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Oh
My Kichigai!
By
Uchiha Xairylle
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Evolution, A Bankai's Bankai
Both Aizen and Andjaliria disappeared. Ichigo gasped as the little girl appeared before him with her wakizashi to strike him. He blocked with Tensa Zangetsu as he tried finding a way to safeguard his family. Rukia whipped behind her and was surprised to see Aizen as he held one of her butterflies in between his fingers. Ichigo opened his mouth to say something but in an instant, Aizen and Rukia were gone, leaving Ken'ichi's body above the black surface.
"RUKIA!" Ichigo disappeared but Andjaliria followed.
"No can do…!" She reached out for him to take his mask just like how she did to Ken'ichi but Ichigo grabbed her small limb and threw her away. With another shunpo, he disappeared and reappeared beside his son.
"Found you!" Andjaliria's small voice said playfully. Ichigo frowned and disappeared again. Andjaliria followed suit.
Ichigo cursed. It was so hard trying to lose this little girl! She was cackling like an insane hyena and he didn't like it He would love to slit her throat for the world to know.
"CERO! CERO! CERO!"
Andjaliria had said "Cero" thrice but thirty projectiles shot out towards Ichigo. The orange-haired Shinigami Representative growled and blocked every wave in full speed. Ichigo disappeared in a flash step but Andjaliria had grown tired of their game of cat and mouse and grabbed him by the leg. Ichigo grunted and hurled a Getsuga Tenshou at her but the girl only deflected it. Ichigo gasped and looked at the direction of the projectile.
Notthere of all places!
"KEN'ICHI!" Ichigo spun and pried Andjaliria off with his sword. Instinctively, he pulled out his mask. In an instant, he was gone. Another second, he had picked up his son and he tumbled away from the horror of his own technique.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Andjaliria was suddenly behind them and Ichigo whipped around to kick her. She blocked effectively with her small limb and Ichigo's eyes widened under the mask.
"Stop running already!" she laughed at them, "BAKUDOU ICHI!"
What the hell…! KIDOU!?
"Obstruction!"
Kidou and a low-level one at that. But her reiatsu was so intense that it was enough to bind him. Ichigo cursed a million times inwardly as he felt his son's body slipping from his grasp.
"Ken'ichi…!"
His son plunged way below him.
"KEN'ICHI!"
Shit, not now!
"Bye-bye!" Andjaliria said and she grabbed Ichigo's mask.
Burning pain!
"GYAAAAAAUUUUUGHHHH!!" Ichigo hollered in pain and released himself from the binding technique. It was like his head was being removed and everything in him was being sucked out. He felt like he was bleeding. He wanted to throw up. Every fiber in his body was tingling in a bad and painful way. Helplessness… He hated helplessness.
"LET GOOOOOO!" Ichigo complained and he swung Tensa Zangetsu and reinforced with a kick. The little girl squirmed as she threw off him but Ichigo's mask broke in half. One half was on the right of his face and the other was in Andjaliria's hands.
Ichigo reached for his visage. The mask wasn't there. Was it going to grow back? His mask had broken several times before but never felt as incomplete as now.
Shit. Something's not right.
"ARAAAAAAA!" she squealed and held the halved mask in two hands, "It's a bit ugly but I can manage."
To Ichigo's horror, the little girl placed the mask on her face.
No…! She's going to…!
The mask disappeared into her small face. Ichigo nearly stopped breathing as he watched the transition of his mask that became her face. It was… It was…
UNBELIEVABLE!
"Don't
be so surprised, Shinigami." She smiled and in an instant, Ichigo
was again bound by kidou, "I'll have that other half and
everything else that's left of it."
"You…
little…" Ichigo struggled from the obstruction.
"And
when I'm done taking that power from you, I'll take the King's
reiatsu from you and your little boy."
"WHAT!"
Ichigo exclaimed.
The King's Reiatsu!? What was she going to… No, wait.
Ichigo's eyes widened. Andjaliria sneered and glanced towards her father.
"Hold still." Aizen said as he gripped Rukia's neck in one hand and eyed the butterfly in another. The thousand butterflies were still hovering around her as Aizen continued to study the insect in his hand while standing in front of the throne in the dark sky.
"Most impressive." Aizen nodded, "It's trying to penetrate my reiatsu instead of my flesh."
Rukia grunted.
"You
kill from the inside." The former Fifth Squad Captain muttered,
"That is so unlike you, Kuchi… Sorry… Kurosaki Rukia."
"It's…"
Rukia managed to say but Aizen tightened his fingers around her small
neck. She squirmed as her hands reached for the spasm around her
throat.
"LET HER GO!" Ichigo yelled at him but the binding technique stopped him from doing anything.
"Andjaliria, don't play with your food." Aizen said without even looking at her.
"Food!?"
Ichigo complained as he kicked in mid-air, "What am I to you?! I'm
not some kind of litter, you bastard! What are you up to!"
"SHUT
UP!" Andjaliria's small palm slapped Ichigo right across the face
with a loud clap. Ichigo did not seem fazed and recoiled with a glare
at her.
"Kurosaki Ichigo gave this Bankai to you, didn't he?" Aizen said again, refusing to release the winged thing between his fingers, "He gave it to you when he marked you as his own."
"I
don't…" Rukia stuttered.
"Cut
your gibberish, Aizen!" Ichigo was shouting after him, tearing him
limb-by-limb if only words could.
"There is no way a Zanpakutou can have two elements and yet you do — ice and light." Aizen continued, "Light. Such a rare element. Kurosaki chose a very nice element in his alteration of you."
"SHUT
UP!" Ichigo again.
"Ichi…"
Rukia whimpered.
"It is out of instinct to protect you perhaps as well as a counter measure to protect him self."
"I
SAID SHUT UP!" Ichigo continued to shout, "I don't know what
you're talking about!"
"You
shut up!" Andjaliria slapped him again and his mask chipped, "This
is one reason why only I should be the one to exist!"
What?
"I'm the only one who is able to acknowledge my existence!" the little girl shrieked at him. Ichigo's mouth was partly open as his mind tried to deduce her shrill words.
"It's
a shame that your powers are put to waste!"
"My…
My powers?"
"The
powers granted to you by the Key!" She pointed a small finger at
him and she glared, "If you don't want to be who you are, you can
just be a part of me!"
"WHAT THE CRAP ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!" Ichigo protested.
"This place is the incomplete dimension of the new King." She began, "I am the Key to this place. I am the sole Key to everything."
"The sole… Key…" Ichigo repeated and Rukia's eyes widened.
"It took ten years for me to create Andjaliria from all the souls I was gathering." Aizen sighed as he shook his head, "But it all paid off. My reiatsu, the fallen Espada, the fallen Privaron Espada, the fallen Numeros, the Hougyoku… Everything. But it was not enough."
"Soul Society figured I'd get Karakura Town… But that is too troublesome. I never wanted to attract unwanted attention when I work."
Rukia was now choking.
"The reiatsu from the Key itself — that includes the King's." Aizen smiled at her, "That reiatsu is in your husband and your son. With that, I will find the King, kill him and replace him. There is no need to trouble myself with a hundred thousand souls."
"You
will never—"
"Never
what?" Aizen looked at Ichigo, "Never can do it? How so? We are
on the way to the King's palace as we speak."
"WHAT!"
Ichigo's eyes widened.
"As
soon as Andjaliria stops
playing with her food
and consumes the reiatsu from the both of you… This place will
overlap that of the King's."
"Shut…" Rukia said again and in an instant, Aizen's clothes were torn in various places to his surprise. Wounds appeared on his body and blood spurted from the open flesh. Rukia snickered and Aizen released her but not before digging his bare hand through her mid-section. Her body arched forward as Aizen grabbed her head and pulled out his hand from the hole he had torn in her body.
"RUKIA!" Ichigo called in frantic and with every ounce of strength, he broke the obstruction. The little girl chased after him in surprise.
Rukia wore her eyes wide but she gripped every inch of her presence of mind so as not to be distracted. The flying butterflies surged towards Aizen's hand and the King of Hueco Mundo drew back and pushed her so that she was plummeting.
"Psch." Rukia managed to say as she fell. Aizen looked at the wounds on his body and noticed the sparkles.
There was something more to that Bankai than those butterflies.
"RUKIAAAAA!"
Ichigo yelled and flash stepped with all his might and will towards
the body of his wife. Andjaliria blocked his way.
"CLEAR
OUT, YOU BRAT!" Ichigo glared before shoving the little girl as far
away as possible. Another flash step. He was gone.
"RUKIA!"
He almost did not make it. Ichigo caught Rukia's falling body and both of them plunged into the dark water. He was holding her body towards him as her arms hung from her body. She had changed from Bankai back to her normal form. Ichigo was more than just worried as he wiped a trail of blood from her lips.
"Ichigo."
Rukia spoke with her eyes closed. It was strange how the dark water
did not seem to be water but just air and space.
"No,
don't talk." Ichigo told her, "I'm getting the three of us
out of here."
"No
time." She murmured, "Listen… To me."
She paused and winced before rasping for air. She opened her mouth to breathe in and slowly opened her eyes.
"Devour me."
"WHAT!"
Ichigo's eyes widened, "I can't do that, Rukia! I…!"
"Listen…"
her weak fingers reached for his haori and tried gripping it, "The
light… in me… can hurt her… Since… she uses… the shadows…"
"Then
you have to…"
"Shh."
Her finger was trying to reach his lips, "It… can kill her…
But… My skill is not enough… And so is my time..."
What was she saying?
"You…
don't look… so fine yourself…" she looked at him with his
half-mask on, "At this rate… We're all going to die…"
"We're
not going to die, you stupid midget!" Ichigo glared at her, "I
won't let us die!"
"Perhaps…"
she swallowed and wet her lips, "If you… used this power…"
"Rukia…!"
Ichigo shook his head.
"Then
you could…"
"NO!"
Ichigo insisted, clutching her to him as he continued to shake his
head.
"No
choice…" Rukia murmured, "I… was able… to hurt Aizen. Use
this power… If you indeed gave it to me…"
Gave her what? He didn't remember anything like that. He was no god!
"I didn't give you anything!"
He was just Kurosaki Ichigo!
"Maybe
you did… but did not know it… Hmm?" she was trying to smile as
she tilted her head. Ichigo wiped the trail of blood again.
"That
night you made me yours… That night you swore to yourself to
protect me forever…" she continued with much effort, "Neither
your Hollow powers… Nor your Shinigami powers… Can do anything."
"You have one option left…"
Ichigo swallowed hard.
"Tap onto the power of the King's Key… And borrow the portion that is in you…"
Ichigo shook his head slowly and she saw the eye of his Hollow beneath the mask — those pitch black eyes with pools of what looked like brown and yellow — she saw that exposed eye cry.
"Manipulate... Alter... Absorb... Use..."
He bit his lip. He hated it when his wife made sense in a bad way.
"Do
it…" she muttered, "If you don't… We're all going to die
here…"
"Rukia…"
"You
can do it…" she nodded at him, "Just like the first time… But
now, do not hold back. Take everything and use… everything… I
will… I will…"
"Why
are you trying to leave me!" Ichigo glared at her in spite of his
cracking voice.
"Stop
arguing with me, you idiot." Rukia managed to say and with another
deep breath, she held her sword.
"Rukia… No!"
"Bankai."
"NO!"
"First Waltz. White Sentinel."
A giant snowflake appeared and pushed them to surface. Andjaliria was now headed towards them. Ichigo's eyes widened as Rukia leaned forward towards him. He felt every inch of her body against him. There was no way he was losing her. No way. There was no way. No way. No way.
"Ichigo." Rukia's stern voice made its way towards him.
No way…
Andjaliria charged towards them as they surfaced. Ichigo could hear his heart say various angry things and for some reason, it was Rukia's life that was flashing before him.
"Final Waltz…" Rukia's fingers touched the hand that was holding Tensa Zangetsu. Ichigo could feel the tears building in his eyes. He could not change her mind.
"White Light."
The thousands of butterflies reappeared and Rukia looked with her violet orbs of gravity and calmness at him, "Do it."
"I…" Ichigo stammered as Rukia lifted his sword, "I can't."
"Do it now."
"GWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Andjaliria laughed as she sped towards them, "The light is faint! So faint!"
"Ichigo…!" Rukia coughed and her eyebrows furrowed. Her vision was swaying.
"Do this! For me!"
She might not make it.
"ICHIGO!"
No, she had to make it.
"HAYAKU!"
Andjaliria gripped her wakizashi and in one movement, she had thrust the blade through Rukia's chest from behind. Rukia's weak fingers gripped his haori in shock and pain. Ichigo's eyes widened as he looked at Rukia's small face that was looking past his shoulder. There was a short grunt from the girl and Ichigo shuddered as his fingers gripped his wife's body that was now slowly losing the heat of life. Andjaliria smiled and Ichigo cursed. Rukia managed to look up at Ichigo and she smiled faintly.
This was the first and last time he saw her look at him like this.
"Ichigo." She said softly and Ichigo looked at her as her eyes shimmered and she whispered, "Just in time."
A trail of blood made its way from her lips but Ichigo was unable to wipe it off anymore. And in parallel, a single tear slid down across Ichigo's half-exposed face.
Andjaliria gasped and looked down. Tensa Zangetsu had been pierced right through Rukia's body. The little girl shrieked in horror and she backed as Rukia's body began to phase in disappearance. She began to sparkle and turn into dust of reiatsu that Ichigo's body consumed. Ichigo could feel the energy flowing through him like mad but it felt nothing close to good. He could not feel her body anymore. He could not see her. He could not… He could not…
Ichigo.
Ichigo bit his lower lip as he shuddered uncontrollably upon feeling dainty fingers on his hand that held his sword. He looked. No one was there yet it felt like someone so familiar was touching his hand — so near yet so far.
Arigatou.
Ichigo cursed and did not deny the regret he felt. Perhaps they should've just died. Why couldn't he think of his self first for once? They've been together as husband and wife for only ten years. Just ten years.
There was still so much ahead.
Saa… I'll fight by your side.
If there was anything he wanted right now, it would be having her back.
"Return…" Ichigo murmured to his self as tears fell down from his Hollow-infused eyes. He had never shuddered so badly like he did now. He had never felt so incomplete, so devastated, so torn, so… so… miserable…
"Return to me…"
"W-what?" Andjaliria was continuing to back away from him.
Ichigo lifted his sword to Bankai stance. Ichigo had no idea how he was able to manipulate reiatsu as much as he was not good with words. But he knew one thing, though. He wanted her back. She had wished for him to use her and her power. There was only one thing he could use so well and if he wanted to be with her in the only way he knew, Ichigo would have to learn Shikai. Ichigo had not experienced calling out a sword in Shikai.
"RETURN TO ME!"
Perhaps this was the first.
"RUKIA!"
Reiatsu exploded like Ichigo's tears streaming and brimming from his eyes. The thousand white butterflies changed into black and reformed behind Ichigo as the black chain on Tensa Zangetsu disappeared and was replaced with the white strip of cloth like the one on Sode No Shirayuki's end. Aizen's eyes widened. He had never fathomed such a display!
Kurosaki Ichigo had turned Rukia into reiatsu and materialized her as a sword!? The transition was too abrupt for so many processes to occur especially with Ichigo's low ability to control reiatsu. There had to be a logical explanation for this.
Ichigo lifted his head as he looked sternly at his sword in one hand.
"You killed your own wife to absorb her. How does it feel, Kurosaki?" Aizen spoke in his normal tone and earned a sharp glare from Ichigo's black Hollow eyes. His half-mask was still on the right side of his face and Aizen could see the mark of a snowflake on the left side of his forehead.
"Not Shinigami. Not Hollow. Not Vaizard. Not Human." Ichigo spoke as if he were alone.
"Ore wa…" Ichigo raised his head as a sign of defiance as the thousand hell butterflies fluttered in gracious madness, "… KUROSAKI ICHIGO DA!"
- End of Chapter 29 -
Author: Oh my gigai! I killed Rukia! What have I done! How dare meeee! –is e-tasered-
This was supposed to have been out with Chapter 28 buuuut, well, nuff said. I hope I have you stumped. I am under the impression that nearly half of you have lost interest in the story because I killed off Rukia. But if you're observant (especially if you've followed my works since "Oh My Gigai!"), you'll have a pretty good idea of the ending.
Well! I guess that's a wrap FOR NOW. I await reviews and hate/flame mail!
Cheerios, Cookies and a whole lot of Bankai love!
-flees-
