Title: Destroying Pride

Torture: Rack

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Characters/Pairings: Ichigo, Shirosaki(Zangetsu); Ichigo/Rukia

Summary: Pride has no place in this game of life.

Warnings: Spoilers for recent chapters. A bit of graphic violence.

Note: Rack: an instrument of torture consisting of a frame on which the victim was stretched by turning rollers to which the wrists and ankles were tied. Done very slowly to question the victim.

His head snapped back with an extreme force, causing his neck to crack. His brain was barely able to register that someone had just punched him hard in the face. It felt like they had been wearing metal knuckles.

Before he had even had a moment to recover, a pale white arm had shot out and a white hand was holding him up by the throat, nails digging into Ichigo's flesh. Blood stained the black nails, making them even darker.

"What. The. Fuck. Do. You. Think. You're. Playing. At. KING?" The Hollow gritted out, the insane grin for once absent on his face. He looked furious and seemed far more deadly than he ever had during any of the previous encounters.

Ichigo grabbed at the Hollow's hand, trying to pry it away from his neck. The Hollow held on tighter.

"What does it look like Hollow? I'm fighting."

He didn't even see the second punch coming. He coughed up blood as the Hollow's fist left his stomach.

"How many damn times do I have to tell you King? I have a fucking name. ZANGETSU. Use it, you bastard." His eyes flashed angrily. "And you call this fighting?" Zangetsu spat out. "You're fucking stalling. He should have been dead the moment you took out your blade."

"What the hell is your problem?" Ichigo demanded, again trying to free himself from the fake Zangetsu's grasp. "I thought you were supposed to love fighting and murdering."

A white blade was through Ichigo's stomach in an instant. The Hollow laughed. "You really don't get it do you? Why we need to kill?" His laugh became louder and louder. "You actually think that there is such a thing as a fight for pride." He looked Ichigo in the eyes. "I have news for you King, men like us, have no room for pride." He raised his hand in the air. "Or have you forgotten already?" He snapped his fingers. "One."

The rain poured forth from the sky. He opened his eyes, feeling slightly confused.

Had he tripped and fallen down?

He must have fallen in a puddle, his hand was in something warm and sticky.

There was something heavy on him. It made it hard to breath.

His eyes glanced over to the side and he stared into a pair of fading warm amber eyes. Light brown hair flowed around her.

Realization dawned.

Ichigo was shaking. "How. Dare. You..."

The Hollow snapped his fingers again. "Two."

"If you come after me, I will never forgive you."

There were tears in Rukia's eyes. He had never seen her cry. He had thought that she couldn't cry.

She walked away from him and toward the bright light behind the door - the bright light that no one is supposed to go toward if they want to live. Rukia was leaving him, to go off and die alone.

As the doors slid closed, he saw her turn back her head toward the darkness that is life, and he knew. He knew then that Rukia didn't want to die.

But there was no possible way that he could help her.

"Stop it!" Ichigo screamed. "Those are mine - My memories!"

"No. And what makes you think they aren't mine as well?" The white fingers snapped. "Three."

Blood spilled over her lips. Blood the colour of a ripe cherry.

Her eyes were already dimming as they turned towards him.

"Run."

She was thrown to the ground with such force that her body made a sickening noise as it connected with the pavement. It sounded like an apple as it met its ruin.

The monster turned around and grinned as if it were seeking his approval.

And then, he was screaming.

Tears were running down Ichigo's cheeks now. "Stop it, you sick, sick bastard."

The Hollow that was Zangetsu shook his head. "You have to learn." He stated simply as he snapped his fingers once more. "Four."

One moment, the pulse of reiatsu was beating, the next it had snapped, as if the taunt life thread had suddenly been cut by one of the Fates.

Gone was the warm and cool snow. Gone was the laughter. Gone was the grace. Gone was everything that had made Rukia Rukia.

The world ceased to exist.

The hand around his neck loosened and Ichigo fell to the floor. The Hollow watched as he gasped for breath. After a moment, the pale being spoke.

"Pride is meaningless in the face of life. We kill without taking pride into consideration because that is the only way to protect." He kneeled down beside the King of his realm. "Tell me, do you actually think that time will stop for us?"

A piece of fraying red ribbon was shoved into Ichigo's face. "You don't have much time left, you know. She's dying, bastard. Should you choose wisely, you might be there in just enough time to save her, if you start fighting the way you should have been from the very beginning."

Author's Note: Just a quick note to fans of Music of the Night. The story is completed, as I have stated in the summary and in my profile. There will be no more chapters, as I prefer that the ending should be left up to the reader's imagination, as there can't be any neat and tidy solution to this story.