Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and RWBY. Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and the late Monty Oum (rest in peace you saint of a man).
A question one would ask why type this up? Simple – why not?
Chapter 23: Goddess of Destruction
(Kisuke's Shop)
Kisuke Urahara wasn't surprised by many things. Ichigo and Aizen are good exceptions but the former captain of Squad 12 never let it show. Even when Ichigo came back with news of Aizen acquiring the Hogyoku, he kept his shock under a cold exterior.
But when he felt that oppressive reiatsu wash over the town like a chillwind, he visibly stopped his motions in his lab. Screw getting exploded in the face with not maintaining the equipment he was currently experimenting with. His jaw almost fell of its hinges in shock. Under the shadow of his hat, Kisuke's eyes were widened and a sweat was going down his brow.
This reiatsu was of a hollow like no other. An Inner Hollow.
"Kisuke!" voiced Yoruichi in her cat form.
"That was a hollow's reiatsu." Kisuke stated blankly.
"An Inner Hollow to be exact." said Yoruichi, her voice laced with alarm, "It's far too soon. How could Ichigo be losing control over his hollow?"
Kisuke lifted his chin and spoke in a voice that was devoid of his eccentric nature. "Look closer. That's not Ichigo."
Yoruichi extended her senses in depth and a frown formed on the cat's face in frustration.
"How could it not be Ichigo?!" Yoruichi protested, "He's the only one-"
The cat's eyes widened in shock and fear when her senses dug deep enough. Buried upon crushing layers of the horrendous spiritual energy was a familiar signature. If was Ichigo, Yoruichi wouldn't have dashed off while transforming in her nude human form at speeds desperate at her standards. When she felt it was Ruby's reiatsu under all of that, untold fear coursed through Yoruichi's veins.
'Please, Kami,' thought Yoruichi, 'let me be fast enough to make it in time.'
She couldn't fail her student. Not ever again.
(The bridge.)
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" cackled the Adjuchas form of Gruby, "Finally that idiot will be gone."
Ren stared with shocked eyes that Ruby of all people with her bubbly nature suddenly turned into a devil of monsters before him. For the first time since he was training after Soul Society, doubt gripped his psyche. His hands were either too soft or too hard on the hilts of his dual bayonet blades. After all that time pushing himself to go passed the limit, to be able to fight better for his friends, he could do nothing. What could he do against a monster that is also one of his closest friends?
Ichigo's lips were quivering in rage. Tensa Zangetsu was shaking in his hand. This thing was turning Ruby into something she isn't. There was none of that light that dazzled Ichigo on that date. There was none of that innocence in those blood red eyes. Ruby was being taken away from his by this monster. No, he's supposed to protect her. He won't let her go away.
"Give up now, lover boy." Gruby cackled, "She's already dead-"
"SHUT UP!" Ichigo bellowed. In his fury, his reiatsu erupted off of him making a pillar of black rise into the sky. His gaze hardened on Gruby, showing the protector was not backing down. Ichigo poised Tensa Zangetsu and charged forward.
"Give her back!" cried Ichigo, "Getsuga-"
"I have a retort." said Gruby, forming a red orb in her mouth, "Cero."
"-Tensho."
The Cero and Getsuga Tensho met in a power clash. The pressure of the two reiatsu attacks made the bridge shake and crack. Unfortunately, the Cero pierced through the Getsuga Tensho after a few seconds of struggle and continued its path of destruction. Ichigo raised Tensa Zangetsu to defend just in time. The Cero split in two but Ichigo could feel his arms burn from the opposing energy and his feet slid back. He pushed reiatsu into his blade and dissipated the Cero.
Ichigo was not ready as Gruby forced a Beowulf-sized fist into him. The force of the punch let out a sickening crack in the air and sent Ichigo skidding against the ground. He coughed out some saliva before forcing himself up again. Gruby didn't give him a chance to retaliate, getting on three limbs with the remaining right arm holding the scythe and ran after the orange-head like a wolf hunting prey. He had no chance to defend himself.
"Hado 31: Shakkaho."
A red ball of reiatsu the size of Ichigo's body slammed into Gruby knocking her back when it exploded. Ichigo turned back to see that it was Ren who fired the Kido blast.
"Where's Senna?" Ichigo asked.
"Don't worry." said Ren, "I've placed Kido barriers around her. Right now, we need to fix this."
"Just don't hurt her, alright?" Ichigo nearly pleaded.
"I would never bring harm to any of my friends." stated Ren with a firm tone.
"Shall we dance?" proclaimed Gruby, waving a clawed finger for a 'come at me'.
Ichigo and Ren disappeared in shunpo with Ichigo attacking at the front and Ren flanking from the left side. Behind the mask, Gruby was grinning wolfishly. The scythe spun with an expertise against Ichigo. She used her left arm to swat away blows from Ren's blades that sparked off the layer of bony quills on the limb. Despite two-on-one and the size difference, the pseudo-shinigami couldn't make good ground.
'Not only is this hollow strong, it has skill.' thought Ren.
'What the heck kind of monster knows how to move like that?' thought Ichigo, barely ducking under a scythe.
Gruby twirled around, smacking Ichigo away with a backhand and pushing Ren back with a slash from Mazazoru. The quills on her left arm extended and thickened. They slowly turned black like iron. With a flick of her arm, Gruby sent a volley of black spines after the pseudo-shinigami.
"Bakudou 81: Danku."
Ren summoned a high-level Kido barrier that shimmered like glass in front of them. The quills managed to get halfway through the barrier before getting stuck. However, one unfortunate quill of black pierced through and struck Ren in his shoulder. If he didn't have a Kido barrier in place at all, Ren wouldn't even have a shoulder anymore.
"Damn!" Ren cured, sinking to one knee in pain. Foreign reiatsu acted like a neurotoxin into his body, sending wave after wave of pain.
"You're hurt." said Ichigo. Gruby fired a Cero, but Ichigo was fast enough to get a hold of Ren and shunpo a safe distance away.
Ren grabbed onto Ichigo as he saw Gruby charge them down. There was a crack of lightning and a white blur that knocked Gruby back crashing into the asphalt of the bridge. Ichigo and Ren came to view Yoruichi who arrived on time bathed in white lightning of her Shunko. It did not help that she was butt naked.
"Hey boys." Yoruichi said, completely ignoring the fact she has no clothes on, "Did I come in time?"
Ichigo blushed brighter than his orange hair as he looked away. Ren's response was to toss a set of Yoruichi's clothes he always had on hand when the situation arose. After that little incident in Soul Society, Ren could not look at Yoruichi the same way. It was such a strong throw that it knocked Yoruichi off balance.
"Okay, okay, I get the message, Ren." said Yoruichi, already clothed once she got up.
"OW!" cried Gruby as the Adjuchas picked herself up and cracked its jaw in place, "Oh look, it's the stripper."
A dangerous look descended on Yoruichi's face, complimented with a twitching eyebrow and a tick mark. She cracked her knuckles ready to get an apology, hollow or Ruby. Ichigo joined Yoruichi at her side, poising Tensa Zangetsu forward in a basic Kendo stance.
"What can we do?" Ichigo muttered, his sword arm weakening trying to find a solution.
"I," Ren groaned out, taking out the quill and applying some healing Kido, "might have...a possibility."
Yoruichi nodded and took charge in a flash of white lightning. She next appeared punching Gruby in the gut. The hollow only growled in fury and smashed down a clawed hand that Yoruich avoided with a back-flip. The Flash Goddess shupoed to retaliate with a kick, but Gruby expertly blocked it and slashed her scythe to force her opponent to the ground. Yoruichi went for quick punches, but was caught off when on a third strike was caught by Gruby. Yoruichi went on the receiving end for a moment before she ducked then jumped to knee Gruby in the chin.
'She knows Ruby's hakuda.' thought Yoruichi, swinging a left hook on Gruby.
Those red eyes narrowed with fury. When Yoruichi disappeared in a shunpo again, her eyes widened when her fist passed through thin air and Gruby disappeared with a sonic boom. Yoruichi felt a devastating punch from behind knocking her into the concrete forming a crater. She disappeared with shunpo to counter, but again touched nothing. When she heard the sonic boom again, Yoruichi barely shielded herself to block a clawed punch.
"Perhaps I should remind you that speed is my shtick!" Gruby snarled.
'That wasn't shunpo.' thought Yoruichi, dodging a Cero and quills, 'That was freaking sonido.'
Meanwhile, Ichigo was conversing Ren's idea while helping him with his wound.
"What are you thinking of?" asked Ichigo.
"I've been experimenting on my own take of Jinzen." explained Ren, slightly wincing with pain, "Using both Aura and reiatsu, the idea is to delve into another's mindscape, Zanpakuto and Inner Hollows included. But you have a better chance of pulling this off than I do."
"Why is that?" Ichigo wondered.
"It was Ruby who unlocked your Aura." said Ren, "You two are more connected than anyone else. It has to be you."
Ichigo nodded and stood up. He took a deep breath while shying away one of his hands away from Tensa Zangestsu. Slowly his Aura condensed around his hand followed by his black reiatsu.
'Damn.' thought Ichigo, 'Even after all those control exercises I can only hold it for a short time.'
Ichigo glanced between Ren and the flickering forms of Gruby and Yoruichi fighting it out.
"Ren, get me an opening." Ichigo told.
Ren nodded and aimed with a good steady hand. Electricity crackled on his fingers as he concentrated his reiatsu. There was an opening for a short time, but he took it. The Huntsman fired a wordless Byakurai. The bolt struck Gruby in the shoulder, momentarily stunning her before she could use sonido.
Ichigo leapt forward with all his speed giving zero chance to dodge. Behind the mask, Gruby grinned as Ichigo got closer without having Tensa Zangetsu to defend himself.
"Congratulations." cackled Gruby, "You're dead."
Ichigo managed to get his palm on Gruby's just before the blablade of Mazazoru sliced into his gut.
(Ruby's Mindscape)
The moment Ruby lost control to her Inner Hollow there was no sign of Summer. Instead, Ruby was fighting for survival by Gruby. At first it was a struggle to defend herself from attacks both fanatical and brutalizing. Her power ebbed away while Gruby grew stronger taking that power.
Now Ruby could hardly lift her weapon at all. Her breathing was labored and her right arm was limp sporting a bleeding injury on the shoulder. Ruby could taste blood in her mouth that was drooling from the corner of her lip. Her legs were buckling barely barely to support her own weight.
Gruby was completely unharmed, sporting her constant grin. But the glint in those red eyes showed her boredom.
"Pathetic." said Gruby.
Gruby fired a ballistic shot at Ruby's gut. It wasn't enough to pierce flesh but the physical force made Ruby cough out a few mouthfuls of blood. She dropped to her knees in pain.
"Weak."
Gruby crossed the distance with sonido and cut deeply into her thigh. Ruby cried out in pain and fell on her back.
"I will not have myself be the lesser being of this soul." said Gruby, stomping on Ruby's chest getting coughs of blood, "I am stronger than you, faster than you, and smarter than you. You've already failed in your passed existence. I will never - let you - have - another!"
"...s...st-stop..." Ruby wheezed.
Gruby picked Ruby up by her hood. "Begging, are we?"
Ruby wheezed. "W-we a-a-are the...same."
Gruby tossed Ruby into the ground with a sickening crunch. She laughed but there was a furious undertone laced in it.
"That's where you are wrong." Gruby stated, "No, you couldn't be farther from the truth. I've hated you all your life. You had everything that should be mine! And finally, I can take it all back."
Gruby flattened her free hand to drive it into Ruby's head. Her eyelids could barely stay open to witness her demise. Seconds went by but nothing happened except a gasp of surprise from Gruby.
"She's not going anywhere."
Ruby snapped her eyes open at that voice. Right in front of her was Ichigo holding back Gruby's hand. Tensa Zangetsu loomed over Gruby brimming with dark reiatsu.
"Getsuga Tensho."
Ichigo fired the blast at point-blank at full power, sending Gruby careening into the distance.
Unable to fight it, Gruby screeched. "DAMN YOU, ICHIGO KUROSAKI."
Gruby was gone in an explosion of reiatsu. The mindscape returned to normal and Ruby's 'wounds' healed. Ruby could only stare in fascination at her crush who just saved her.
"Thank you." Ruby squeaked.
Ichigo gave a warm smile. "I just missed that sparkle in your eyes."
Ruby blushed but didn't avert her gaze. The last she saw was the two of them just looking back at each other's soul.
(Real World)
Whatever happened once Ichigo touched Gruby's mask, it worked. The Adjuchas froze still till it cracks littered its body starting from the mask. It shattered revealing Ruby human and healthy. The hide that made up the Adjuchas was soon turned to dust in the wind.
"I'm...back." panted Ruby, "Thank you Ich-"
Her eyes dilated into horror at the sight before her. Ichigo stood his hand trailing down her right arm awfully pale. Ruby regretted looking down where her own scythe had impaled Ichigo with a wound as bad as the one Kenpachi gave. Ichigo coughed blood and bowed down over in silent agony. Ruby's heart froze when she looked at her hands that were still held onto the weapon, wet with Ichigo's fresh blood.
His blood, his life spilling on her own hands. She caused this.
"Why?" cried Ruby. "Why did you do that?"
"Don't worr..." Ichigo trailed off when he stumbled back. The blade left Ichigo with a sickening squelch of flesh ripping apart. That was when Ruby managed to break out of her paralysis, dropping Mazazoru with shaking hands, and catch Ichigo on the fall.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." whimpered Ruby, tears blurring her vision, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so, so, so, so sorry. Just don't die. Don't die. Don't - don't-"
Ruby's words were choked down by sobs. It happening again. She was losing another one of her precious people, and it was all her fault again. She could only cling onto Ichigo as though trying desperately to keep life in him still.
"Don't...cry." Ichigo muttered weakly, putting a hand on Ruby's cheek. Her crying silver eyes looked into his brown eyes that were still warm. There wasn't a shred of hatred toward Ruby, even when she was the sole cause of his fatal wounds. Her hands gripped onto his for dear life. She can't lose him. She just can't.
"PLEASE HELP! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP! PLEASE!"
Yoruichi appeared even before Ruby's crying for help, and rushed off with her fastest speeds back to Urahara's. No matter how far she went, she could still hear Ruby's sobs echoing in her head.
'I swear to Kami, Ichigo,' thought Yoruichi, 'you better live for her. If you die, I am going to murder you in the next life for making Ruby cry.'
(The Next Day)
Ren was retiring to heal his wounds while acquainting with Senna at Urahara's shop. They got along well enough as friends and teammates for Team SIRR. Senna's usual carefree attitude was unfortunately shadowed by the walking gloom that was isolating herself in a fetal position on a chair. She had not said a single word to anyone ever since the incident. Her eyes were now dim compared to the light they held. Like a literal piece of her soul was forcibly removed and she was desperately holding onto it.
Yoruichi called Isshin and informed him of Ichigo's injuries, who relayed to the twins that Ichigo got into an accident that saved Ruby. When they tried to visit, the twins couldn't force themselves to approach Ruby seeing how much emotional pain she was in. There was heavy blame and guilt riddled in her eyes. A detail nobody failed to notice.
'Onii-chan has no idea how lucky he is to have her.' thought Yuzu.
Ren put on a mask but on the inside he was a mix of worry and fury. Worry for Ruby's state of mind and Ichigo's life from the wounds, and fury at Ichigo for putting the once bubbly Huntress into depression. If he died, Ren knew Ruby would put herself in a hole and never climb out. And he would be sure there would be literal hell to pay for that.
The paper doors slid open and out walked Tessai and Urahara. They had a neutral expression that put up an ominous mood in the room.
"Great news." announced Urahara, breaking the mood with his cheerfulness, "Ichigo rises and shines yet again when an inch from death."
"Is he ready to have guests?" asked Yoruichi.
"Technically no." said Tessai, "Despite his condition, Ichigo is adamant to be on his own two feet."
Before a word was said, a gust blew passed them followed by a trail of rose petals into the room where Ichigo rested. Urahara and Tessai were going to follow until Yoruichi stopped them.
"Let her go." Yoruichi stated, "She needs this, and hopefully Ichigo will come out less stupid by my hopes."
The men shivered at the hidden meaning in Yoruichi's words. It was situations like this where sorrow and anger are blurred. Perhaps being impaled by a scythe wasn't such a bad way to die.
Ruby stopped herself before a small room where Ichigo lay on a futon looking to the side. Just moments ago, he was so close to death that his skin was pale and cold. Now, Ruby could feel the warmth of life from his body. She reluctantly took a step forward, but the floor creaked grabbing Ichigo's attention. The Huntress froze on the spot, her heart refusing to beat waiting for a response.
Would he be mad? Would he ignore her presence or hate her? Would he forgive her at all?
"Hey Ruby, you okay?" Ichigo greeted with a smile, absolutely no ill feelings toward Ruby. He was no different than the day before.
Ruby felt a wave of emotions hit her at once. The first was relief that Ichigo was alive, joy that he was concerned for her, and guilt of inflicting his injuries. Then it stayed on one burning emotion. Anger.
Her fists clenched at her sides as she stomped to Ichigo, who was clueless in her advance. Her face contorted in fury, making Ichigo sweat bullets and the natural fear of all men that is an angry woman. Ruby had never been any more angry in her life until now.
"Uh, did I do something?" Ichigo asked sheepishly.
Her response was a kick that sent Ichigo to the wall and on his behind.
"IDIOT!" Ruby screamed.
"W-Woah, hold on." Ichigo cried on deaf ears.
Ichigo barely ducked under Ruby's punch that made a hole in the wall. He stumbled further away from the Huntress his pain numb in the threat of danger. He jumped, ducked, and rolled out of her attacks.
"DUMBASS!" cried Ruby, tears swelling on her eyes, "DUMMY! STUPID! STUPID, STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!"
Ruby's punches became weak and sluggish. Her cries of anger turned into sadness, and rivers of tears poured down her face. Ichigo could only look at Ruby with a heavy heart. He couldn't understand why Ruby was so mad at him, and it hurt him. Both physically and emotionally.
"Why did you have to do that?!" cried Ruby, her punches doing no damage at all on Ichigo who didn't move, "Didn't you realize you were going to die?!"
"You think that I could stand by like that?!" said Ichigo, "You were in trouble. I had to help you no matter what. Even if I have to make some sacrifices."
Ruby renewed her strength and grabbed Ichigo by his shirt. Her eyes showed so much hurt Ichigo could only look with guilt.
"WHAT ABOUT ME?!" Ruby screamed, "YOUR SO-CALLED SACRIFICE ALMOST GOT YOU KILLED AND IT WAS MY FAULT. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW I FELT?!"
"Ruby, it isn't your fault." Ichigo consoled.
"Yes it is." Ruby cried, lowering her head closer to Ichigo's chest, "I was the one who lost control and hurt my friends. Only a monster does that."
Ichigo didn't know what made his body move. The next the pair knew, Ichigo pulled Ruby closer into a hug. In his arms, Ruby felt safe again and the his heartbeat put her at peace.
"You're nothing like a monster." said Ichigo, "I don't see any kind of monster. I see Ruby Rose, a person who's so full of light and heart she shares it with everybody without hesitation. She's kind, brave, and so cheerful I could cry. You're an amazing, no, the most amazing person I know. You'll never be a monster."
They looked at each other for what felt like hours. The tears stopped their flood, leaving her eyes red and puffy. Ichigo gently caressed her soft face, wiping away any tears that marred her beauty. His touch was soft and warm that sent shocks through Ruby. The light in her eyes returned, but it grew into an intense desire.
Ruby acted with no thought of going back. She pinned down Ichigo with a push. The pseudo-shinigami thought he was in for another beatdown. All thought of danger the second Ruby kissed Ichigo on the lips. Her eyes were closed letting the kiss show her passion and love she had bottled up inside. Tears went down her face again but they were drizzle compared to last time, and were full of happiness. Ichigo's eyes widened like dinner plates, and is face went red. His first thought as the prude was to push Ruby away, but as the second went by he realized there was nothing to complain about. Here was this girl, putting her heart out to him when she saw all his faults and pros and accepted them all with grace. They both had their demons, but they can look passed that. They may face troubles in the future that threaten to break them apart, but they can push through. Ichigo couldn't say that it was trust that she felt for Ruby anymore.
His eyes closed as he returned the kiss with as much passion as he could to satisfy Ruby. Her hands went to his orange locks, gripping onto them for dear life. She never wanted to let go; she needed him to stay. Ichigo accepted her need by hugging her closer.
The pair separated for need of breath. Ruby reached a hand to Ichigo's cheek. In turn, Ichigo held in place relishing the caring touch.
"I love you, Ichigo." Ruby whispered.
"Then you are mine and I am yours." said Ichigo.
That's how you do it. I love doing this and how good they come out.
Up next is Chapter 24.
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