...
"The constant shower of the sun's mane will erase the remaining footprints on the thin ice. Don't be afraid to be deceived, for the world is already full of deception."
Leona had pictured many, many times just how her final fight with Aizen would occur. Perhaps she would say something witty, or maybe something meaningful; The truth was that it changed every time. Sometimes she would have an amazing power with which not even Aizen could contend. Other times, she was simply in the right place at the right time, utilizing a Kido spell as simple as Tsuzuri Raiden* to deal the final blow. The only thing that ever remained unchanged was that she was protecting people that she cared for. People like Toshiro, Tatsuki, Rukia, Byakuya, Urahara, Kensei... People like Ichigo.
If she were to tell herself that she accepted the fact that she could not be the one to kill Aizen, she would be lying. She knew that well enough; Jairo knew that well enough. At that moment, she felt jealousy coursing through her- Jealousy that was directed towards the same person who she was dying to protect. That same person who had been with her through every single step of this messed up act that was called life since she awoke from the daze of amnesia. The person who had believed that she was innately good, despite the words of so many others. She was jealous of the one boy... No, the one man that she had come to trust so implicitly it scared her.
At the moment, she was simply watching. Leona was certain that by then Ichigo knew that she had followed him. But Aizen didn't. Aizen was too conceited to notice anything but what was right in front of him. It was a flaw that would, in time, be the end of him. Leona glanced over her own skin for several moments, not even flinching as the sound of exploding and crumbling rock filled her ears. She had been trying to find the exact location of that tiny slice of the Hogyoku ever since Ichigo had left her behind in Karakura Town. For a moment she traced the blueish veins that showed just barely through her skin- Perhaps it was better if she never knew.
Even as she stood there, Leona couldn't help but feel that it was awfully strange to be on the outside of such things, and yet realize so much. It was simply coming to her, like truth. Like she could just understand without exerting much effort at all. Even if Aizen could not see it, she did. She wondered vaguely if it was because of how she felt about Ichigo that she could understand so simply- But she swiftly dismissed this thought. Despite Aizen's conceited blindness towards Ichigo, she could see just what he had done with almost painful clarity; Ichigo had transcended.
Ichigo was no longer simply the Substitute Shinigami struggling, fighting tooth and nail to protect his friends. He was the Substitute Shinigami who had transcended Aizen Sosuke- He no longer had to struggle. That much was clear to her just by looking in his eyes. Perhaps Aizen still thought that the destruction around them was the result of his own power- But Leona knew this was not true, somehow. It was all Ichigo. This was all Ichigo's power. No matter what words Aizen through at him, that would never change the fact that Ichigo had become so much stronger than him. And all for the sake of saving, rather than causing pain.
It all seemed so strange. So surreal.
Leona had not known Ichigo very long. In fact, the amount of time that she had known Kurosaki Ichigo dwarfed in comparison to how long she had been alive. Hundreds, maybe more, years of life stood between her arrival in the Junrinan District of Rukon-Gai, and the day she first met the orange haired boy who would later mean so much to her.
When they had first met, he was simply another rowdy teenager with a bad attitude, save for a few tricks up his sleeves; After all, turning into a Shinigami and fighting off Hollows were hardly activities that most rowdy teenagers participated in. Then, Rukia had been kidnapped, and the young boy was forced to mature to steel himself against the unforgiving world of souls- Against the harsh rules of the Soul Society.
He had come so far since then. Exposing Aizen, rescuing Rukia. These many things that he had accomplished in large part with little assistance, and he had gained significant recognition in the Seiretei. But it hadn't stopped there- Not with Aizen on the loose and plotting against Soul Society. And it seemed that Soul Society just couldn't do without the boy who, in the very beginning, they had been so determined to capture and kill. He had saved Soul Society. He had saved Rukia, he had saved Orihime. He had even saved Leona from herself on countless occasions. And now, here he was, saving the whole of Karakura Town. He did so much, often Leona wondered how he did it all with such a calm expression, like the one that he wore now.
The explosions around her stopped abruptly, drawing her attention out of her own thoughts and back to the fight in front of her. Leona suddenly realized the Aizen was now standing on a plateau of sorts that was not four yards from where she was standing. Leona, however, did not move at all, and instead simply fixed her cloudy eyes on the man in front of her. He was breathing almost heavily, and his dark eyes were narrowed in Ichigo's direction.
"Can I ask you, now..." Ichigo spoke softly, almost so soft that Leona could not hear it. "Why is it that you distance yourself?" Aizen stiffened, and Leona could already sense that he was upset- Frustrated, even, by this turn of events. It seemed that the man had finally realized that it was not his own power that had flattened this land in less than five minutes- It had all been Ichigo. Leona could feel the Hogyoku flutter and fade in and out- Aizen was afraid.
"Do you congratulate yourself that you stopped my sword?" He, too, spoke softly, but even from far away Leona could hear his steady voice shaking. "Are you happy that you destroyed my Kido? Are you happy that you wounded me?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed, turning towards Leona for a short moment before Aizen finally seemed to lose it. "Don't get above yourself, Human!"
His screams echoed through the area surrounding the three of them. Leona stood stock still, watching in horror as a third eyes ripped open in the middle of his head. Blood dripped down his face as he leaned to the right, his eyes going blank as the eye continued to rip through his face. Leona's heart rate quickened, and she was surprised with herself that she wasn't screaming. It was a disgusting sight, but Aizen continued to transform, his wings and his hands twisting and turning as he he physically became more Hollow than Human.
"I see..." he said finally. "You cannot stand it, can you, Hogyoku?" he murmured, and it was then that Leona felt something stir inside of her. Her breath hitched in her throat- The Hogyoku was responding. "That a mere human should get the better of me." And then he jumped, flame and energy surrounding both him and Ichigo as his feet touched the ground, and Leona could only cover her face with her arms in an attempt to shield herself from the heat of his power. The power subsided, and Leona could see that Ichigo's arm was now burnt almost to a crisp.
"... So that's all it did..." Aizen said thoughtfully, and it was then that Leona heard Jairo speak from deep within her mind. He told her to move- He told her to move, and soon. "But you won't be able to use that arm anymore."
Aizen lunged, arm raised and aimed at Ichigo, but Leona was there before he could come any closer to the orange haired Shinigami. Their palms met, and Leona slowly wrapped her fingers around Aizen's hand. He snarled, and Leona soon realized that the man was now more animal than human, no matter how powerful he was. She kept her face stoic, however, taking a leaf out of Ichigo's book and keeping her calm eyes fixed on Aizen's. From behind her, she heard Ichigo protest.
"... Leona, this is my fight." he said calmly, but Leona simply peered over her shoulder in response, not removing her hand from Aizen's.
"It's not, Ichigo," she replied. She felt Aizen attempt to rip his hand from her grasp, but it didn't work. "It's everyone's fight. And you're not the only one strong enough to take him... But you are the only one strong enough to finish him."
And with those last words Leona turned back to face Aizen- Her creator- with those same, unchanged cloudy eyes that had first caught Aizen's attention one hundred and ten years ago. Leona's red hair whipped around her face as she drew closer to Aizen, who now seemed to be all but frozen in shock.
"That power that you poisoned me with," she whispered, so that Ichigo could not hear. "It's mine now."
Aizen was pushed back with the force of Leona's fist, his head snapping to the right as her hand made contact with his third eye. Leona followed him towards the ground, flying almost effortlessly after him as she allowed her instincts and the Hogyoku to take over. She reached for her Zanpakuto, brandishing the small blade in front of her. Leona raised up her right hand, blocking Aizen's attack and lashing out at him with her Zanpakuto in the other.
Aizen's eyes widened as her fingers made contact with his eyes, and despite all of that power that he had acquired, Leona's ears soon filled with the sound of his painful growl as she dug her thumbs still further into his skull. He snarled with anger, attempting to scratch and claw at her face with his hands, and at last she stepped back, surveying the damage.
Aizen glowered, his now empty eye sockets bleeding profusely as he did so, roaring shrilly in Leona's direction as she drew even closer. Her red hair whipped around her face, and she could still feel the Hogyoku within her ebbing in and out like the tide, its power rising and falling with her feelings and proximity to Aizen. For a moment, it seemed like she was winning, but the next second her windpipe was constricted as Aizen's Hollow-like hand wrapped around her neck.
"If that's the way it is, then I will simply take that from you, too." he replied, snarling and running his free hand over her skin, as if doing so would allow him to find the illusive shard. "Just like I took your life... Just like I took your humanity." The wings on his back unfurled, displaying terrifying skull-like appendages on the end of each one. Slowly, they closed in around her, and Leona could already sense that now was the time- This was his most powerful attack. And it was now, or never, that she had to act.
"I can't kill you, Aizen..." Leona spoke softly, a voice just barely audible due to her lack of oxygen. "But that doesn't mean that I can't still beat you. Consume, Purify, Jairo!" She felt something inside of her pull itself towards the blade of her Zanpakuto, and a moment later, it vanished in a wisp of smoke. "This is Indigena's final transformation... Maou**."
Her face was forced skyward as a loud gasp escaped her lips- The feeling of being completely taken over by the Hogyoku was like nothing that she had ever before experienced. She felt as if she was overflowing with power, and it was astonishing to her that such a tiny shard could give her such power. Her hair grew longer, then, but it was only later that she realized that instead of hair, it was deep red flames that whipped around her face. Fire covered every inch of her skin- The heat of her bonfire like power turned the sands below her to glass, and Aizen covered his face with his arms to avoid the scorching heat. Leona had to admit that she now regretted blinding him- He would never get to see just what she had become.
Her deep, blood red flames scorched and burned Aizen's wings, which quickly retreated from their attack positions to cower behind Aizen's back. Leona stayed still, surveying the almost cowering Aizen that now stood in front of her. Slowly, she brought a single hand up to her face, her eyes widening in astonishment and confusion when she realized that Amaterasu's tattoo had now spread to cover her entire body along with the flames.
"I took your power!" he roared. "I took it back!"
Leona breathed in deeply, allowing her adrenaline-shocked nerves to calm themselves before she took another step towards the disoriented Aizen. With every step she took, bright red flames licked up around her bare feet, and she was surprised to discover that all the pain she had been feeling from her wounds from Aizen- Right down to her mangled toes- Had dissipated entirely.
"You can't manipulate me anymore." she said calmly. Her voice was heard through the flames as twisted and warped, as if the fire itself was speaking for her. Had an average human been around at the time, they would have heard nothing. Her words were not something that anyone beneath her power could even comprehend***. "I can never stop being Indigena... Because I wish it," Aizen's eye sockets widened, and Leona knew that he understood what she was saying, because his hand slowly came up to touch the Hogyoku in his chest. "I am in your dimension, now, Aizen."
Leona gave him no more time to allow her words to sink in. Without another word, her flame-covered hand forced its way directly through Aizen's chest, shards of his pure white exoskeleton peeling off and fluttering in the breeze before turning to ash just by being close to Leona's Hellfire. She shut her eyes as she felt her thin fingers wrap around the little orb in his chest, opening her eyes once more and whispering the last words that she would ever say to Aizen Sosuke.
"Burn,"
And then she took it from him. The thing that was never meant to be his- Never meant to be anyone's, for that matter. It tore from his chest and he screamed, flames bursting from the brand new hole in his chest spontaneously. He backed away, howling with rage as the flames continued to lick at his Hollowfied skin. Ichigo's calm eyes watched as the scene before him played out, and Leona glanced around Aizen, gripping the Hogyoku still tighter in her fist before nodding purposefully.
She had known that simply taking it would not be enough- She knew that it would never be enough. The Hogyoku acknowledged Aizen just as Aizen acknowledged it, and it was for that reason that his skin stayed that same unnatural white color. That was why his third eye remained in place, despite the fact that the source of his horrible power no longer protruded from his chest.
And then Leona turned to Ichigo, the boy who now stood a whole dimension above the power that both she and Aizen possessed. The Substitute Shinigami that had caused so much uproar in the Sereitei now stood many levels above what other Shinigami could only dream to achieve, and Leona could only watch in awe as the predatory dark energy surrounded and covered him. Aizen roared once more, the burns on his body taking their toll as he was forced to the ground from the pain.
"It's impossible!" he screamed, his three eyes darting from Leona to Ichigo in a mixture of fear and disbelief. "This is not the way! The Hogyoku is mine!" he screeched, and Leona's eyes lowered to watch as the purplish gem clutched in her fingers glittered with his words. "And it is impossible for a mere human to surpass me! THIS IS NOT THE-" Ichigo silenced him with a single look, stretching out his arm on his right before speaking.
"Mugetsu."
Then Leona's eyes slid shut, exhaustion overtaking her and drawing her into darkness. It was all in the hands of Kurosaki Ichigo.
Bright, early morning sun glittered against the dew in the grass. Soul Society seemed to be much busier than usual, and various unseated Shinigami could be seen sprinting back and forth across the Sereitei frantically. Occasionally a loud yell would be heard when something was not done just right, but for the most part, the Sereitei was only filled with the level noises of your typical busy city.
The still grass was disturbed when a pair of standard waraji* shuffled across the ground. Dew sprayed up into the air, and a quiet 'tsk' noise escaped the lips of none other than Hitsugaya Leona, who tugged at her socks and glared in annoyance at the grass, clearly upset that the dew had now soaked straight through her white tabi*.
"Just my luck," she muttered bitterly to herself, straightening up and placing her hands on her hips. A shift in the grass behind her alerted her to someone else's presence, and she turned to peer over her shoulder. "Byakuya?" she asked, though she had known since moments before that he was around- She couldn't miss that Reiatsu even if she tried.
"What are you complaining about, now?" he asked in his usual bored tone, coming to stand beside her in the grass.
Since her arrival in the Sereitei, Leona had made it her number one priority to find a new look- That is, new clothing. She had quickly discarded her white and blood-spattered leggings and shirt for a sleeveless and backless black haori, similar to the one that Captain Suì-Fēng had always worn. Despite being backless, the haori still managed to cover the large Alpha tattoo on her lower back, which refused to go away despite having had her Arrancar appearance taken from her by Aizen. Her standard black hakama shifted against the grass, nearly covering her waraji.
"None of your business, Kuchiki," she replied waspishly. Byakuya made a face. "Is it true the Captain Commander chewed you out for losing your Captain's haori back in Hueco Mundo?"
"I didn't lose anything." he said swiftly, glaring in Leona's direction before continuing. "It was destroyed, what was the point in keeping it?"
"You called them cheap to the Captain Commander's face!" Leona hooted, barely restrained a loud chuckle as she spoke. "You're one ballsy noble, Byakuya, you know that?"
"Please don't describe me as ballsy, Leona," Byakuya said, frowning with distaste. "What an unladylike word." Leona simply rolled her eyes in reply. "Control that attitude, Hitsugaya, before I revoke my offer of Third Seat." As he spoke, Leona opened and closed her mouth with his words, and Byakuya frowned as he realized that she was mocking him. "... Leona..."
"Loosen up, Byakuya," she sighed, throwing her arms behind her head and gazing skyward. "Besides, I haven't accepted yet."
"You will." Byakuya replied with confidence. Leona snorted.
"I'm not too anxious to be below Renji for the rest of my days..." she said. After a brief pause, she smirked up in the direction of the Captain of the Sixth Division. "... That's what she said..." Now it was Byakuya's turn to roll his own pair of cold grey eyes, but all Leona did was laugh. After a few minute's silence, Leona finally seemed to sober up, her expression becoming more serious as she peered over to look at her walking companion. "... Have you seen Toshiro lately?" she muttered.
"I have not seen Captain Hitsugaya since yesterday afternoon," he replied curtly, though he could sense Leona's distress. "He will be fine, Leona."
"I know." she said stiffly, meeting Byakuya's eyes for a fleeting moment. "But it'll take time... I can't imagine how he must be feeling, running Hinamori straight through with his own sword."
"I think if anyone can imagine, it's you," Byakuya said quietly. Leona pursed her lips, nodding slowly as she thought about this. But Leona knew that her comfort and understanding was not what her brother needed just then. She knew that he would want to be training all on his own- Getting stronger all by himself. "You may want to go to Kurosaki's room. Rukia tells me that he is showing signs of waking soon." Leona nodded again, smiling up at Byakuya briefly before turning to run off in the opposite direction
Before she got very far, however, she stopped, turning to gaze at Byakuya's retreating back. "Oh, and Byakuya?" she called, smiling still wider as he turned to meet her eyes once again. "That Third Seat... I'll take it,"
Leona turned away once again, smiling as she trotted down the narrow streets of the Seiretei. Her almost shoulder-length red hair bounced around her face, tickling the base of her neck was she maneuvered through the middle of Soul Society. At last she stopped, glancing up at the roof of the building that she had stopped in front of before entering through the large double doors. After speaking to several frantic unseated Shinigami, at last Leona found herself following after a delicate, pure black swallowtail butterfly as it guided her through Dangai.
Before she knew it she found herself standing in front of Kurosaki Clinic. Her Hell Butterfly tickled her cheek as it passed by her, fluttering off into the distance before coming to rest on the very edge of the Kurosaki's roof. Leona pursed her lips, pushing open the doors to the clinic, not really noticing as Karin stared at her, eyes wide with surprise, as she passed through their kitchen. She bounded up the stairs, taking two at a time, eager to get to Ichigo before he finally woke up. Throwing open the door, she was met with four pairs of familiar eyes.
"Leona-chan!" Orihime said brightly, motioning her over with her hands. Over the last month, Leona had only seen Orihime a few times, as she had not been staying in the human world as frequently as she would have liked. She had opted instead to stay a little closer to home- A little closer to her brother. But the few days that she had spent in the human world were enough to allow her to become privy of Orihime's feelings towards her- Clearly, Tatsuki had told her about the kiss that Leona and Ichigo had shared just before Aizen had been captured.
"Hello," Leona said, walking across the floor quickly, finally coming to stand by the edge of Ichigo's bed next to Rukia, who smiled.
"Nii-sama gave you my message?"
"He did," Leona replied, but she stopped talking the moment Ichigo began to stir.
"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime breathed a sigh of relief as Ichigo sat up, clutching his chest. Leona's tense expression relaxed, a relieved smile stretching her features as the disoriented carrot top glanced around him, apparently surprised to see so many people surrounding him.
"A-are we in my room?" he gasped, and Leona nodded.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," she laughed, and Ichigo smiled. At least this time, it seemed that she wasn't the one waking up disoriented. "You've been out for a month."
"A month?" he gasped, sitting up straighter. "That's right, my powers-!" At this, Leona's expression regressed, both she and Rukia exchanging knowing glances as Ishida stepped up to explain.
"Urahara told us everything. You've lost your Shinigami powers."
"Oh..." Ichigo muttered, pulling the covers off of him. "So you already know. Yeah, it seems so. Guess I'll have to resign, huh?" he joked. His bitter humor, however, was lost on the rest them.
"The first stage brings intense pain and loss of consciousness." Rukia began, her voice solemn as her eyes met Ichigo's. "And a reversal of the flow of time you experienced in Dangai."
"... So it wasn't you guys who cut his hair..." Leona whispered, her sad eyes now meeting Ichigo's for the first time in a month.
"That's when you lost your Shinigami powers." Rukia continued. "The second stage, your Reiatsu stabilizes and you awaken. And soon, your remaining Reiryoku will disappear, too."
"Yeah, I figured." Ichigo said softly.
"You don't seem surprised..." Leona said, and Ichigo turned his attention towards her yet again.
"No. I had a feeling it'd be something like that." Then his eyes darkened, and he reverted his gaze back to the floor. "... Can I go outside?"
Leona watched with carefully restrained sorrow as Ichigo stepped out of the clinic for the first time in a month. Orihime and the others remained close by the door as both Rukia and Leona followed after him, and somehow, Leona could already sense her presence fading from Ichigo's mind. He turned around, his eyes oddly calm for someone who was loosing a power that he had had almost his whole life. Rukia smiled kindly.
"I guess this is goodbye," she said. Leona's breath caught in her throat. "... Ichigo."
"Yeah, so it seems."
"Hey, no worries though, right?" Leona interjected, bravely putting on a lighthearted expression as a nervous laugh escaped her lips. "Even if you can't see us, we can see you." Ichigo froze, and Leona at last realized her slip up.
"... What?" Ichigo muttered slowly, his eyes widening with his words. Rukia's purplish eyes darted back and forth between the pair nervously, and she realized that she was coming dangerously close to getting caught in the middle of a lover's quarrel. "You... Leona, you're not staying here?" Leona lowered her eyes to the ground almost shamefully, biting her bottom lip and shaking her head in reply.
"No." she whispered softly. She blinked quickly, refusing to allow the hot tears to fall just now. Not here. Not while this was happening. "No, I can't, Ichigo. I just... I can't. My brother needs me... And there are thing-"
"You don't have to explain," Ichigo muttered, taking a step closer. Rukia backed up a little bit, giving the two a bit of room. "I get it... I guess I get it."
As Ichigo stared down at Leona's pained expression, her could already see both her and Rukia's bodies begin to fade. The black fabric of their Shinigami uniforms were whisked away in the soft breeze. Finally, Leona met his eyes, and he could clearly see the tears welling up within their cloudy depths.
"Ichigo... There's something..." she murmured, but Ichigo could already hear her voice fading. "Ichigo... What I wanted to tell you, back then," she continued, her cheeks flushing pink as she spoke. Ichigo reached up his hand, his fingertips drawing closer to her cheekbones as she leaned closer towards him. "Ichigo... Ichigo, I think I l... v... ou..."
"I'm sorry, Leona," Ichigo whispered, dropping his hand to his side, his fingertips still tingling from nearly touching her skin for the last time. Orihime's eyes softened from back beside the clinic doors, and Chad and Ishida exchanged glances as they watched their friend continue to speak to the now empty air.
"I can't hear you... Not anymore."
*Tsuzuri Raiden: Electric current flows through any object the user touches and is able to lead electricity, damaging any target that is in contact with the object the current runs through
** Maou: "Hell" in Japanese.
***About the whole speech not being comprehended thing: This idea was taken from the fact that Aizen said "When I evolved a dimension above Shinigami it became impossible for humans and Shinigami to sense my Reiatsu unless I intentionally lowered it to something that they could comprehend". Much in the same way, Leona's fusion with both her Zanpakuto and the Hogyoku have made her so powerful that is literally warping her words with that power, making those less powerful unable to hear her words.
*Waraji/*Tabi: Waraji are sandals made of straw rope, and tabi are standard high ankle socks. These are standard in the shinigami wardrobe in Bleach.
Sorry for the bittersweet ending to this arc, but I hope you liked the fight scenes with Aizen and the little scene in Soul Society. Look forward to the next few chapters, which are Fullbring-Arc oriented, and will be drawing this story to a close.
To Azulish: Yes, this story will continue for a few chapters past the Aizen Arc- But only a few. With Ichigo and Leona in entirely different places now, there wouldn't really be much of a point going through the ENTIRE Fullbring Arc until I get to where the manga is now. So I'll be breezing over the Fullbring Arc, where crazy stuff will happen that will finally allow me to bring this story to a close. Thanks so much for all your reviews and support!
To Lago: Thank you so much! I really enjoy getting long reviews like this one. And I'm sorry about any confusion with skipping over- It's partially my fault too, because I've always had a problem with using too many words to describe things! Thanks for always reviewing!
To animelover: Thanks so much, and also thanks for reviewing on The Dark Beat! I hope you'll keep up with that story, too, especially once this story is over!
