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..:: Treason ::..
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Third chapter from Sephy-Chan

Spoilers for manga chapter 350

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Chapter 34
- Memory -
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There he stood, the man they all thought was dead. Kurosaki Isshin. He just stood there wearing a white Arrancar uniform, looking at them – observing them through the partial hollow mask that covered about half his face. "So- I was right to check up on the prisoners," he said slightly amused.

Isshin had been too amused with the shocked faces of the shinigami surrounding the red headed prisoner that he hadn't noticed Nobu sitting behind him on the ground – silently chanting his spell.

"You.. You're alive?" Yoruichi said unbelievingly as she walked closer towards her old friend. "Why didn't you contact Ichigo or Urahara?"

Renji grabbed her wrist. "He has no memory from before Aizen used Hougyoku on him," he spoke darkly, "He isn't Ichigo's father anymore." She turned back to face Isshin, worry in her eyes,

"I have no idea what that red is talking about, but Aizen-sama will be delighted to hear some shinigami ryoka have been dispo-" he began but stopped talking he felt a hand on the back of his head.

"I hope you used that magia spell as precaution," Nobu said sadly, "Not as last resort,"

"What are you-"

"Reversus recordatio (1)" Nobu said and the room was suddenly blinded by a bright green light for a second before Isshin and Nobu both sank to their knees and fell down to the ground.

The room was silent for a few moments but neither male on the ground moved. "Are they dead?" Sado asked confused as Yoruichi walked closer towards the two.

"Nobu?" she asked while nudging him and eying Isshin's unconscious body. "Nobu what did you do?" She looked calm but she was certainly relieved when he opened his eyes.

"Did it work?" he groaned, his body growing weaker.

"Your spell?" she asked confused, "Did you kill him?"

"Gave back.. his memory..."

"What?" Hitsugaya said surprised, "Memories can't be transferred!"

"Ungh.. My head..." Isshin groaned as he sat up and held his head. He froze the moment his hand touched the partial mask on his head. "What happened..." his voice clearly filled with fear. When he looked up his worried eyes met with those of Yoruichi.

"Isshin?" she asked cautiously, not certain if it was a trick or not. "Are you, you again?"

He looked confused and looked around, "Where are we..." then he spotted Nobu and shook him.

"So... it worked.." he smiled and was hit by Isshin – surprising the others in the room.

"You knew what would happen if you reversed the 'Memoria Rememdium' spell, and gave back the memories I entrusted to you," he said seriously, "You'll die."

"I know... "

This shocked the shinigami greatly and made them wonder what the hell was going on. "Can one of you two tell me what the hell is going on!" Hitsugaya stated annoyed. "He," pointing at Nobu, "says he's using something called magia, and retuning memories."

"Tadashi Nobu is from Europe," Isshin started to explain as the rest stayed quiet, "He's what's known there as a 'Magus', better known as wizard. The Magus are forbidden to fight hollows by their law, even though they can see them as clearly as shinigami." Isshin stood up to face the shinigami, "Nobu was different, he had seen how his best friend was killed and started using magia to fight hollows – he was exiled because of it."

"How did he end up with you?" Yoruichi questioned.

"Nobu and Masaki were siblings," Isshin continued, "She was the oldest of the two and moved to Japan after she finished school – she hated it back home and only finished that school because she was forced to." he added slightly bitterly. "Nobu was called a 'genius' and continued his study of magia. After he got exiled he went to find his sister, and we started talking."

"How were you able to 'entrust' your memories to Tadashi-kun – and why?" Uryuu questioned, finding this whole story rather odd, confusing and fascinating at the same time.

"Masaki taught me how to use various magia," he said with a sad smile on his face at the memories of his murdered wife, "I gave my memories to Nobu because he was visiting when Aizen himself and a few of his Espada came to my house – I don't know why..." then he realized that he had no idea where his children were, "Where is Ichigo! Where are Yuzu and Karin!" he yelled in panic.

"We don't know," Renji said as he walked forward with Rukia's help "I was locked in here with Ichigo – but Aizen took him away – we don't know where he is."

Isshin took a step forward but his white hakama was grabbed by Nobu, "Find Ichigo..." he rasped out, "Before... It's too late..." his eyes closed and his breathing stopped. Tadashi Nobu was no more.

"Nobu?" Isshin questioned as he squatted down next to the dead body and shook it, trying to wake him up, "What did you mean before it's too late? Where is Ichigo!" he was panicking, "Where!" he yelled at the lifeless body of Nobu. "Where are my children!"

Yoruichi walked closer but the whole room went silent the moment a loud blood curling howl rang through the hallways of Las Noches, closely followed by the alarm and dozens of footsteps running across the hallways.

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Aizen stared at the orange haired teen on the ground. The hole in Ichigo's chest was not healing like it had done after he had extracted Hougyoku from Kuchiki Rukia's body. "Hm?" He looked closer at the seemingly dead body on the ground. The boy was not supposed to die – the hole was supposed to close. Allowing him to fully claim the body as his own and use it as he wanted.

Empty eyes stared at the ceiling as six lines began to appear from the hole in the boy's chest and traveled across the upper body. Two moved over his upper arms, two others over the shoulders – and the last two moved towards the throat, and over the mask that had been forming. Sharp teeth decorated the skull like mask that had grown two long sharp horns pointing downwards past his masked face. His wrists, ankles as well as a coat-collar around his neck grew crimson red hair. Standing up, hunching, it became visible that his hair had grown in length as well.

Aizen took a few steps back as he and the chained hollow had looked at the transformation in both horror and amazement. "...What are you?" Aizen asked carefully at the 'new' hollow standing in the middle of the room. "Answer me," he demanded when the horned-hollow just stood there.

"You violated this body," it spoke in a insane-like voice as the empty eye-sockets seemed to light up as he spoke, those deep golden eyes glared up, locking on Aizen's head – determined to see it roll on the ground. "You dare to try and claim this body as your own," it growled as his hands slowly turned to claws, "Removing that ball of light was the best thing you could do,"

Aizen eyes narrowed and slightly opened when he realized that Nobu's spell had kept the hollow locked away, or this 'personality' would have shown up before.

"Because now," The horned-hollow said, as he slowly circled Aizen, "I get the chance to kill you.." he said slyly before releasing a blood curling howl, startling the other male slightly and lashing out with his right claw. It struck lightning fast, before Aizen could even think about dodging, the dangerous hollow had struck his shoulder, shredding flesh.

Aizen grunted, holding his shoulder in his other hand. He quickly fled the room and sounded the alarm – and realized he had made a grave mistake by removing Nobu's spell without knowing what it had been used for. He had set free a monster with power that rivaled his own – if not surpassed it.

Back in the room the horned-hollow smirked slowly at the open door, he growled and made his way towards the door but stopped when the other hollow started talking.

"IcHi... nO... lEAve... uS" it whined, and tried to break the chains that bound it to the wall.

It was no use, the chains were too strong for the hollow to break. The horned-hollow walked back to the wall and slowly petted it's head, slightly calming it down. "Ichigo would kill me if I'd leave you two here.." he said as he simply broke the chains away from the four legs of the hollow. "Lets go." walking towards the door he saw dozens of Arrancar standing behind the door – making sure they wouldn't be able to leave.

The brown haired hollow tried to hide behind the orange haired one, not succeeding due to it's large demon-dog body.

"Aizen-sama ordered us not to let you out of this prison," one of the Arrancar spoke up, "And that's exactly what we'll do!" the crowd agreed with him. "You're outnumbered!" he shouted louldy.

Smirking creepily the orange haired hollow charged a cero between the tips of his horns. He fired the cero at the guards; killing them all in a instant, blowing up everything around them. The building shook dangerously. "Weak..." he glanced around, his eyes narrowing. "Before I rip his head of I need Zangetsu.." he said and closed his eyes.

The brown haired hollow remained quiet and was a little scared of this figure that used to, still has, the body of their brother.

"Found him," the horned one's teeth widened and set off in the direction of his blade. He stopped and looked back at the brown haired hollow, "Come" he said nothing more before speeding off. The eyes of the other hollow lit up and quickly hurried after him.

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Someone was yelling, probably at the one who set off the alarm – they all sensed a cero being charged and fired. "They're all dead.." Hitsugaya said amazed, "With one attack..."

"What the hell is going on out there," Renji said as Inoue had finished healing the red. "Did Aizen set loose some guardian hollow?" A eerie laughter filled the hallways and Renji recognized that tone at once. It was the hollow that lived inside Ichigo's soul. It sounded different somehow, but he was certain it was the same. 'Please don't let it be him...' he prayed inside.

"It's quiet," Sado said before they all sensed a cero being charged on the other side of the door and took cover before they would be hit with flying debris.

"So others did come.." an eerie voice spoke from within the dust cloud.

"Show yourself!" Hitsugaya yelled as he got ready to attack with Hyourinmaru is needed.

The dust cleared and showed the horned-hollow with long dust-covered orange hair, and hiding behind it was the brown-haired one – which Renji quickly recognized as the same hollow who had kidnapped Ichigo in the first place.

"Give me the blade red," the horned one spoke dangerously,

"No," he said clearly while holding both Zabimaru and Zangetsu close to his body.

"Whatever," the horned one said mockingly as he unwrapped Zangetsu in his hands – confusing the shinigami who looked at Renji and saw that he was only holding Zabimaru now.

Everyone was thinking the same thing as they looked from the red to the hollow, 'When did he move!'

"Ungh.." Isshin groaned as he regained consciousness, he had protected Nobu's body and was hit by the derbies that were blasted into the room. Looking up he accidentally locked eyes with the two hollows who had entered the room by force.

"You!" the horned one spat at Isshin, who looked confused – but the brown haired one recognized their father and thought he was just wearing another strange outfit. It wanted to walk closer but was stopped by a slim black blade. "It's not who you think it is," he told the brown hollow – which backed off and tried to hide behind the horned one again.

"Tensa Zangetsu.." Renji said unbelievingly as he saw the blade, there was only one person Zangetsu would listen to and that was Ichigo. The others didn't hear him, they were too focused on the enemy to notice. Raising the slim black blade the horned hollow aimed at Isshin and swung down.

Isshin instinctively reached for his blade to block the blade – but Renji had stepped in between the two, staring seriously at the dangerous hollow. "Why." the hollow growled at the red, "..when you know what he has done." Renji wanted to answer, but was shoved aside with a clawed hand and the blade was swung down again – demolishing half the room.

The shinigami were surprised by the level of destruction by a single motion, the hollows bright yellow eyes following Isshin's every move. The red hurried towards Isshin to ask if he was okay and the hollow roared loudly – making even the brown haired one back off in fear

Walking closer to the red, growling in anger, Isshin shouted; "Hurry and find Ichigo – this one is after me." readying his blade for another strike at this hollow. The shinigami nodded and turned to leave when the horned hollow began laughing-

"You find him, or the little girls."

"What was that!" Isshin roared and leaped at the hollow who simply blocked the blade with his bare hands, "Did you kill them!"

"I didn't," he breathed as his golden eyes filed with rage at the man wanting to kill him, "You almost did,"

Isshin's stance weakened for a second and was thrown through a wall and stood up coughing dust and keeping his eyes on both hollows, though the brown haired one didn't seem to be dangerous. "What do you mean by that?" he sneered at the hollow. Walking closer he raised his claw to lash out at the ex-shinigami, who got ready to fight back but didn't expect the red head to grab the raised arm. "Abarai?"

"What happened... Ichigo?.." the red said as the arm was lowered and he let go of the arm. Everyone looked better at the horned hollow and noticed that beneath the dust the hair was orange and were horrified by the idea that Ichigo had become a hollow to escape.

Leaning closer to the red's, the hollow's teeth parted slightly and Ichigo spoke to him, "The hollow is no longer in control.." in a hateful tone while his eyes remained focused on his father. "Do you remember what you did yesterday?"

Renji's eyes widened when he knew that Ichigo meant the rape and how he helped Aizen.

"No," Isshin answered and lowered his blade – he couldn't attack his son, no matter if he had become hollow. He couldn't kill his own flesh and blood. He didn't move when Ichigo roared a blood curling howl in anger and raised his claw for another strike – but this one was stopped by the brown haired hollow.

"No.. cRy... DadDY... IchI Nii... foRGiVe... " the hollow spoke oddly and turned his large face to look at Ichigo who looked away, so the hollow used the eye on the tip of his tail to look at him instead.

"Forgive?" Ichigo growled, "That would be impossible"

Isshin looked in horror at the two as reality started to sink in that all his children had become hollows, completely forgetting what his own body looked like. "Masaki... Can you ever forgive me?" He spoke to no one in particular. "How could it have come to thi-" he couldn't finish his sentence when he was kicked in the ribs by Ichigo's clawed foot.

"Try lying to us from the day we were born!" Ichigo yelled, "Then why you were too weak to stop Aizen from taking Yuzu and Karin!" He pushed his feet harder against his fathers chest until he could hear ribs cracking under them.

The brown haired hollow used it's tail to snake around Ichigo's leg to stop him. "Do..n't... Make ...DaDdY..CrY.." it grunted out.

"I won't.." he spoke slowly, 'Not when you're watching..'

Yoruichi deemed it was safe enough to go near the fallen father of the Kurosaki family, "Isshin," she said to get his attention, "Do you remember anything that might help Soul Society win this war?"

Ichigo growled at his father again, still furious at his father for 'forgetting' the rape he would have to live with for the rest of his life.

Isshin opened his mouth to tell them he didn't remember anything at all, but he was unable to talk as a sword had pierced his skull – right between the eyes and partial though the mask. His eyes stood wide in shock as his feet and hands slowly started to vanish into nothingness.

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(1) – "To return memory" in Latin (online translator)

Notes:
(1) – 222
(2) – Sephy: "Do leave a review that Pickle and I love so much!"

Pickle: "Yeah!" :D

R&R