light post, and that was it. "Ok! I'll go!!! I'll go, just…..just stop…please…" she cried and begged. Kenji gave a smile a triumph and pulled Ichigo off the pole. "That's a good girl." He said with a slight hiss in his voice. He slowly untied Sakura's wrists and eyes. The moment her eyes locked on Ichigo, she started crying all over again. He was a bloody mess, his arm bent back and broken, a huge hole in his chest, and his head was bleeding badly. "Ichigo…" she thought desperately, hoping to get a response. His hand twitched slightly and she sighed with relief. Kenji took the long sword, colored crimson due to Ichigo's blood, and cut open another portal. "Come, let's go." He said. Sakura shook her head. "Before I do, let me heal him. I'll go without a struggle if you let me heal him. Promise" she said.
Kenji wanted t refuse, but he was lucky enough to be bringing her back mostly unharmed. "You have five minutes." He told her. She nodded and quickly ran over to Ichigo. "S-Sakura…" he whispered her name very quietly and Sakura shushed him. "Speak with your mind if you can. You don't have enough strength." She told him. She held her hands over his broken, bloody body and enveloped him in the soft green light. "Why did you agree?" he asked, even his thoughts filled with pain. "I couldn't bear it. You were in so much pain…I just…couldn't handle it…" she thought back and almost cried again. "I swear i'm so selfish." She felt his hand stroke hers gently. "No you're not, so quit blaming yourself,ok?" He thought with a soft stared into his chocolate depths for a long time before pulling her hands back to her hair. She took the bow out and allowed her hair to fall.
She took the bow and gently tied it around Ichigo's neck. "What…?" "My sister will want to know. This is something she gave me a long time ago, and I want you to have it." She explained. As the glow faded away, Ichigo let out a long sigh. His wounds were mostly healed; the only things remaining were a headache and a hurt heart. "Sakura…you can't go." He thought to her, but she shook her head. "No, I have to, in order to give you guys some time to find out where he's taking me." She told him. She slowly bent down and kissed him softly on the lips. "I love you, Ichigo." She whispered in his ear. "I love you too, Sakura." Came the soft reply. Kenji grabbed her arm roughly. "Now." He said and began to drag her away. Ichigo watched as she entered the portal, her face full of fear. "Sakura...no…" he called and tried to get up, but was still too tired, and slipped into unconsciousness.
Mwa haa haa! Cliffhanger to keep you all waiting! Go on and complain in a review! The button is right freakin there!