Title: Free Advice

Torture: Tongue Lashing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Characters/Pairings: Kaien, Ichigo, Rukia; Ichigo/Rukia

Rating: PG

Summary: Ichigo receives some advice regarding his Hollow from an unexpected source.

Warnings: Spoilers for Kaien.

The world was black and white. Faceless figures brushed past him, jarring his shoulders as they continued to walk their steady path towards the light that would consume them. Nameless figure after nameless figure walked at a steady, comfortable pace, an endless sea of flesh.

He didn't quite understand why he was caught in this darkness. He wasn't dead... at least, he wasn't supposed to be. A moment of fear struck him - was Rukia here? In this place?

The blood raced through his body as he looked wildly from side to side, attempting to see a familiar face.

"RUKIA?!" His voice grew louder as the panic settled into his bones. "RUKIA?!"

Kurosaki Ichigo.

The voice hit him like an electic shock, jolting him from fear and into terror. He spun around to face his caller, only to meet another wave of featureless figures.

Kurosaki Ichigo.

Ichigo took a step back as one of the shadows stopped before him and stared at him with eyes that were not there.

You are Kurosaki Ichigo?

Ichigo's mouth snapped shut and he nodded his head, at a loss of what else to do.

You are the one with the... Hollow?

His head moved of its own accord. "Yes."

Thank God. The voice, which till now had had an eternal quality to it, now sounded annoyed. Do you have any idea how many people I've gone through to find you? The darkness melted away to reveal a face to Ichigo that was very similiar to his own.

"Who are you?" Ichigo snapped, fear being quickly replaced by the instinct to fight. "And what the hell are you trying to pull?!" His hand reached for the zanpaktou that wasn't there.

The dead man regarded him for a moment, judging him. Ichigo wasn't sure that he passed the test.

Somebody with a piece of advice. Ichigo was suddenly grabbed by the front of his collar by impossibly strong arms. His eyes widened as tentacles began sprouting out of the man's arms and wrapping around his own arms painfully. Don't be like me. Don't become her next nightmare.

In the man's empty eyes (save for more reaching tentacles) Ichigo could actually see an image there - of a girl, at one moment laughing, the next sobbing.

If you hurt her in any way, there will be a reckoning beyond your imagining Kurosaki Ichigo. The tentacles melted away to reveal a human face, which shrugged helplessly. I like you Kurosaki Ichigo, you remind me of how I used to be. He slapped Ichigo on the shoulder, his grin widening. Don't make my mistakes, boy. Believe me, Hell is nothing compared to memories.

XXX

Ichigo woke up with a gasp, his body shuddering with fear. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It hadn't been real, there was no way it could possibly have been...

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo's eyes widened and his head snapped towards Rukia, who was lying down on a hospital cot, her body heavily wrapped in bandages. Her face was still too pale from the spiritual drain she had underwent when she had attempted to heal her own fatal wounds.

Rukia smiled at him and squeezed the hand that he had still yet to let go of. "Were you here all this time?" Her voice was scratchy.

He nodded dumbly. "You were asleep for a long time." He handed her a glass of water. His hands shook.

The girl shifted as she attempted to get comfortable on the stiff bed. "Were you afraid that I wasn't going to wake up or something?" She took the water from his gratefully.

He didn't answer.

"Ichigo?" Rukia sounded worried. "You look like you've seen a ghost." She chuckled a bit at her own joke. She squeezed his hand again. "Idiot," she muttered half-heartedly. "You better have not eaten my chocolate pudding while I was asleep or I'm going to have to kick your ass."

Ichigo gave a half-smirk. "Go back to sleep. You can kick my ass all you want later." He pushed her back against the pillows, retrieving the glass. Her eyes closed and she was asleep almost instantly.

He placed the glass on the bedside table and turned back to Rukia, ready to keep up his viligant watch over the girl. The lights flickered for only a moment, and on the other side of the bed, the man from his nightmare stood there staring at him, through him.

You hurt her and it won't be me that you have to worry about. It'll be yourself.