Post
187 drabble, spoilers for chapter 190
Word Count: 190
For
IchiRuki LJ theme #44 inner strength
Holding out for a Hero
Hirako talks and Ichigo tries to ignore him, but what he says about shinigami with Hollow powers filters through his shields and sends a shiver down his spine. He can't help but recall that fellow that appeared during his fight with Byakuya, the one who whispers and mocks him when he gets frustrated with the drudgery of killing hollows. Who tells him that he shouldn't be wasting his energy on these weak creatures, that he should find more worthy opponents to conquer and to kill.
He's afraid that the third time he may not be strong enough to tear off that mask again.
But then he becomes aware of a strong blast of spiritual energy that could be a hollow, and he recalls an older time when he fought to protect others with powers borrowed from a sarcastic shinigami called Kuchiki Rukia. And he draws strength from that distant memory when Hirako tempts him with the possibility of knowledge and others like him, ignores the fact that there's a Hollow inside of him and tells the other boy assuredly:
"I am a shinigami."
That's what she taught him to be.
A/N: I know Holding Out For A Hero is typically a girl song, but I felt it was a fitting title, given that everyone expects Ichigo to be a hero but he has his own problems too.