Life and Death II

The alarm's piercing cry wailed across all of Sereitei. Mayuri Kurotsuchi had been successfully captured, ensuring the gates were safe from attack. Each detachment from the North, South and West gates split in two and transferred half their forces to the East gate where Kommamura's forces were fending off the unending tide of the undead from Rukongai.

From the North Tetsuzaemon Iba rushed to support his captain whilst all the other units consisted solely of troops, their remaining generals guarding the gates. Kiyone remained upon the Western ramparts, sending scouts to retrieve her sister and ensure her safety. Byakuya remained positioned in the South, calmly observing the wandering dead down below as they shuffled away and moved on towards the Eastern gate where their accursed brethren had gained entry. Ikkaku remained in the North for as long as possible but inevitably the lure of battle drew him away and the foolish 3rd seat abandoned his troops to fight on the front-line.

Nonetheless, the tides of battle had shifted once again. Despite Mayuri's well-laid counter-measures against Ukitake's initial strategies, the nefarious doctor had overlooked the chance of any further plots, instead expecting the Soul Society's meagre forces to crumble through their low morale. Mayuri had underestimated the courageous warriors of the Gotei 13 who fought with renewed vigour, the fear of a fate worse than death spurring on their furious onslaught.

Regardless of Ukitake's peaceful nature, the man had experienced more conflicts than any surviving member of the Gotei 13. A wizened veteran of the fiercest battles in all of Soul Society's centuries-long history, he was more than qualified to achieve the rank of Captain Commander.

Even in the face of overwhelming odds, Ukitake had managed to play one last ace up his sleeve and catch Mayuri off-guard. For a dangerously cunning man, Mayuri's arrogance had brought an end to his plans.

No longer able to spread the new mutated strain of the virus and with all remaining subjects of said strain thoroughly extinguished Mayuri was left with no choice but to rely solely on the shambling, disorganised and exhausted masses from Rukongai. Even with the numbers still well in his favour, the strength of the Gotei 13 placed each side on a level playing field.

Hope remained a small glinting light far ahead...A glimpse of a future for mankind...

Now is the time to seize it!

Ukitake glared down at his most hated foe, a fierce loathing burning within him that had not surfaced in so very many years he had thought it impossible. Never had one man caused so much terror, pain and heart-ache, never had one man enraged the gentle silver-haired captain so that he would curse the day of his birth.

Ukitake was never known for being vengeful, nor violent. However Mayuri's crimes against nature itself had brought forth a darkness within the man's very soul that compelled him to erase every trace of his cursed existence.

Ukitake drew his sword, the blade gleaming in the otherwise darkness of the lab.

"You are the first man I have ever wished death upon...You are the first man to compel me to spill blood for the sake of honour. Be grateful that you shall be the first and last to face me like this. I will gladly stain my pride with blood to atone for the billions of innocent lives I have forsaken."

Mayuri spat, "Bah! You're a fool! A man too weak-willed to fight commanding the highest military force in Soul Society! Your age is merely a sign of your imminent decay Ukitake! One day you will rot like the very same beasts you're fighting."

Ukitake clenched his fingers tighter around the hilt of his sword, "I won't take insults from a man so despicable as to use the dead as his playthings in a childish bid for power! You boast of being the god of a new world, a leader among the perfect race...And yet you are as far from perfect as the night from day."

"How dare you-"

"A vain, spiteful creature, disfigured by his own hand for the sake of entertainment and nothing more. A man with a mind as sharp as a sword blunted by your own delusions. A man who already stood atop the heavens, yet believes he can climb higher. If you had not caused such horrors it would be laughable. Nothing more than an infant playing god!"

"Silence! Your words cannot hurt me! I already hold the balance of power! The dead shall claim this place and I shall lead them to a greater future!"

"A life of slavery is not a future! I will rebuild everything you have destroyed in your futile quest for power!"

"You alone cannot rebuild what was lost! Your hopeless optimism is your greatest flaw! Give up and accept the reality of your situation. Bow down to me and I will spare you!"

"Spare me? You could never take my head Mayuri!"

"Perhaps not...But you seem to be forgetting that I have a friend who is more than capable of such a task." Mayuri's lips curled up into a vicious smile, "Ichigo! Kill this worthless fool so that we may proceed with the plan!"

The Kurosaki boy who had been standing idly by the entire time suddenly stood to attention and nodded, drawing his sword within the blink of an eye. Wordlessly, he approached his foe, his expression as cold as the dead flesh of the ghouls. With imperceptible speed the boy lunged forward, sword poised to claim the Captain Commander's head.

The wizened veteran guarded just in time, swatting aside Ichigo's sword and using the momentum to brush the boy aside. A thin smile crossed his features; one of determination and grim resolve.

"You underestimated me again Kurotsuchi. You really thought I would walk right into the enemy lair alone?"

Mayuri cursed under his breath as three figures emerged from the top of the stairs and into the laboratory.

"Damn! I have no time to waste on such low-level scum! Ichigo take the interlopers elsewhere and dispose of them. I will deal with Ukitake myself!"

Ichigo bowed and went after the intruders, forcing them to retreat outside whilst leaving his master inside. Once outside he straightened and pointed his sword at the girl's he had once known as friends.

Rukia, Alice and Karin all stood tall together, forming a wall against their intimidating opponent. Neither side spoke for some time, an exchange of silent glances as the stand-off ensued.

At last, Ichigo shattered the silence, "So, we meet again huh guys? A shame it has to end like this."

Rukia stepped forward on trembling feet, willing herself to remain strong, "Ichigo, it doesn't have to end! It's not too late to redeem yourself! You just have to open your eyes!"

Ichigo chuckled, "That sounds familiar. The same script from before right? Well I already told you, I'm not here to talk, I'm here to kill you."

"Dammit, wake up!" she cried, anger flaring, "You know deep down that we are friends don't you?! You remember the feelings we shared, the tears we shed! You remember cradling me in your arms as the undead crowded around us back at the school right! That warmth I felt in your arms was not a lie! If you really despised me all this time would you have spent your last waking moments with me?"

Ichigo suddenly appeared beside her, his blade already digging into her side, "Hey, we all make mistakes right?"

Flash stepping to a safe distance, Rukia held a hand over the gash in her side. She had never even seen him move! Warm blood pooled around her hand, oozing between her fingers and down the length of her thigh. Gritting her teeth Rukia forced herself to look deep into his eyes, hoping above all else to find a glimpse of something...Anything to bring him back...

Amused, Ichigo stared back, his ever-present empty scowl affixed to his features. "So, Rukia, what's this game? A staring contest? What do I win?"

"Ichigo!" Alice shrieked, drawing her rifle and taking aim. Tears streaked down her cheeks, clouding her vision and obscuring her aim, nonetheless she lined up her shot, glaring at him down the sights. "Look around you Ichigo! Look at the pain and misery this whole nightmare has caused! You dare side with the lunatic who caused all this?! I know you're better than that!"

Ichigo scoffed, "You don't know me at all. We only met a few months ago. Just remembering my name doesn't add up to being a friend you know?"

"Grr, listen to yourself! We fought together Ichigo! I promised that I would protect your sister and your friends! We promised to live through this nightmare to see the sun rise each day! We watched out for each other back in Karakura when the entire world was against us!"

"Good job doing that. Thanks for leaving me behind."

Alice laughed, not out of humour but frustration and desperation, "Are you serious? I don't know how much of your brain that doctor left in that thick skull of yours but apparently your memory is fucked!"

Ichigo smirked, "Dying alone is pretty hard to forget."

"Alone?!" Rukia cried, staggering forward. On shaking limbs she charged towards him, a scream billowing out of her throat to push her onward. Ichigo waited for her, patiently waiting before side-stepping her punch and striking her with the back of his hand. Rukia fell forward on her hands and knees, choking back the body-wracking sobs that threatened to overwhelm her.

"Alone? Is that how you see it? Is that really how you remember it Ichigo?"

He gave no answer, silently drawing his sword, eyes dispassionately studying the fallen shinigami.

As he raised the weapon a hail of bullets pierced his hands and arm, rendering the limb useless. With a shrug Ichigo dropped the sword and used his good arm to lift her up by her hair, ignoring Alice's attacks entirely.

"Ichigo..." Rukia whimpered, her breath coming in ragged sobs, "Ichigo...Please...Please remember..."

With outstretched arms she embraced him, even as he tore at her hair and shook her like a rag-doll. With a look of repulsion and fear Ichigo feverishly tried to pry her arms off but Rukia persisted, constricting him in a close embrace, burying her head in his chest to absorb her tears.

"Get off of me! Get off, you leech!"

"Remember..." she implored in a voice as soft as freshly fallen snow.

"Shut up! I'm sick of you using me as your crutch! I'm not just a tool dammit!"

"Back in the school..." Rukia whispered, her breath cool against Ichigo's neck.

"Let me go!"

"We held each other..."

"No!"

"We promised each other..."

"Shut up dammit!" Ichigo wrestled with her but to no avail. Rukia clutched on for dear life, never relenting as she dug beneath his skin.

"Even in death..."

"Grraarrrrgh!"

"We'll be together forever..."

With a defiant roar Ichigo threw her off. Rukia landed in a heap by his feet, her shoulders quaking as grief took over. She glanced up at him, the sorrow bleeding out through her eyes, lips quivering on the brink of silence.

Then she screamed.

"Together to the end! You promised me Ichigo!"

Ichigo staggered back, struck by the power of her words as if it had been the edge of a sword. He felt something trickle down the side of his face and quickly wiped at it with his hands, surprised to see no blood, but tears.

"He's crying..." Karin murmured, watching on in stunned awe.

"Do you remember now Ichigo?" Alice asked, lowering the barrel of her gun. "I didn't abandon you. You refused to leave Rukia's side. You decided for yourself to stay behind and die beside the one you truly loved."

"But...Mayuri..."

"How could he have known? Was he there at your house when you had to kill your little sister? Did he offer you a shoulder to lean on as you cried? Was he there at the school when we fought to the very end? Was he watching your back as we took on the tide of the dead?"

Ichigo bowed his head. "No...He wasn't..."

"Mayuri never cared about you or your feelings. He cast Rukia aside because she refused to be his slave! That's why he cast her aside and left her for dead! The only reason he's kept you alive is because he wants you to wipe out mankind and lead those mindless fucking zombies for eternity as that freak's god damn toys! You're nothing to him!"

"No, it can't be..."

"But you know what? You're everything to us Ichigo. We've gone through Hell to bring you back and I'm telling you I'm not going home empty handed! We'll wake you up even if we have to die trying!"

Ichigo snapped.

Alice never saw it coming. Snatching up his discarded sword, Ichigo plunged the blade deep in her stomach. With a gasp of strangled air Alice rocked forward and collapsed. Seizing the gun from her wildly shaking hands Ichigo emptied the clip into Rukia's back, keeping her down on the ground.

At last Ichigo turned to Karin, eyes like an animal backed into a corner, fear and desperation blazing. He was afraid. Afraid that his enemies might be telling the truth.

With hands stained in blood Ichigo reached out to his sister and whispered her name, the words carried on the wind to reach her. Karin backed away, only to bump into a wall.

She was trapped.

Ichigo staggered onward, a broken grin on his face, an obscene mockery of the expression. A false mask to hide behind whilst the cogs finally began to turn in Ichigo's mind.

Unable to accept it Ichigo advanced, towering over his little sister he blocked her only route of escape, backed her into the corner. One hand went for her throat, the other drawing back for a strike. His breath came in pained wheezes as the beast fought for control.

Karin closed her eyes and wept.

"Sorry...Ichi-ni..."

'Bang!'

Thanks for reading this far, I hope you're enjoying the story! Please review, in these final stages of the story your thoughts can be a great help. And don't miss the next thrilling chapter of 'World of the Living Dead'!