A/N: OMFAIZEN WE CLEARED 100 REVIEWS! AHH I AM SO FRIGGING PUMPED~~! Only two more chaps, including this one :D So this and one more. Yay, I'm so excited – you have no idea.. I need to finish all my in-progress stories so that I can start some more, and so far I've finished 2 of 7… O.o so I need to get to work.
Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo, and Last One Standing belongs to "Hot Chelle Rae" and the RCA/Jive music group. I know I already did an HCR song, but this one was just perfect.
MiszIceQueen10: Iemura's motives shall soon become clear. I love when people have the same taste in music as me! :D Too bad all of them are online D:
KurosakiCrystal18: Aha, yes…the writer's conundrum…what to do, what to do..
moonlightrurouni: I laugh out loud every time I read your reviews…I hope you know that. lol
TCWTHfan: I would say, if Ronin's dead then how can Hime heal him…? But then I realize – right, Ichigo's died like 6 times and she's healed him, so it shouldn't be a problem. :)
TheCatWithTheHatIsABitch: What an original anonymous name…Again, I said it because they left a nasty review without logging in – same as you, I see…It's a small world, I guess.
Flower in the River: There is a reason for Iemura's evilness, but you didn't miss it – hasn't been mentioned yet.
nypsy: Okay, no promises.
Veraozao: Thank you for that original review…Uhm. :D
foxfang27: Tutoring! Boring:) I'd rather read Ichihime fics too…
S0phi3F4wn: (took me, like, 5 minutes to type that…) Finally someone who actually likes Ronin! When I first thought him up, I wanted him to be an affable character but not with so much personality…and then the hate reviews kept coming in about him…and his personality actually shifted with all the dislikes he was getting, making more and more people dislike him…I'm glad to hear the someone out there sees the awesomeness that he was supposed to be. :) Now to the chapter~!
I need this like air in my lungs, this element tears through my bones, it keeps me fighting. Alive emotions that swim through my veins, a fever that shows in my face, I'm not hiding. Cold, the feeling of fear on my skin, dying to find a way in the silver lining. The stars, they burn out like dreams all around, falling like rain to the ground, but you're still shining… And this fire is alive in your eyes - Well I can barely breathe, and I can hear the dark arts marching, I won't go down easily! Stay here by my side, and we will be the last ones standing! Hold my hand and kiss me before the hearts collide!
It was happening in slow motion.
Ichigo hadn't noticed the small little redheaded girl sprinting across the grass until it was too late; but she flung herself in the way of the blade, crying out as her blood arced across the grass. Beads clattered as she slumped over her limp brother, her glasses skittering away from her face, the lenses shattering.
Ichigo didn't know who she was – Ronin's sister, maybe – but right now, he couldn't deal with that. He picked up the broken badge from where it had fallen when the Hollow disintegrated, not taking his eyes off of Iemura. Just picking the badge up made him feel more powerful. He ran his thumb across the jagged edge, keeping his eyes locked on the frowning blond man.
"He was almost dead," said Iemura. "Pity the stupid girl got in the way." He raised his sword again and swung down hard –
-only to be met with a furious clash as Ichigo's sword blocked it. Iemura looked angry as he withdrew.
"Why are you protecting that stupid boy?" he said. "I thought you didn't like him."
"Not liking someone is not the same thing as wanting them dead," Ichigo said grimly. "But I have a question for you." He began pressing upwards with his blade, keeping his eyes on Iemura's – or at least, his sunglasses. "Why did you do all of this?"
Iemura flash-stepped away, but not too far. "All of what?" he asked, feigning innocence.
"Why did you make the entire Soul Society forget about her, for starters?" Ichigo said, trying to stay calm. "It doesn't add up."
"Maybe to someone as naïve as you," said Iemura. "However, to those in the world of power, it couldn't make more sense. Inoue Orihime is a strong woman. Her power far surpasses mine. If she was allowed to remember her strength, my captain would have given her my position for sure. On top of that, if my captain had gotten wind of her death, she would have sought her out and trained her personally. I may be just a third seat, but that position would not have been given to me elsewhere. I am weak; I wanted to hold onto what little power I had. It was easy to do with the help of your Substitute Shinigami badge. And I will never be caught – because the secret will die with you!"
He flash-stepped to Ichigo and attacked him. Ichigo brought up his blade numbly, his body going on autopilot as he digested this news.
"So basically what you're saying is that you killed Orihime just to keep your position of power," he said as they flew apart.
"I never said that!" Iemura said, his breathing beginning to get heavy. "I didn't kill her. I don't want her dead – just the opposite. I want her alive and away from this place!"
Ichigo flashed away, standing a good distance from Iemura, frowning. "Wait. If you didn't kill her and bring her to the Soul Society, then who did?"
Iemura waved a hand. "That Hollow, most likely," he said carelessly. "I imagine that when she was terminated, the Combat Pass that the Hollow was carrying performed an incomplete Konso, which caused her to lose her memory. I don't actually care in the slightest. It worked out for me either way." The man smiled. "But now that I've told you all of this, I think it's time – for you to die."
He attacked Ichigo with renewed fervor. "So why don't you stop talking and just kill me already?" Ichigo smirked. He was blocking easily, countering each of Iemura's strikes with a fluid match.
This man was so easy to read. Iemura did have power – power that he had acquired overnight with the possession of Ichigo's Combat Pass. He was not yet used to fighting with the new weight of his Reatsu, and his moves were clumsy and inexperienced. This man was accustomed to healing, not fighting.
He didn't stand a chance.
"ICHIGO!"
Distracted at the sound of Orihime's voice, Ichigo turned. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Iemura grin with an unnaturally large smile. Feeling as though he was stuck in molasses while Iemura was free, his head slowly turned back to his adversary as Iemura's shining silver blade cut through his chest.
He could hear the rip of his shihakusho, the screaming of his sinew, the roaring of his skin as Iemura's blade dragged across his chest, going slowly and slowly deeper. Every movement took an eternity as he stumbled back and Iemura's blade left his chest, coated in blood much, much deeper than he was expecting. A drop of the red liquid slung through the air in front of Ichigo's eyes and he thudded to his knees, the pain catching up to his brain and causing him to cry out.
"ICHIGO!" she cried again, but this time it was a cry of despair.
Ichigo stabbed his sword into the dirt and slowly pushed himself up. His head was bent towards the ground, and he saw blood dropping from his chest down to the grass, making the earth soft and wet where his feet were. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Orihime and Tatsuki. Both had their hands pressed to their mouths, and the former looked horrified.
He returned his attention to Iemura. Despite his brief victory, the man was clearly exhausted: his arms were shaking, his grip on the handle of his sword was dangerously tight. Sweat rolled down his face.
Ichigo wasn't in great shape, himself. His body throbbed. He couldn't seem to find the strength to pull Zangetsu from the grass.
So this is what it's come to, he thought grimly.
Something didn't add up to him, however. He shouldn't be this strong…even with the combat pass. Could I really be this strong? No, it's not possible. Is it?
If it is, then why is it so difficult for me to beat him?
He gave another heave on the sword in the dirt. It came free this time, and he attempted to swing it, but the effort made him groan.
"Sôten Kishun!"
Surprised, he gave a start as the warm glow of Orihime's healing powers enveloped him, basking him in orange light. As the humming began and his skin started to knit itself together, he turned to the girl in surprise.
"…Orihime?"
"I don't know?" She looked at her hands in amazement. "It just…slipped out!"
Behind him, Iemura cursed. Ichigo turned back to the blond man, watching his face morph to anger.
"Blast," he muttered. "It's becoming harder…harder to keep up the Kidô…" The man shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'll kill you…before I lose control completely."
He smiled and raised his blade to the orange dome, bringing it down full force. Inside, Ichigo smirked, knowing that it was fruitless – the dome withstood any and all attacks from outside. Sure enough, Iemura was thrown back and landed on the ground in a heap, staring at the electricity still sizzling around his fingers.
"What…"
"That's Orihime's power," Ichigo explained for the man. "No one can get in or out of it." He smiled. "Looks like you're just going to have to sit for a moment, until she brings it down."
"Um…" Her voice was tentative. "And how do I do that, exactly?"
Iemura's mouth slowly morphed into a huge smile. "You just dug your own grave," he said cruelly, before running to attack –
Orihime and Tatsuki.
Orihime shrilled in alarm, and Ichigo threw himself against the barrier, cursing as he realized just how much information they'd given Iemura. He beat against the dome with all his strength, but it was futile. He could only watch helplessly as Iemura reached the girls, swinging his blade –
Tatsuki leaped into the air and knocked it aside with her foot. Her momentum circled her through the air, and she landed easily in a fighting stance in front of Orihime, her legs locked and her fists balled.
"Not so fast, asshole," she spat at the third seat, who had withdrawn his blade in alarm. "I'm a black belt, highest degree. You're not going to get past me – I can easily crush an oversized, blond, sword-swinging pygmy marmoset like you on a bad day."
"…Pygmy marmoset?" Orihime asked nervously.
Tatsuki grinned momentarily. "Hush, you."
Iemura recovered. "As if, girl. I don't know if you heard, but bound to my blade is the power of Kurosaki Ichigo – your would-be savior that you yourselves trapped with your own power. And no one can beat the power of Kurosaki Ichigo – not even Kurosaki Ichigo himself!"
He raised his blade again and clumsily swatted it through the air. Tatsuki didn't even need to use her feet this time; simply raising her arm and blocking the blade seemed to suffice. She let pain cross her features for less than a second before she closed off her expression once more.
"It's all about the technique," she stated coldly. "You swing your blade like an amateur. Even I could do better than that. If you don't know how to fight, it doesn't matter how strong, it doesn't matter how powerful you are. You will be crushed."
"Tsubaki!"
Surprised, Tatsuki moved out of the way just in time for the tiny black bullet to zip past her shoulder and lodge itself firmly in the chest of Iemura.
"I wanted to finish it myself," she said. "Thank you for stunning him, Tatsuki – he wouldn't have remembered it otherwise."
Iemura slumped to the ground, out cold. Tsubaki soared back to Orihime's hand, and she cupped his body in her palm. He stood tall and looked at her.
"Excellent work, woman, if I do say so myself," the tiny fairy grudgingly praised her. "For once this battle ended with both of us not within an inch of our lives."
"What do you mean?" she said.
"Don't you remember yet? You were the one to crush Iemura. Your memories should soon return."
From inside the dome, Ichigo watched her face as her eyes widened impossibly. Her hands dropped to her side as the dome around him snapped into nonexistence and the fairies quickly zipped over to the siblings lying in a heap in the grass, opening over them, seemingly even without their mistress's knowledge.
Orihime's mouth moved, and Ichigo remained where he was standing as she mouthed word after word after word.
Sora…
Tatsuki…
Chad…
Uryû…
Ichigo…
Rukia…
The Soul Society…
Ulquiorra…
Ichigo…
Ichigo…
"Ichigo," she said, and he took a slow step towards her.
"I remember," she said, and ran into his arms.
Yeah, it's kind of short, but I wanted to end it there.
Buh bye! :D