Chapter 9
Ichigo and Rukia had ended their retreat from the kitchen in Ichigo's room. "Didn't coming upstairs completely ruin the effect of storming out?" complained Ichigo.
Rukia shrugged. "I just wanted to get out of there, and I wanted to change and get some supplies before we left. Turn around," she ordered, having finished rummaging around in Ichigo's closet.
Ichigo remained facing her, "are you still keeping things in my closet?" he asked incredulously.
Rukia shrugged again, philosophically and began removing her clothing. It wasn't as though Ichigo hadn't seen everything already anyway. Ichigo, who still hadn't gotten over being flustered by naked girls (despite earlier events), turned his back hurriedly, rather red faced. "It's not as though I can keep things like my soul candy dispenser in your sisters' room" Rukia explained, her voice slightly muffled at times, as she pulled clothing on and off. "Besides, since we're going to be married, it's my closet too."
"We're not married yet," Ichigo grumbled, but he knew that he had a losing argument.
"You can turn back around," said Rukia, after another minute. She was wearing the blue and white dress she had first purloined from Yuzu. Her back was to Ichigo as she placed things in a backpack.
"Are you ever going to give my sister's dress back?"
Rukia stopped packing, and half-turned, surprised, "Yuzu gave it to me the other day. Where's Kon?" she added, changing the subject.
"Why do you need that pervert?"
"Well since we don't know where the Vaizard are or how long it'll take to find them, or what your training will entail, it's best that we travel as humans, but I want to have Kon and Chappy with us so that we don't have to leave my gigai or your body just lying around."
"I am not taking Kon." Replied Ichigo irritably.
"Then just take his pill," replied Rukia, deciding that the point wasn't worth arguing over.
The two found a very annoyed Kon in Yuzu and Karin's room. Yuzu had once again unwittingly tortured Kon by dressing him in a frilly dress and bonnet. Kon was fuming before Ichigo even started to explain that he needed to take the mod-soul with him in pill form.
"No way" cried Kon, stuffed eyes steaming tears, "Just leave your body here with me. Nii-san save me from him" he wailed, launching himself at Rukia.
Rukia met Kon's flying leap with her fist. Unfortunately for Kon, that fist had been encased in Rukia's red Shinigami glove, so Kon's pill was knocked cleanly from his body, effectively cutting off any further protests. Scooping up the pill, Rukia paused to retrieve the now-empty stuffed lion body from where she had knocked it and placed it neatly on Yuzu's bed.
Ichigo almost felt sorry for Kon. Rukia's efficient method of dealing with mod soul was useful, but Ichigo had been knocked unceremoniously from his body and dragged off to places unknown enough times to feel some sympathy.
Having gathered her supplies, Rukia led Ichigo back to his room and out the window. Ichigo was almost tempted to ask if she ever used the door, but he wasn't in the mood to start another argument. The challenges he might face in finding the Vaizard, convincing them to train him, and then defeating his hollow were foremost in his mind.
"Where to?" asked Rukia, expecting Ichigo to take the lead for once.
"I don't know exactly," replied Ichigo "I have a feeling that if I go out looking for them they'll let me find them."
"Let's go then."
The two crossed Karakura town, both too tense and too focused on attempting to sense some sign of a foreign Reiatsu that might lead them to the Vaizard to make much conversation. After walking for several hours with no luck, Rukia called for a break. She paused to fish in her bag and pulled out two juice boxes. Tossing one to Ichigo she held her own in one hand, while with the care and delicacy of a master surgeon she carefully detached the straw from the side of the box. After surveying the hole in the box and the end of the straw, she inserted the straw with extreme caution and studied concentration. Once the straw was properly inserted she surveyed the juice box with the satisfied air of one who has accomplished a great achievement.
Ichigo, who was almost bursting from holding in his laughter, was abruptly distracted by…something. A whisper, a pull of Reiatsu, and Ichigo was suddenly certain that the feeling he was experiencing was the Vaizard leading him to them, "This way" he called over his shoulder, as he tossed his juice box aside and set off at a run, anxious to not loose the first hint of contact from the Vaizard.
The pulling sensation led him to a nondescript warehouse nearby. He glanced at Rukia, who had ditched her own juice box and caught up with him, and then opened the doors.
The interior of the building was fairly dark. Light spilled in from the entryway and from a few scattered windows higher up. Ichigo was aware of several people lurking in the ruined higher reaches of the building, but he was distracted as Shinji called out to him with a wide grin. "Good job finding this place Ichigo"
Before the Vaizard could continue however, he was interrupted by a voice calling down from above. "Why have you brought a Shinigami with you Kurosaki Ichigo?" it called angrily.
A small blonde woman, dressed in a red jumpsuit dropped down from above in the wake of the question landing in between Ichigo and Shinji. She turned to face Ichigo, scowling and pointed at Rukia. "She's not welcome here."
Trying to avoid unnecessary conflict, Ichigo stepped forward so that Rukia was shielded behind him. He had been expecting resistance to Rukia's presence, but he was unsettled by the reaction of his hollow. "Kill the little bitch," the hollow whispered inside his mind, infuriated by the apparent threat to Rukia.
Rukia pushed forward. "I apologize for coming where I'm not wanted," she said sincerely, addressing not only Hiyori, but also the Vaizard assembled above. "I understand your animosity towards Shinigami, but I wouldn't be here if I didn't have cause."
Hiyori approached Rukia, and Ichigo had to fight to keep the hollow from manifesting to protect her. The Vaizard scrutinized Rukia, "Why are you here?" she asked finally, slightly less hostile.
"I need to be," replied Rukia. The two girls locked gazes for an endless minute, and then Hiyori shrugged and turned away. "Don't get in the way," she told Rukia.
"Are you done yet?" called out Shinji.
"Shut up" replied Hiyori. "Why are you here?" she asked Ichigo. "Since you brought a Shinigami I doubt you want to join us."
"You're right," replied Ichigo curtly, straining to keep the hollow suppressed. "I don't want to join you, I just want you to teach me to control my inner hollow."
"You're really underestimating us, dumbass" interrupted Shinji
Hiyori held out her hand, silencing Shinji. "Add another five layers to the barrier Hachi," she called, coming to face Ichigo. "You've got the wrong idea" she told him "It's not your choice whether you join us or not. If you're powerful, we'll let you join and teach you to control your inner hollow. If you're weak, we'll let the hollow consume you. Got it?"
Ichigo said nothing, but the silence was enough.
"Now face me as a hollow already. Let's see how powerful you are," demanded Hiyori, impatiently.
Ichigo wanted to refuse, but the hollow was so close to the surface already that the only thing holding it back was the fact that Ichigo was still in his body.
"You need this training," said Rukia quietly. She held out Kon's pill to Ichigo offering it to him.
For a moment it was as though they were the only two people in the room; their eyes locked. "I can't just …"
Rukia said nothing, but Ichigo understood anyway.
"Be safe," he told her, popping the pill in his mouth, freeing his soul from his body, and with it losing the last restraint that was keeping the hollow in check.
Suddenly faced with a hollow Ichigo rather than the reluctant Shinigami she had been expecting, Hiyori attempted to simultaneously pull her zanpaktou and mask, but her reaction was too slow. The hollow crossed the space between them effortlessly and instantly, slashing downward. A bright spray of blood washed across his face and chest as Hiyori collapsed.
"Don't threaten what's mine," the hollow hissed as he shunpo'ed away.
The instant Rukia had seen the hollow erupt unfettered from Ichigo's body she had readied herself. Popping her own pill, almost immediately, she still barely managed to draw her zanpaktou, before the hollow was upon her, face red with Hiyori's blood, and eyes bright with glee.
There was no time for Shikai, and Rukia reacting from instinct and fear swung wildly and desperately. The hollow easily deflected the blow. "Shall we play Rukia-mine?" the hollow invited.
Rukia met the hollow's glowing eyes. She was well aware that she was no match for Ichigo, let alone this hollow form of him, but it was not in her nature to give up. She raised her zanpaktou, but by then the Vaizard had enough time to react. Shinji, with hollow mask fully in place, stepped in between the two, "Forget her, fight me." Shinji grated.
"You're not worth a fight" the Ichigo's hollow replied dismissively, side-stepping the Vaizard.
Rukia took advantage of the split second of distraction provided by Shinji to aim a well-placed swing at Ichigo's hollow, but the hollow reacted with lightening-fast reflexes. However, instead of evading or deflecting her blade, the hollow caught it in his free hand, allowing the blade to bite into Ichigo's flesh. Before Rukia could react, the hollow ran his hand up her blade, grabbed her wrist and yanked her towards him with a sharp movement that ended with her back pressed against his front. Her wrist, still grasped in his, held her own sword against her throat. Caged between the hollow's body and her own zanpaktou, Rukia was momentarily unable to free herself. "Let me go, you bastard," she hissed, furiously.
"I'll never let you go, Rukia-mine," the hollow whispered against her cheek. As she strained to evade him, the hollow released her wrist, and instead used his bloodied hand to force her hand and sword closer to her body. As he ran his hand up to her face, the blood from his wound stained her skin. He leaned in, licking her newly-bloodied cheek clean. "You taste delicious covered in my blood" whispered the hollow, "But I prefer the taste of yours." He pressed her zanpaktou against her neck, allowing a bright line of blood to form as the sharpened steel sliced her skin, and leaned in to sample the newly-drawn blood.
Rukia tried not to shudder, and instead focused all her energy into her free hand, building up a burst of Kidou energy. Sine the Vaizard had not intervened to help her she had to either assume that they believed that she was not worth saving, or that they were concerned about harming her should they attempt to interfere. Either way, she knew that if she could get herself free of the hollow, she could give them a chance to suppress or defeat it. As the hollow licked her blood from her neck, she allowed herself to go limp in his arms, forcing him to release her wrist and sword to catch her weight, and in the same moment, she blasted the stored amount of Kidou energy directly backwards into his torso. The blast knocked the hollow off balance, and the shift in weight gave her just enough leverage to twist herself away from his body as he fell.
By the time Rukia scrambled to her feet, Shinji was pointing his zanpaktou at Ichigo's prone body. Aware that her Kidou blast could not have incapacitated the hollow, Rukia was momentarily puzzled, because it seemed that Shinji was oddly reluctant to attack the hollow, and the hollow was oddly reluctant to fight back. Taking a step forward, though, everything became clear. Instead of the hollow, Shinji faced a blood-stained and horror-struck Ichigo.
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Authors Note: I know this chapter was a long time in coming and I'm sorry for the delay. School and life have been ridiculously crazy. I promise to respond to everyone's reviews ASAP. Thanks everyone for the continued support (and sorry for the cliffhanger )