^^ My chapters are (slowly) getting longer! The newer they are, the longer they get. (I can't guarantee that they will ALWAYS be long, but, starting now, I'll try to make them long, so they're worth reading.)Lol ... I should stop rambling on, ... so READ!
[ :') I'm so happy that people like reading. ... and that they set aside time to read my fanfics.]

Chapter 3

Kurai's POV:

I jumped into the splitting void that was in front of me as I watched as Tessai bind Ichigo's arms with Kidou. Bakudo number 99, part 1: Kin to be exact ….

"That kid isn't gonna come out of this hole as a Shinigami …. I'll have to kill him …." I thought, resting my leather-bound hands on the hilts of Doragon Makai and Kanashimi Doragon. (At the moment, Kurai has her Zanpaku-to through the obi, or belt/sash, that's on her waist. She doesn't have the sashes that go over her shoulders.)

"What the hell are you doing down here? Going to watch me suffer?" Ichigo scoffed to me, scowling in my direction.

"Nope, …. I'm just staying down here until I need to kill you."

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

"I have no faith that you'll regain your Shinigami powers, that's what."

"You're going to make him doubt in himself, Kurai!" Urahara called down to me.

"SHUT UP!" I yelled back. "I DON'T NEED YOU TO TELL ME SOMETHING I ALREADY KNOW!"

About 75 Hours Later:

"It's about time that you started the Hollowification process, orange-head!" Jinta called down to Ichigo. By now, I had moved up to stand beside Urahara.

"Be quiet, you ungrateful child!" I scoffed, getting annoyed at his smart-ass remarks that I've had to tolerate for the last 75 hours.

"Urahara, " I sighed. "Make Jinta stop …. he's annoying as hell."

"Jinta, … stop that."

"Why? The Hollowification proce– " Jinta's eyes widened as I threw a stiletto at him, straight on, missing by a millimeter.

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up."

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

Scowling, I turned, hearing Ichigo yell. "What?" My eyes widened on that note that sent chills down my spine.

Thankfully, no one could see my face, which showed concern. Concern for Kurosaki Ichigo. The person that I pretended to hate.

I don't have anything against the kid, but I "hate" him.

Dust raised around us everywhere as part 2 to Bakudo number 99 was used, supposedly sealing Ichigo. I whirled around as something …. something …. shot out of the clouds of dust.

"Kurosaki?" I thought, seeing the dust clear, revealing Ichigo in a shihakusho and …. a Hollow mask? I used shunpo and got face-to-mask with, who I thought to be, Ichigo and tugged the mask off of his face.

I saw the same scowl, the same frown, and the same brown eyes. "You actually made it." I held the mask firmly instead of doing the proper thing – breaking it or disposing of it – and looked at it.

"Shut up, ..."

" 'Shut up …' is all you can say? 'Shut up …' ?"

"Yeah, … I just said it!" he growled to me.

"I should hav– " I was cut off by Urahara.

"Ichigo, … you have completed stage 1 of your training!" he said, fanning his fan out. (Lol …. that sounds funny …)

I sighed, closing my eyes with a look of solemn disinterest on my face. "What's the next 'stage' ?" Ichigo said to Urahara as my disinterest increased. '

"Queeny, … you were concerned for Kurosaki, …. weren't you?" Howaitoaisu asked childishly. "Howaitoaisu, shut up now!" I retorted hotly.

"Why should I?" she asked me, pushing my temper. "Cuz you're annoying as hell!" I snapped. "I feel SO appreciated!" she replied, defending herself only in a way could comprehend. "I'm happy that you feel appreciated!" I hissed in response.

"Kurai, " Urahara, then, addressed me. "You will be facing-off with Ichigo to see if he can regain his Zanpaku-to." At that, I glanced at the remains of his abused Zanpaku-to. I glanced at the mask in my hands and lifted it to my face, catching a scent, that I had never smelled before, when I put it on.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo asked me as I looked at him through the eyes of the mask. "What does it look like?" I asked, running my fingers over the bumps of the teeth of it. "Wearing a Hollow mask, " he said, looking directly at me. "Exactly."

I felt the black scraping at my sclera (the white part of the eye) as my Hollow/Espada side wished to have reign over the body. I immediately jerked the mask off, a small bit of it cutting my face, as it wasn't fit to my face – it was fit to Ichigo's.

Urahara raised an eyebrow. "Having issues with her?" he asked, getting Ichigo's attention. "Who's 'her'?" he asked. I sighed, wiping the cut with my thumb. "My ignorant Hollow – Yes, I said 'Hollow.' " I grumbled, glancing at the scarlet smudge on my thumb.

"Hollow?"

"Yes, " I mumbled. "Can we get on with this 'Stage 2' ?" I asked impatiently, trying to avoid answering Ichigo's question. "Of course!" Urahara said.

"I'm not going to stand-off with him, though, " I said, my voice filled with defiance and hatred. "You are, Kisuke." He just looked at me blankly. "I guess, if you don't want to, I will, then." he said, turning to Ichigo.

"You have to knock my hat off of my head with your Zanpaku-to."

"Doncha' mean 'Hilt'?" I pointed out, pointing a finger at Urahara. "Ah … yes. Thank you, Kurai." I nodded in adknowledgement, murmuring, "Ichigo, … once you regain the power of a Shinigami, I'll do extensive training with you."

"What ever ..." he said and walked away with Urahara. I sighed and watched as they began, Ichigo yanking upwards with the hilt of his, currently, nameless Zanpaku-to. Urahara easily dodged his upward swing and drew his Zanpaku-to out of his cane.

"Lil' old Benhime ….. I haven't seen him use her in ages."

I watched as Ichigo's eyes widened when Urahara mumbled, "Cry, Benhime!" which made me laugh. Hearing Urahara command Benhime to awaken, which hasn't been done in … oh … 100 years?

I watched the orange-haired teen jump and dodge Benhime. "Kurosaki, listen to your Zanpaku-to; listen for his name!" I called out, hoping it would help him in the slightest way possible. "What's that supposed to mean? Does my Zanpaku-to talk?" he replied, losing his focus a little.

"Yes, it does! Now, try to listen!" I yelled. I heard him growl, but I ignored it. He was so ignorant, it wasn't funny! "I don't know how he gets such good grades … Howaitoaisu is smarter than he is!" I thought silently.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"That means you should shut the fuck up." I heard Doragon Makai scoff. "Exactly, " Kanashimi Doragon agreed to her sister. "You're both so bitter …." I mumbled. "And you're not?" the two said in unison. "Oh, I know that I'm bitter. I'm so bitter that I can't stand people like Orihime."

I heard Howaitoaisu laugh. "Ain't that for sure ..." she snorted.

"I thought I told you to shut up, " Doragon Makai murmured hatefully. "You crack me up. You're going to kill me like that." "Ooh … keep doing that. I wouldn't mind getting control when she dies!" Howaitoaisu said, a tone of happiness in her voice. "Shut up! I've died at least 30 times, already, dumbass!" I scoffed.

The next thing I knew, Ichigo was holding a long, crescent moon-shaped Zanpaku-to that looked absolutely amazing – and … familiar …?

"Howaitoaisu, do you remember seeing – or using – that sword at all from our memories?" I asked suddenly. "Kurai … I do have a fragment of a memory of that sword." she replied. "Kurai, … I believe that Zanpaku-to was forged by your father – your birth father, " Doragon Makai murmured, having Kanashimi Doragon finish for her. "Yes, .. we were forged around the same time – and the same place – as that Zanpaku-to was." Kanashimi Doragon murmured, finishing what Doragon Makai had began.

"That's amazing ..." I murmured, almost silently.

That's the end of this chapter! R&R! ( :/ I haven't gotten any reviews! Please review! You're killing me by not letting me know how I'm doing!)
Well ... ehm ... that's all! ^^ I'll be adding to the chapters soon enough!
BTW: Here's the link to the old version that I'm slowly, but steadily, uploading. :o I'm pretty sure it's around 5 or 6 chapters. Maybe 7 ... . Oh, well. I'll keep writing if you keep reading (and reviewing!)!

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