It's been a long time, but I'm still writing! Thanks for all the support thus far!

Ch 21

The familiar taste of blood filled Naoko's mouth as she fought Niban. It reminded her of her nightmares when she would watch Niban hunt at night and feel the rancid, iron taste of hollow blood would coat her tongue while her body felt sickeningly satisfied with the sensation of reiatsu travelling through her. The energy filling her was familiar, and she spat on the ground before them. "Ukitake-taichou!?" she screamed angrily.

"For a sickly-looking man, he's probably one of the strongest Shinigami ever," Niban said smugly, licking her lips in delight. "I'll savor him, don't worry." Blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth and neck slowly.

Rage filled Naoko's chest as she screamed, pushing back against Niban with her blades. "I thought I told you I would never let you cross that line!" Naoko shrieked. "I WARNED YOU!" The raven-haired woman leapt at her hollow counterpart in a fit of rage. She slashed and spun, summoning her fire to burn the hollow to a crisp. "Kitsunebi!"

"Kitsunebi!" Niban echoed, sending an orange flame to meet the blue. The blazes crashed and exploded, heat expanding outwards in waves. The resulting force blew the two's hair back, Naoko teeth grit and bared in an enraged snarl while Niban's teeth showed through a wild grin. They screamed again as the two charged at their mirror images. Swords flashed in the light as the two halves of a soul battled fiercely.

"Why don't you understand, Naoko? I'm trying to protect you!" Niban growled. "Wherever we go, no matter who we're with, they're always trying to kill us! I'm the only one who can keep you safe! I'm the one making us stronger!"

"You've done your job, now obey me," Naoko snarled back. Her voice warped, demanding control over the Hollow. Niban laughed hysterically.

"You think you can use MY power, just like that?!" the pale, white, figure shrieked. "You're nothing! Weak! I deserve to have control, not you!" The beautiful face twisted into a disfigured smirk as it advanced on her. "You're so ungrateful, Naoko, after everything I've done for us! Now stay still." Naoko's body froze, her arms and legs as stiff as iron bars. Fear crept into her heart and pain lanced through her body as Niban thrust her sword into Naoko's stomach.

"Kgh," Naoko grunted through clenched teeth. Niban was stronger, more resolved to own their body. Hopelessness filled Naoko, perhaps she truly wasn't worthy. Kurokitsune was right all along, it would be best to end it now. She wondered how disappointed the others would be. Kuro was subject to the dominant soul's control, and would begrudgingly accept it as her fate. Unohana-taichou and Kurotsuchi-taichou, after spending all their time and research in finding ways to help her regain her sight, would possibly feel discouraged. Shuuhei, who divided his time between running the division and helping her, how much would he mourn her? Ukitake-taichou and even Kyoraku-taichou had supported her through her recovery, would they grieve or feel relief for killing the monster that was absorbing the white-haired captain's energy? Finally, Kensei. What face would he make if he had to strike the final blow? Would he have the strength to, or would one of the other Vaizards do it? They had only been reunited for a short amount of time, after being apart for so long.

'I don't want to go,' Naoko thought. Kensei promised her and the Gotei 13 that she would overcome this. She wanted to see his face again and feel the security of his embrace. "I won't give it up," she swore, watching the Hollow's white coloring travel up its zanpakutou towards her abdomen. "I'll never give it up!" she howled, grasping the blade, her blood dripping down its edge. The whiteness reached her, bleaching the color out of her hand and body, crawling up her neck despite her struggling. "No…," Naoko growled, feeling the Hollow start to take possession of her.

LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE, a disembodied voice said.

"What the hell?" Niban asked, glancing around suspiciously.

~Ukitake Juushiro~

The pure, white fur was soft under his hands. He buried his fingers into the thick pelt, using it to support himself against the crushing jaws that latched onto his torso. Juushiro gasped, both from the pain and the pressure applied to his ribcage. He noticed the fox hollow that was Naoko had taken him a good distance away from Shunsui and the others, meaning it was smart enough to strategize and avoid being attacked.

"Get her!" he heard Shunsui's voice bark. If he weren't in such a precarious situation, Juushiro would've laughed. It was the most authoritative he had ever heard his friend sound, and it was incredibly out of character for the man. Through bleary eyes, Juushiro saw a wave of black racing towards him and his captor. The other captains and their lieutenants were rushing to save him, he realized. He was abruptly dropped onto the ground as a voice boomed out from above him, "STAY AWAY FROM ME!".

"Aah!" Hinamori yelped, as her legs gave out from under her, making her fall forward.

"Shit!" Shinji growled, frozen in place.

"What's going on here?!" Hisagi exclaimed. The young man's face looked strained as he tried to lift his feet from the ground.

"NAOKO!" Kensei roared angrily. "FIGHT IT!" The older, sickly captain looked at the younger, more muscular white haired man. He could see the fear and pain flash across his eyes, straining against the strange power that kept them all at bay.

Juushiro looked around, seeing the captains struggling to move closer. It was as if a barrier was placed around them, each individual stuck at a fixed distance and arranged in a circle as they attempted to surround Naoko.

He looked back at the hollow, its bone plating covering its head, back, and legs, but still revealed the hole in its chest. The yellow eyes peered out from the skull mask with black markings as a row of sharp teeth were bared at the Shinigami circling it. She let out a yowl when Hisagi-fukutaichou released his shikai and threw one of his swords at her. It glanced off Naoko's hide and she swiped it away with a flick of one of her nine tails.

That's when he noticed it. A flicker of that reiatsu emanating just for a split second from Naoko. "Wait!" he called out desperately to the others. Suddenly, black streaks burst forth and wrapped around the hollow's body like thin tentacles, restraining it as the beast shrieked and convulsed violently.

~Naoko~

Naoko looked down, seeing the progression of her hollow's power halt altogether at her stomach.

"What the hell is that?!" Niban growled, obviously distracted by something behind her. Naoko turned, her eyes widening and mouth gaped open at the being looming over them. It was a tall, black figure in the shape of a hand. It had a single eye in what looked like the palm. Even though she heard it speak, Naoko could not find a mouth on the creature.

HOW PROBLEMATIC. A SOUL HAS BEEN SPLIT IN TWO. Niban and Naoko cringed as the voice spoke inside their heads. The reiatsu was overwhelming, but gave the impression that this was only a fraction of what it was capable of.

"Mimihagi-sama," Naoko managed to gasp. How did a fallen god enter her? They were nowhere near the Sakahone district and her effigy was in her room in the 9th. Not like it carried any power anyway.

YOU HAVE ATTACKED MY HOST. YOU ABSORBED A PART OF ME. Mimihagi replied, as if he heard her thoughts.

"Hah! How lucky to own part of the Spirit King's power!" Niban laughed. She resumed her attempt to take control of Naoko, but her power was halted. "What the fuck…" she growled angrily.

Mimihagi's eye curved, as if it was smiling in amusement or pity. YOU ARE NOT WORTHY.

"SHUT UP!" Niban screeched. She pulled her zanpakutou out of Naoko with a sickening squelch, and leapt up to attack the right hand of the soul king. Black tendrils grasped the hollow, pulling it back towards Naoko where it pushed them together.

I AM STAGNATION. SUCH IS MY EXISTENCE. Mimihagi turned to make eye contact with Naoko. SHINIGAMI, IS IT YOUR WISH TO STOP YOUR HOLLOW?

"Yes!" Naoko answered. Niban's angered howls filled her ears as the hollow thrashed back and forth, trying to escape.

YOU WILL BE MERGED TOGETHER, MADE ANEW. THE PRICE WILL BE YOUR WOMB, NEVER TO BRING FORTH ANOTHER LIFE. The shadow that was Mimihagi swirled around them and pierced through Naoko and Niban. They shrieked in pain together, the force of the fallen god pushing them together as he entered and exited them repeatedly like a needle and thread would run through cloth. "Curse you, Mimihagi! Curse you!" Niban wailed, her last words muffled as Mimihagi finally flew through her and Naoko's heads.

~Kensei~

He watched in horror as black tendrils writhed and wriggled all over Naoko's hollow body. The white fur of her hackles raised up as she tried to fight, but finally, her legs gave out beneath her. Kensei felt the barrier holding him and the others back fall away. The moment they felt no resistance, all the captains leapt to strike Naoko, Kensei included.

The young, muscular captain dreaded this moment, but if it had to be anyone that would put Naoko down, it would be him. It was what she wanted. He remembered the days coming up to her hollow submission, Kensei had taken time to visit Naoko at the 12th division and speak with her while staying outside of her sensing range. Merely watching her on a screen and conversing through a set of speakers and microphones was difficult enough for him, but hearing her beg him to be the one to kill her if everything went to shit broke his heart. He remembered the pained look on her face and desperation in her voice, wishing she could see the pain she was causing him by asking for this 'favor' as she called it. "You'll do it because you love me," she had firmly told him through the microphone.

Kensei narrowed his eyes through his hollow mask as he summoned Tachikaze. 'One good hit to the top of her skull would end it quickly', he thought. His heart twisted sickeningly in his chest, the feeling increasing with every foot gravity brought him closer to the woman he loved.

"WAIT!" a voice shouted. It came from Ukitake-taichou, who had struggled to his feet and stood next to the hollow's still convulsing body. Everyone froze, Kyoraku-taichou moving to his friend's side to support him and pull him away from Naoko. Blades of every shape and size stopped short of Naoko's armored head.

"Wait", the older captain stammered weakly. "Something is happening."

Shinji growled. "She's attacked two people already, we ain't waitin' for her to change into something worse." The blonde vaizard put up his sword and advanced.

"Trust me!" Ukitake protested, grasping at Shinji's haori. He sent a sidelong glance at Kyoraku, who returned it with an understanding, but secretive look.

"We wait," Kyoraku agreed, throwing out a hand. The others stepped back, but kept their weapons drawn. Kensei waited with bated breath, watching as the black tendrils slithered around Naoko's hollow form like an octopus' tentacles, thickening and increasing in length until it completely covered her in black. The mass writhed, then started to shrink. Further it went until it became human sized and the tentacles withered and appeared to recede, revealing Naoko's Shinigami form. The white shitagi she wore was ragged and stained with dirt and blood. One sleeve was completely ripped off, a testament to her dismemberment and regeneration. Her skin was the same golden color, but sharp, black lines that had once marked her mask now ran along her cheekbones and at the corners of her eyes. Streaks of snow white hair were visible throughout her long, black locks like silver threads. A low groan flowed past her lips as she struggled to rise on her hands and knees.

"Naoko," Kensei choked out as he ran to her. She coughed, trying to expel the dirt in her mouth and lungs. Her eyes were screwed shut with the effort, tears forming at the corners.

"Kensei?" she croaked. Slowly, she turned her head to him and opened her right eye, revealing the warm golden iris. The left eye soon followed suit, but earned a collective gasp from the group. The iris was sharp yellow on black sclera, a hollow's eye. Naoko paid no attention, but scanned the crowd for one person: Ukitake Juushiro. Mismatched eyes locked onto weary, brown ones. "You," she gasped, and promptly fainted into Kensei's waiting arms.

Quiet settled over the group of Shinigami captains and lieutenants. "Is…is Sakahone-san stable now?" Hinamori stammered from behind Shinji. Unohana-taichou stepped up and ran her hands over the younger woman's body. A low, approving hum vibrated in the medic's throat. "She appears stable, and hasn't reacted yet to any of us. What do you think, Kurotsuchi-taichou?"

"We'd have to run more tests and diagnostics, Unohana-taichou," the captain of the research division stated. "I suggest taking her back to the lab to truly ensure she is safe around others."

Kensei growled. "No way in hell, Kurotsuchi. There's no way I'm sending her back to the 12th." He pulled Naoko into his chest protectively. She felt small and vulnerable in his arms, her warm body and slow breathing was a reminder that she was alive and well.

"You would risk the lives of your squad for one soldier?" the scientist sneered. Kensei grit his teeth angrily, conceding to the logic. As much as he wanted to keep Naoko at his side, Kurotsuchi had a point. Naoko had transformed fully more than once, and for a longer period of time. There was no knowing what she could or couldn't do.

"Do it, Kensei," Shinji commanded. "She feels stable, but better safe than sorry, yeah?"

"Fine," he grumbled. "But I'm not leaving her." With a grunt, Kensei stood up with Naoko cradled in his arms again. He started walking, the other captains making way for him. He glanced off to the side and noticed that Isane or Unohana had already healed Ukitake. The older man had a strange look on his face as he watched Kensei carry Naoko off.