Hi, it´s Shadow Typhoon. It has been a long time since I´ve updated. I kinda found out that I couldn't update every day. So I´m gonna update every week instead. But only if there isn´t too much homework anyway.

So please enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don´t own Bleach

Dark Ice

Chapter 5: The Trial part one

by Shadow Typhoon

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"It´s your turn", Hitsugaya said after moving his knight across the chess board.

On the other side of the chess board, Ulquiorra was sitting and calculating his next move.

At least there is some decent arrancar here in Hueco Mondo, Hitsugaya thought while looking at Ulquiorra.

Earlier that day, Hitsugaya had been walking through Hueco Mondo. He had almost been chopped to pieces, grilled to dust and a lot of other nasty things. And all because Aizen had forgot to tell the arrancar, that Hitsugaya had joined them.

Luckily Ulquiorra knew it and had told the other arrancar. If he hadn´t, he maybe wasn´t alive at this moment. Most of the other arrancar had been bloodthirsty psychopathic Kenpachi-alike freaks, who wanted to kill as many shinigami as they could.

But instantly he knew that Ulquiorra was different. It wasn´t because he radiated a cold aura, or because he was respected. Or because Hitsugaya knew Ulquiorra didn´t kill unless it was necessary or because of orders. No, it was something else. It was because Ulquiorra reminded him of himself.

Suddenly the door opened and an arrancar stepped inside. It was Azeneth.

"Master Aizen wishes to speak to you, Hitsugaya-sama", he said.

Hitsugaya stood up and followed Azeneth into the main hall. Aizen was as usually sitting on his throne.

"Hitsugaya, I´ve called you here for a special reason. Since I´m still not sure, if I can trust you, I´m going to send you through a trial" Aizen said, trying to figure out Hitsugaya´s reaction.

Hitsugaya was surprised. He thought that Aizen already trusted him. But this was so typical Aizen; he should have seen this coming.

Aizen held out the Hogyoku which he had hidden behind his back.

"Touch it and become a vizard! With your powers as a shinigami and hollow, we can rule the entire world together.

Hitsugaya´s eyes widened. Becoming a vizard? That way he could never return to Soul Society as a captain. But he had to do it. For the sake of Soul Society´s future. Hitsugaya stepped forward and stopped in front of the Hogyoku. Aizen smirked and held the Hogyoku out. Hitsugaya then proceeded to touch it. At the moment Hitsugaya´s finger came in contact with the Hogyoku he screamed.

"Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrggggggg", he screamed.

He was feeling a pain far more painful than all his pain in life. Even worse than the time Aizen stabbed. Hitsugaya blackened out and collapsed.

Aizen smirked and signaled Azeneth forward. Azeneth slung Hitsugaya over his shoulder and followed Aizen towards the laboratories…

It was dark. Darkness was all around him, above and beneath as well. Then the darkness cleared up. Hitsugaya found himself in his mindscape, on the great plain of ice. Hitsugaya looked around, but couldn´t see Hyourinmaru.

Suddenly he heard a sound. Like thunder echoing in the distant. Crushing and engulfing. Hitsugaya instantly knew that it was Hyourinmaru. The sound came from above. Hitsugaya looked up and saw Hyourinmaru soar towards him. Hyourinmaru stopped in front of him and lowered his head, so he could look Hitsugaya straight in the eyes.

"Young one, it seems you have got yourself into trouble again"

"What do you mean?" Hitsugaya asked confused.

"You see, Hyourinmaru seems to be talking about me", a second voice said behind Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya turned around and found himself in front of…himself? He was looking at an exact replica of himself. Or almost. He had white hair as well, but instead of aquamarine eyes, he had ice blue ones.

"Surprised?" the second Hitsugaya asked him.

"Who are you?"Hitsugaya asked demanding and stepped forward.

"Can´t guess, huh? I´ll give to a clue. I´m you and you are me. You are the light and I am the darkness. Got it know, genius?" the second Hitsugaya said mockingly.

"You are…" Hitsugaya said with wide eyes.

"Yup, you finally got it right. I´m your inner hollow. My name is Hitsugaya Ryushiro by the way"

"So Aizen decided to make me into a vizard?" Hitsugaya asked Ryushiro.

"Yup. But there´s a different between you and a vizard. A vizard is a shinigami with hollow powers. The vizard is divided into two units, the shinigami part and the hollow. The strongest of the shinigami or the hollow gets control over the other. There is newer balance between them. If one of them slips, the other on takes controls. Their powers can never be united."

Behind them Hyourinmaru stepped closer and began listening carefully.

"But you are different. Somehow you can use both hollow and shinigami powers as they were your own. The hollow in the vizard is not natural, but the dark thoughts and feelings from the vizard coming into a physical form. I´m not a normal hollow. Yes, I´m your dark thoughts and feelings as well, but I´m the other part of you. I have always existed. But the vizard´s hollow is artificially created."

"So technically I´m not evil, I´m just the other side of your being."

Hitsugaya, who had been quiet under the whole conversation, woke up and asked Ryushiro: So I´m not going to fight you to regain control over my mind like Kurosaki did?

"Nope, actually I´m going to help you control your new powers." Ryushiro answered.

"May I ask you something", Hyourinmaru asked.

Ryushiro nodded and waited for Hyourinmaru to start asking.

"I have heard from Hitsugaya that an inner hollow would have the opposite colors of the shinigami. But you don´t. You actually doesn´t look like a hollow at all .Except for the blue eyes anyway"

"That´s because I´m Hitsugaya´s other side. I´m just as much a part of him as you is."

"So you are saying that I´m just as much hollow as I am a shinigami." Hitsugaya asked curiously.

"Yup. Got other questions?"

"How long time have you been here? And am I the only one with both hollow and shinigami powers?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Well, I have always been here, and yes, you are the only one of your kind."

"So what are we going to do now?" Hyourinmaru asked.

"Well, that´s easy. I´m going to train you. I´ll show you your true powers."

"Since I am your opposite in almost everything, it would be logical if my powers would be the opposite of yours. So now I´m going to show you the power of the Ice Flames"

Meanwhile in Aizen´s laboratories…

"How is the scanning going?" Aizen asked Szayel.

"It´s going perfectly, just as expected", Szayel replied while checking the scanning on a giant computer.

"He is the first shinigami becoming a vizard through the Hogyoku; we have to save the scans, so we can compare them with later subjects."Aizen said smirking. "If this goes well, we´ll soon have an army of vizard´s" Aizen began laughing a maniac laughter and soon Szayel entered it too.

"Shut up, I´m the only one who can laugh!" Aizen roared.

"I´m sorry, Aizen-sama. It will not happen again." Szayel said and lowered his head waiting for a punishment."

But it didn´t happen. Instead Aizen started analyzing the scans, completely ignoring Szayel.

Szayel let out a sigh and started typing different codes into the computer

Meanwhile in Hitsugaya´s mindscape…

"Why exactly do I have to do this?" Hitsugaya annoyed asked Ryushiro.

Hitsugaya was sitting in a lotus position with Hyourinmaru curled around him.

"Well, it´s because you have to concentrate on your reiatsu. You have to find the core in your energy. When you find it, you have to reach out to it. The energy spreads and gets absorbed by the outer layer. When that´s done, your outer layer will be as strong as your core." Ryushiro said and smirked.

Hitsugaya sighed and closed his eyes. Trying to find his inner core. Seeking and seeking. Suddenly he found himself in a room filled with light. He was floating in the air and staring at a giant diamond. He reached his hand out and touched the diamond. His hand went right through and then…it exploded.

Hitsugaya opened his eyes and found himself in his mindscape again.

"I assume that it worked?" Ryushiro was leaning down and staring Hitsugaya in the eyes.

"Yeah"

Hitsugaya stood up and stretched his arms. Hyourinmaru uncurled itself and gaped.

"Now to the serious part. You have to learn how to control your powers. The powers of the Ice Flames."

"What is this so-called Ice Flames?" Hitsugaya asked curiously.

"You´ll find that out by yourself."

And then training began …

This time I left a serious cliffhanger. This is also my longest chapter with a lot of explaining. I hope you enjoyed it.

The trial continues. Next time you´ll find out what kind of power the Ice Flames is.

So until then, have sweet dreams.

See ya