Hello. It's Shadow Typhoon. This is my new update. It is not very long, but the next chapter will be longer, I promise!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, but I do own my own characters.
Dark Ice
Chapter 16: Journey to Hell
by Shadow Typhoon
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It was dark. Pitch black. Everywhere around him. He stirred, tried to open his eyes, but as soon as he opened them, he shut them again. The light was too powerful, it was blinding him. His head hurt, it was like Hyourinmaru had decided to bang his head with a giant hammer.
He tried to open his eyes again. This time the light wasn´t as blinding as before, so he opened them fully. He tried to get up, but his body was too weak. What had he been doing? He couldn´t remember.
"Relax. You aren't supposed to move already"
A calm voice was speaking to him. Whose voice was that anyway? He couldn´t place a finger on it, so he concentrated harder. Then he remembered. Everything. Aizen, Ichimaru, Tousen…Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Hyourinmaru…his new Ice Flame bankai, his new attacks, Aizen´s dead, blood,…his collapse…darkness…darkness!
He had collapsed from the exhaustion. He was so tired; he had used too much reiastu. He made a promise to himself that he shouldn´t use too powerful techniques, since it made him very tired.
Arms embraced him and pulled him up to his feet. His legs was shaking, he was afraid that he would fall any moment. He turned his head, looking into the eyes of the one who held him. Deep green orbs. It was Ulquiorra´s eyes.
Hitsugaya groaned, feeling lightheaded. He stumbled forward, almost fell, but hands stopped him.
"You should be more careful. Eat this" Ulquiorra demanded and pushed a pill into Hitsugaya´s mouth. Hitsugaya swallowed and almost choked. He needed water.
"Here" Grimmjow held a glass of water and gave it to Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya thankfully accepted and drank. He felt his energy being restored.
"What happened" Hitsugaya managed to say.
Grimmjow scratched his head.
"Well, after you had killed Aizen and the other two, we were able to move again."
"You had used almost all your reiastu, so you were really weak. The pill you just took was one of Szayel´s inventions. It restores all of your reiastu in only ten minutes" Ulquiorra continued.
"So Aizen is dead" Hitsugaya stated.
"And we are free" Ulquiorra said.
"Now I can finally see my little brother!" Grimmjow said smirking.
"You have a little brother?" Hitsugaya asked surprised.
"And he´s just as irritating like his elder brother. Which means that he is trash" Ulquiorra said and sighed.
"Don´t you dare to repeat that" Grimmjow growled.
"Repeat what? I was just stating the truth"
"Grrrrr..." Grimmjow began, but Hitsugaya laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Don´t begin fighting. That is the last thing we need." Hitsugaya said.
"Fine!" Grimmjow growled and crossed his arms.
"So what are we going to do now?" Hitsugaya asked.
"Well, since we are all free now, I suppose we return to Hell" Ulquiorra suggested.
"Yeah" Grimmjow said. "I can´t wait to see Hell again. And my brother too."
"And how do we get there?" Hitsugaya asked.
"..."
"..."
"What?" Hitsugaya asked.
"I can´t remember" Grimmjow said mystified. "Weird."
"I can´t remember either. I know that I knew a way, I just can´t remember right know" Ulquiorra replied.
"So what are we supposed to do now?"
"I got an idea!" Ryushiro shouted inside Hitsugaya´s mind.
"Say: Crimson Blood" Ryushiro continued.
"And why am I supposed to say that?" Hitsugaya asked.
"Because that will trigger their memories."
"Oh"
Then Hitsugaya said to Ulquiorra and Grimmjow: "Crimson Blood"
Ulquiorra stood frozen and blinked a couple of times.
"Eh, how and why did you do that?" Grimmjow asked surprised.
"It was Ryushiro´s idea"
"Anyway, I can remember the way to Hell now, should we continue?" Ulquiorra said.
"Gladly" Hitsugaya replied.
Then all the espada and arrancar followed Ulquiorra and Grimmjow on their way to Hell. The hollows, from the hollow tribe, were living in Hueco Mondo, so their home wasn´t in Hell.
Ulquiorra led them all out into the dessert of Hueco Mondo. They all walked through the dessert, they weren´t in a hurry. Aizen was dead and they could return to their home, which was all that mattered.
Abruptly Ulquiorra stopped. They stood in the middle of the dessert; sand could be seen in every direction they looked. Ulquiorra took his family gem out; it´s green colour was shining in the nonexistent light.
A deep rumble could be heard and suddenly the sand disappeared. A staircase could be seen underneath the sand, hidden by sandstorms and endless sunshine.
Ulquiorra began walking down the staircase. The other espada and arrancar followed him. Hitsugaya was curious. It was like he had seen it before, but where? He couldn´t remember.
Darkness surrounded them. Small touches were hanging on the wall, providing with a little light. No sound could be heard, only the echo of their steps on the shiny staircase and their deep breaths.
A small light could be seen in the end of the staircase. They walked for some time and reached the light. It was an impressive gate. It was covered by gold and small pictures. It was as big as one of the gates in Soul Society. Probably bigger. In front of the gate, a gatekeeper could be seen.
"What kind of business do you have in Hell?" The gatekeeper was very big. It looked like a human who had training its entire life, making it look like a bodybuilder. It was three times the size of an average human. Its skin had a bronze colour and its eyes were plain silver.
"Don´t you recognize us?" Ulquiorra asked, almost teasingly. But it probably wasn´t teasingly, since it is Ulquiorra we are talking about.
The gatekeeper frowned. His grip on his giant axe, which was silver with runes engraved, tightened. Then he realized.
"Ulquiorra?" He looked around and saw the others. "Grimmjow? Szayel? Halibel? Everyone!? You have returned!"
The gatekeeper now had tears in his eyes.
"My friends!" He jumped forward, wanted to hug them, but they all dodged.
Hitsugaya sweat dropped. Who was this gatekeeper anyway? He felt familiar.
"It´s also nice to see you again, Taiki" Szayel said.
The gatekeeper, Taiki, opened the gate and motioned for them to enter.
"You beloved ones are still waiting for your return. " Taiki said smiling.
The lower arrancar started to walk through the gate. The espada wanted to say goodbye to Hitsugaya first.
"Well, it seems that this is the end" Ulquiorra said.
"It was nice knowing you. You are the only shinigami I could ever tolerate." Grimmjow said.
"You can visit Hell anytime you like" Ulquiorra said and gave him his family gem.
"I can´t accept it, it belonged to your family" Hitsugaya aid and tried to give it back to Ulquiorra.
"Sometimes you must forget the past in order to live in the present." Ulquiorra said and closed Hitsugaya´s hands around the family gem.
"Its name is Hisui Omoide (AN: I think it means Jade Memories). You can use it to open the staircase to Hell"
"Thank you" Hitsugaya said with a genuine smile.
Only now the gatekeeper Taiki saw Hitsugaya.
"You are...!" he started surprised with his mouth agape.
Grimmjow kicked his leg before Taiki could continue.
"Shut up, idiot" Grimmjow growled.
Hitsugaya blinked, unsure with the situation.
"Well, it´s time for you to go now" Ulquiorra said and guided him to the staircase again.
"Just follow the staircase and go up to Hueco Mondo again. From there you can teleport to Soul Society. You are not able to open a gate to Soul Society while you are down here"
Hitsugaya nodded and began walking up. He looked behind him, waved a goodbye and began walking.
"When will he know? When will he remember?" Taiki asked and looked at Ulquiorra.
"I mean, you two have always..." he continued but Ulquiorra cut him off.
"In time. Not yet, but soon. I hope"
Hitsugaya walked and walked, and soon he was in the dessert of Hueco Mondo again. He opened a portal to Soul Society and walked through it.
"Now we´ll see if they can forgive me..." Hitsugaya said and soon he once again stood in Soul Society...
I hope you enjoyed my chapter. Taiki means" large radiance", and I thought that it fitted. Next we´ll see Hitsugaya meeting the crew in Soul Society again. But probably not the way you expected!
I will try to update soon, but next month I will have my exams, which I have studied in 10 years for, so the next chapter will probably be a little delayed.
Oh yeah, I made up the Ice Flame Bankai myself. I read the suggestions and though they were all really good, I didn´t feel that they matched. So I came up with one myself. I hope that you all like it!
Well, until we meet again, have sweet dreams.
See ya