Hey there everyone. I was pretty nervous about this chapter as I put a lot of work into it. I hope you all enjoy it :) Thank you to fuzzibunniez, IchigoKurosakiSotaicho, Zangetsu50, ichigos future wife, TheDarkSlayer, mary lou and hitsugayatoshirou1220 for their reviews! Please let me know what you think with more!
They stood, face to face in absolute silence. The only noise was the roaring flames down below, the crackling and sparkling fires shooting up around them. They couldn't even hear the screams they were so high up. Ichigo stared at Renji, the man looking at him from across the staircase, his appearance unchanged. Yet, he seemed so distant. He was no longer that goofball lieutenant of the sixth division. His eyes, they were surrounded by dark rings as if he hadn't slept in weeks, his hands shaking. The man's red ponytail was more unkempt and wild than usual, the bandage around his head torn and dirtied. Uryu's eyes fluttered open and he looked up, catching a blurred glimpse of the scene from the bottom stair.
'A…Abarai?' he whispered in disbelief. Ichigo kept on staring, Inoue looking away. She'd seen it was him earlier on when Gin kidnapped her, but had completely forgotten after seeing Ichigo again.
'W…what the hell's going on?' Ichigo stammered, Renji standing still, stoic, almost resembling his fallen captain. The orange haired boy clenched his hands around his sword, shaking his head furiously, tears sparkling in his eyes. 'Urahara-san, Byakuya, Mayuri…' he grimaced, shuddering, his shoulders lurching. '…WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON, RENJI!'
There was silence again. Renji closed his eyes and held out his hand, the wind catching his long, draping sleeve.
'They all died for a cause. They all died to bring Rukia back!' Abarai exclaimed, Ichigo's eyes widening. Shaking his head still, Ichigo looked up to protest when his eyes fell on Renji's, a small, but unmistakable purple gleam in them. Looking past his shoulder, the shadowy figure of Aizen stood just behind the fallen Shinigami, a malicious grin on his face.
'You…you…' Ichigo began, his sword rattling. '…Renji…you've got to ignore the Hogyoku…it won't bring her back…you've got to ignore its orders.' he pleaded with his friend, Renji smirking.
'Its orders? They're my orders. I listen only to me Ichigo!' he boomed, Ichigo stepping forwards, sweat running down his face as he strained to scream and shout at this deluded man.
'IS THAT WHY AIZEN HAS BEEN ON YOUR SHOULDER THE ENTIRE TIME! FEEDING YOU LIES AND HATE! WAKE UP, RENJI!' Ichigo shrieked again, Orihime beside herself with both fright and anguish, looking at Kurosaki as if he were some monster now. Renji opened his arms and laughed, his eyes flaring up from the fire.
'You fool! Don't you dream of becoming stronger? With this power I surpassed Captain Kuchiki, I…' he began but Ichigo interrupted him.
'YOU DIDN'T SURPASS HIM, YOU KILLED HIM!' he roared. Renji lowered his head and sighed, gripping his zanpakuto.
'I didn't want it to go this way, Ichigo. But, it's clear now you don't know the ways of the Shinigami at all.' the lieutenant said woefully, when suddenly, a tear ran down his cheek, Ichigo taken aback. Then…his eyes calmed.
'Renji…what have you done…?' Ichigo said softly, a single bead of sadness falling to the floor. With that, they clashed, sparks flying in between their blades as they sped around, spinning before hitting again, smashing apart and launching themselves up into the air. Aizen watched them fly, raising his hands, laughing, like a puppeteer commanding an army of fools. In the blood red sky above, Ichigo was being torn up by the heat. He was breathing heavily, wiping the sweat from his brow as Renji came in for another strike. Kurosaki slammed his blade into his friend's and pushed, Abarai doing the same, sparks shooting out wildly, temporarily obscuring their vision before they back off from each other, Renji twirling his blade in his hand.
'I don't want to do this Renji! You know you can't win! Stop it now!' Ichigo barked, his hair matting to his face as the lieutenant watched him coldly, his eyes a burning red. Ichigo cursed and grasped his sword. 'He won't listen…I don't want to fight you Renji…since when have circumstances mattered when it came to my friends? I did what I had to do. I defeated Grimmjow to save Inoue…I defeated Ulquiorra to save my friends…I will defeat Aizen to save the Soul Society…' he thought to himself, blocking another slash, Renji vanishing, bringing a fist down upon Ichigo's head. The boy span round, catching the rocketing hand and forcing it back, the two stalemating, reiatsu pouring out of them, Ichigo's eyes inches away from his friend's as they pushed harder. '…you don't come into that anywhere Renji…we fight on the same side!' he thought, forcing Renji down, the man landing heavily back onto the staircase.
'Roar, Zabimaru!' growled Renji, his sword lunging for Ichigo, the boy dodging the predator. It came back round, Ichigo piercing it head on, the screeching of metal ringing in his ears. The body of the weapon began to coil up as they closed in on each other before Renji retracted it, Ichigo stumbling forwards clumsily. Taking his chance, Renji planted an elbow on Ichigo's back, the substitute Shinigami coughing blood, suspended on the point of impact before flying downwards and smashing straight through the staircase, chunks of it floating off around them. Inoue shrieked, Uryu leaping up and grabbing a hold of her hand as she fell, helping her up, the fires churning far below. Bursting out of the debris, Ichigo landed softly on one of the floating chunks, wiping blood from his mouth. Renji pulled his shikai back to him, clicking it together.
'Give it up…Ichigo…' panted the man, Kurosaki shaking his head defiantly. 'Then die!' he cried, flinging his blade at Ichigo.
'Getsuga…' Kurosaki purred dangerously, sliding his sword along the edge of Renji's ongoing sword, stopping inches away from the surprised lieutenant's face. '…TENSHOU!' he boomed, the black blast exploding with an earth shattering crash, Ichigo darting aside, his cloak whipping up around him, Renji staggering out of the blast, his hair untied, the long, red gown of hair flowing out in the wind as blood ran down his head. Abarai was wheezing heavily, blood dribbling out of his mouth with every breath. Ichigo swept his sword out by his side, blood suddenly spilling from a wound on his cheek.
'I've had enough, Renji. I don't want to kill you.' Ichigo said, shaking his head firmly. Lifting his sword, Renji roared, his eyes opening maniacally, his hair flying outwards, a red aura covering his body.
'BANKAI!' he cried, his sword billowing out, transforming into a gigantic bone like snake, crimson flames in between each of the joints, a furry coat covering his shoulders as he pulled the monstrous beast to his side. 'Hihio Zabimaru.' Ichigo narrowed his eyes, staring into the creature's skull.
'Don't make me do this…' he whispered, Renji sending the weapon soaring towards him. Ichigo flipped over it and landed on it's back, darting towards the wielder. He swung downwards, a black mist collecting on his blade.
'Don't get cocky!' Abarai snapped, pulling his weapon back, the snake rearing it's head. It lunged for Ichigo, the boy bounding over it, launching his blast into the back of the monster's head. The weapon shattered and Ichigo sped towards Renji, his sword by his side. In a flash of red, the Bankai had rebuilt itself, pulling itself together by ropes of red electricity. It spun towards the boy, Ichigo ramming his sword into its mouth and blasting it apart, the head flying over and under him in two pieces before rebuilding itself again, the reiatsu connecting the parts turning a deep purple.
'Renji…the Hogyoku has taken your heart.' Ichigo thought to himself, clutching his sword. Renji aimed the monster at his friend and launched it, Ichigo flipping over it as it opened its mouth.
'Hikotsu Taihou!' he cried, the serpent spinning round before blasting a red beam from its mouth. Ichigo prepared himself, the heat of the attack getting closer and he leapt again, narrowly dodging the tearing pressure and he drove his feet downwards into the body of the weapon. It jolted as he crashed into it, cracking and splitting the segments, reiatsu shooting out as the Hikotsu Taihou collapsed in on itself, shattering the entire Bankai, Ichigo leaping away in time as it, and Renji, exploded in a ball of red fire in the sky. As the enemy disappeared into a plume of smoke, Ichigo turned, focusing his eyes on the staircase. Then, he saw it. Orihime was being covered in a tight, white bandage like cocoon, her muffled screams indicating great pain as her remaining eye widened. Ichigo gasped and dashed towards her, rocketing towards the staircase, Uryu nowhere to be seen.
'INOUE!' Kurosaki cried, reaching out to her, the girl tied together by this substance. Suddenly, Gin was in front of him, his smirking, demonic face and his lightning quick blade pushing Ichigo backwards, the boy skidding across the staircase.
'She's bein' consumed by the Hogyoku so she can be offered to the Sokyoku. There's nothin' ya can do for her.' Ichimaru glared, the girl's remaining eye looking around frantically.
'Hold on Inoue, I'll get you out of there!' Ichigo shouted to her, Gin rubbing the back of his neck lazily.
'How many times do I have to tell ya? Ya ain't gettin' her out.' he sighed, striding towards the boy. In a rage, Ichigo reached for his mask, feeling Aizen instantly appear behind him, the two devils closing in, one on either side.
'You're going to use it?' Aizen asked, mockingly.
'I thought it was broken, right, Cap'n Aizen?' Gin chuckled, feigning deep thought. Aizen nodded his head, raising his hands to a shrug.
'I don't know, I guess young Kurosaki thinks he can use it…' he hissed, lowering himself down towards Ichigo. '…but does he really know what he is doing?' Ichigo leapt away, disgusted. He summoned his mask, but the air was filled with a ferocious black static, crackling and shooting off of Ichigo's face, the boy roaring in pain before releasing himself, breathing slowly.
'Damn…I still need Inoue to reject me for it to work…' he thought to himself, grimacing from the pain as he arose from one knee. Then, almost out of nowhere, Ichigo was attacked from behind, someone lifting him up and throwing him back up into the sky, the boy landing carefully onto one of the floating chunks of stone. Looking around, he saw Renji stand tall above him. It was a sight he wish he had never laid eyes on. The fires coiled up around the man, his shihakusho torn open, a section of the Hogyoku implanted into his chest, a horrific, bone white mask attached to his face, his long, flailing red hair gushing from the back of it.
'Do you like what you see, Ichigo?' Renji spoke, the mask cracking, teeth forming from it. They were sharp and jagged, like that of a serpent's. The eye holes were like slits and he made a hissing sound with his rattling breath. 'This is what I would do to see Rukia walk through those gates and into her home again.' Renji explained, a solemn tone in his unrecognisable voice. Ichigo's eyes fell from the mask to the Hogyoku shards in the man's chest.
'Renji…what have you done to yourself…?' the orange haired Shinigami thought to himself. However, his gaze fell on Aizen, the man still standing on the staircase. Ichigo clenched his fist and shouted to the villain. 'No…was this you? WAS THIS YOUR WORK AGAIN!' His answer was plain to see as Aizen's evil grin was visible beneath his shadowy eyes. Turning back frantically to his friend, Ichigo reached out to him, beginning to cry now, shaking his head as if in denial of his emotions.
'Renji…please don't do this…you're my friend…' he choked, the man standing before him now silent, watching observantly, sword in hand. Ichigo hunched over, his hands gripping his knees as he cried even harder, his hair hanging down over his face. Finally, he wiped away his tears and gripped Zangetsu, standing to his feet, his shihakusho rippling proudly out behind him.
'Renji!' he cried, his voice croaky, but strong. 'I know this isn't you. So do you. Remove the mask. Don't follow the same fate as me.' he begged, Renji feeling the mask upon his face.
'Fate? Same fate as you? I am nothing like you.' Abarai scoffed, Ichigo cursing.
'I don't know what he has told you, but it's all bullshit!' cried the boy, Renji raising his arms to the side, leaning backwards and laughing, a hoarse, inhuman laugh.
'You…you know nothing of my fate! My fate is set in stone! I met Rukia…back in the Rukon district along time before you were born! My ties are cut between her and it is my solemn duty to repair them by whatever means! I should never have let her go and for that crime, I killed Captain Kuchiki, for he stole her from her home!' Renji shrieked, Ichigo able to do nothing but listen. Suddenly, Renji pounced on him, the two locking blades, Kurosaki back flipping over Renji, the man turning, a bright red cero building up in his mouth as he unleashed it at Ichigo, the boy countering with a quick and prudent blast.
'Then, she was confined to the real world…she should never have been there, I would never have had to go and take her, condemn her to death! For that crime, I killed Kisuke Urahara!' Renji scorned, slicing into Ichigo's chest, blood spraying into the air. The lieutenant grappled with Ichigo's collar, lifting him high above his head. 'I killed Captain Kurotsuchi for the crime of aiding that madman Urahara!' he cried but Kurosaki shouted down at him, the emotion tight in his throat.
'It was never your choice to kill them! It was all Aizen! He made you through the Hogyoku!' he declared, but Renji cast him aside, Ichigo spitting blood, the man standing, hunched over slightly, his hair billowing out behind him, the mask shadowed with the blood red sun.
'You bastard…you changed her destiny for the worse, you would now try to do the same to me?' he growled, Ichigo to tears as he stared at Renji, at a complete loss for words.
'He's gone…my friend is gone…I…I…I don't know what to do…' Ichigo spluttered, looking up, his eyes a raw red from crying, Renji looming over him, overshadowing him. 'Renji…you're my friend. You're wrong…' Ichigo sobbed, cursing himself. Shaking violently, Renji roared suddenly, a bright red aura surrounding him as he crushed his zanpakuto in his hand, the flames bursting out of it and engulfing him, his body disappearing into the bright light, only his eye visible in the immense twister of reiatsu.
'I'm wrong? Then simply die at the feet of my resurreccion.' he said quietly, Ichigo gasping, looking up at the godly figure standing before him, wrapped in a towering inferno of red reiatsu.
'Zabimaru Babuino Dios! (Baboon Lord)' he cried hoarsely, the inferno swallowing him up, Ichigo leaping to his feet and flying backwards, the light exploding violently outwards, a snake hissing somewhere as the smoke began to clear.
'It begins.' Aizen said, amused, standing and watching from the staircase. 'You may watch as well, Orihime.' he smiled sickly. From the torrent of reiatsu, a skeletal foot stepped out. Ichigo watched in pure horror as a humanoid skeletal serpent appeared, a thick collar of billowing red fur around its neck, the tattered remains of a shihakusho hanging from across its torso. Renji's red hair was still there, flowing from the back of his head, now a skull, his tattoos etched into his forehead, glowing a menacing red, enormous horns rising from his scalp. Every bone was on show, from its rib cage, to its spine, hidden only slightly by the tufts of fur and straggles of cloth. Opening his mouth, Abarai breathed out deeply, the Hogyoku pieces residing within his rib cage, glowing purple. Flexing his bony fingers, he clicked them into place before looking up into the sky and screaming, roaring a blood curdling roar.
'Renji…?' Ichigo whispered. '…is this what it's like for Inoue and the others when they see me? This…this is the worst, darkest feeling in the world. He's lost himself. Aizen…that bastard has burnt his mind away. Well…if I go…I promise you one thing Renji…' Ichigo thought to himself, readying his blade as Renji's beastly form pounced at him, as if he spotted prey.
'I…' he roared, swinging his sword to meet his foe. '…I WILL PROTECT YOU!' he screamed, the black energy colliding instantly with the red, Renji breaking through and slashing Ichigo across the chest. In that second, Zangetsu snapped in half and Kurosaki gargled on blood, Renji's new body watching him fall, the boy landing hard on his back, blood splattering out across the floor far below.
'Kurosaki-kun!' Orihime thought to herself, unable to move. Ichigo's body had fallen past the staircase and vanished into the fiery abyss below. She began to cry, shaking fiercely, whimpering erratically.
'I guess that's that.' Gin said softly, Aizen looking over the edge, a blank expression on his face.
'Kurosaki-kun can't be dead…Kurosaki-kun…would never promise that…and fail to win…I remember…always believing you'd come through…even against Ulquiorra you pulled through somehow…but now…against Abarai-kun…oh, Kurosaki-kun…' she thought to herself, weeping uncontrollably. 'I…I will reject you…Kurosaki-kun…I don't care if it's too late…for that one…whom you could love five times over…it's never too late!' she screamed inside her mind, the bindings of the Hogyoku loosening as she forced her way out. 'I must protect you now Kurosaki-kun…so you can protect us. Please…oh…please…please return…' she thought, a determined look on her face as she called out at last.
'Santen Kesshun…I reject!' she screamed, the bandages snapping off of her, the two villains turning, looking in complete shock.
'She…?' Gin stammered.
'…overpowered the Hogyoku…?' Aizen muttered, the reiatsu flourishing in the air. The orange lights burst off of her hairpin and sped towards the edge, diving over the side and vanishing out of sight. Orihime stood, her heart racing. There was complete silence. Then, she thought she heard something. Was it something? No…it couldn't have been…but perhaps…it was unmistakable. In a brilliant flash of black, something rocketed up from the ground below, barrelling past the staircase and aiming straight for Renji. In a single stroke, Abarai's arm exploded with blood, falling from him. The monster turned slowly, Ichigo standing tall, his coat fluttering behind him.
'Thank you, Inoue. At last…' he whispered, turning, his mask finally upon his face. '…I can end this.'
71511, AAA ASRA AAA, animelover1993, artemishuntress88, burgsmith, derderxp, Hidemitsu Samanosuke Akechi jr, Mina Ravenclaw, kr313, Kuiinsama, Ayje, beyondrepent, peach77, Pharoahatem, shadowgouf, symbion, timbercat133, Golden Feathers, henriette, Kyliwolf, Kyrial Halcoryn, Paleshadow20, SeraphinaDonna and TerminalKnitwear please review as this chapter is definitely on of the ones I really worked on, so please consider it, thank you :)