Hey! So I am back, I know it took longer than I said it would but it is also a full chapter in my book. There a just a few things you need to know, and just to let you know this will be for ALL mindspeak concerning these three durning the whole story.
"Italic Speech"-Ichigo
"Bold Speech"- Zangetsu (Both Shikai and Bankai Forms, just to clarify that)
"Italized Bold Speech"- Inner Hollow, who will soon be named
Chapter Three
The first factor that I noticed was the descent; the rush of cold air forming a sort of force-field around me, leaving me feeling weightless and sick. Gradually my awareness of the airs temperature faded, and it left me with only the sight of skyscrapers looming over me and the awkwardness of the descent. It didn't register with me that my world looked wrong, that it was right-side up instead of sideways, not then. My eyes widened as I suddenly impacted with something hard, something solid and frigid and utterly freezing. I was drenched and sinking before I could even gasp.
For quite some time I was immobile; my body was in shock from the sudden collision and still adapting to the frigid temperature of the water. My body went numb within seconds. As my breath became short I opened my mouth, fully expecting to breathe air instead of the water that flowed in. The freezing attributes of said water not only robbed me of the air I needed, but it also burned. It burned my lungs, and not in the same way fire burned skin; no, it was like I got so cold it hurt, like I was freezing from the inside out.
All the sudden my body came back to life, and I regained control of my limbs. Immediately I jumped into motion, swimming towards the rapidly fading light that was precious air and life. I swam and I swam, but the light got no closer. Just when I was about to pass out I burst from the water gasping, black spots swimming in my eyes and marring my sight. I groaned, coughing up the water that I swallowed in my mistake. It froze as soon as it hit the cement of the sidewalk. I reeled back in shock, staring at the slick patch in confusion and horror. What was going on?
The rain started then. Thunder rolled, lightning struck the ground before me, and I turned tail and ran. I ran through the city, searching desperately for any hint of my zanpakuto; even my inner hollow would be a welcome visitor right now!
Ice froze under my feet and I slid, one foot stretched out before me and the other bent against my body. I could hear the sleeves of my shihakusho ripping, the sound loud against the soft patter of the rain. The rough, uneven ice below shredded the skin of my arms and left long, deep furrows in its wake and the ice was stained with my blood. I gritted my teeth and, with a grunt, flipped myself over so that I was sliding backwards in a mountain climber's position. My palms took the brunt of the impact this time. Loath to be unable to wield Zangetsu when I woke him, I poured a concentration of reiatsu into my hands; a glove of blue rimmed black stretched up my arm, covering all the skin of the limb up to my elbow.
My knuckles cracked and popped as I dug them into the ice, the intensity of their cloak melting through the dense covering. I slowed instantaneously, jerking to a stop so fast that my neck cracked as it was thrown back. Tentatively I stood, placing my feet carefully on the slick ice. When I felt comfortable with my balance I lifted my eyes, looking instead at the five-foot scar that was marring the newly formed ice. Even as I watched, though, rainwater filled the shredded areas until they brimmed, and froze in place. Just like that, they were gone. Shocked and just a little worried about my current situation, I turned on my heel and nearly sent myself on another fun little ride. Out of shock and instinct I diverted the flow of reishi to my feet, melting the ice and stabilizing myself. Without further delay I broke out into a run, never noticing the small stream of power flowing into me or the soft buzz in the back of my mind.
For hours on end I ran, never tiring, never stopping. I went around corners, through crossways, down side streets and alleys. The city that was my mind was huge, possibly unending, and I couldn't navigate it. I was lost in my own mind, running from a storm the likes of which I had never seen. Every four or five minutes lightning struck somewhere in the city; huge bolts of lightning that spread out, spanning multiple blocks at once. I was lucky to have avoided it, because if it had struck anywhere near me I wouldn't have been able to escape. I had noticed something odd about the lightning, though. Instead of being the blindingly bright white-blue of that of the real world and of Sereitei, it was black; a deep black, utter darkness that glowed a soft gold around the edges. Above me, the rumble of thunder conquered all sound, shattering the silence with its might.
I had noticed something off about the rain as well. It was blue, and not the normal clear-blue, but a deep sapphire that shone with power. Surprised by the revelation I skidded to a halt, staring up into the roiling black sky with confusion.
Blue rain, black lightning… a right-side up city… my mind, my sanctum, was falling apart. I don't know how long I stood there, just staring up at the sky; all I know is that as I stood there, awe and confusion and despair coursing through me, I began to find myself again. I notice the new power coursing through me, I notice the pulsing me addition to my mind, I notice the tingle that tore through me as each and every raindrop touched my bare skin, and the way my reiatsu increased with each new drop. Even the thunder played a part, and if I listened close enough to it I could hear the whisper of voices hiding in its depths. I couldn't make out individual words yet, not from that, but I could piece together the soft murmuring coming from my mind. Lightning….Lightning…Lightning, get to the… Lightning, Ichigo! Go to th... power, ju… take… lightning…
I recognized the voice not as Zangetsu but as someone else, someone I was just as relieved to be able to hear. My inner hollow was stirring, and it was strong enough to contact me, even if it couldn't truly speak yet. I heeded his words, turning in a circle in order to locate the nearest flash. I saw one far off in the distance, miles away from me and to the north. Then to my west, about twenty blocks away. Then it came again, to my south, but nowhere close to my position. Time and time again the lightning struck, and time and time again it came nowhere close to me. Frustrated and desperate I turned my gaze to the sky, studying the buildings around me. A small flash targeted the roof of a building about seventy-five yards away and then again fifty yards from me. As I watched I came to realize something; the rooftops were struck much more often the ground was.
A plan began to unfold in my mind; a ridiculous, desperate plan that just might be crazy enough to work. I set my gaze on the tallest building in my vicinity and took off, sprinting towards it. About three feet away I leapt straight up, jumping about thirty feet into the air. My head was bent straight back, allowing me to gaze up at its top, some half-mile away from me. My hands began to glow with reiatsu, forming a sort of web on my hands. It pooled in my palm before stretching outwards along the insides of my fingers and swirling around the pads; this, combined with the reiatsu flowing through my feet allowed me to latch onto the wall below the outer coating of ice. My fingers melted through the glass, steel and concrete, giving me a legitimate hold on the building as I slowly moved upwards. It was tedious work, scaling the building. It was slow, terrifying and exhausting work, but I could handle it. I have had worse; of course, it all involved swords, blood and the battle for survival…
By the time I reached the roof all my limbs had gone rubbery, past the point of burning with exhaustion. They were like noodles, weak and soft, small, unable to support my weight. It was all I could do to haul myself over the edge of the building so I wouldn't collapse and freefall three-fourths of a mile onto the iced-over ground below. I managed to take a few steps away from the edge before I fell to my knees and slumped over onto my side, gasping for breath. It just so happened that I landed in a pool of 'rainwater', or whatever it was. Immediately I felt my strength beginning to return, the pleasant tingle of power coursing through my veins and caressing my skin. I closed my eyes as the trickle became a rush, filling my body with much-needed strength. By the time it was gone my strength had returned, but my reserves hadn't even been touched. I was dry, bone dry, even weaker than I had been for the past four months I had been at the academy. I was driving me crazy, my lack of power; even though Yoruichi had said that it was the only reason that I could use kidou right now. Truth is I couldn't give a damn about kidou. I wanted my power back and I wanted my zanpakuto back. Hell, I even wanted my Hollow back! I was sick of all the wooden practice swords and the unsealed metal swords that we were using. They were fakes, posers with no real power, like pretty much everyone else in the school. Out of all the five hundred people, only about twenty, thirty tops would ever make it to be seated, and none would hit Captain or Lieutenant Rank.
I miss my strength, and I miss myself. I am simply one third of a soul; granted, I am the largest part, but I am still only one part. Without my brothers, my friends, I am nothing. I have strength on my own, strength that does surpass most of the officers in the Gotei, but I am alone. I am ashamed that it took me so long to realize it, but if I don't accept myself, all aspects of myself, I will never become what I can be, or what I am destined to be. I can never reach my full potential using only parts of a whole.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the rumble of thunder grow louder than it should have been, signaling the strike of lightning closer than the others. I was blind to the increasing number of strikes, and deaf to the deafening sound of the thunder rumbling through the city. That is, until it struck me.
The only warning I got was the flash, strong enough to blind me through my closed eyes, despite the dark nature of the lightning. Then, all I felt was the overwhelming tingle as the lightning struck, and the thrill of power washing over me. It was a rush; the world disappeared around me, leaving me alone to float in the emptiness. Then a flare of light cut through it, illuminating the night and revealing what lay hidden. Two bodies floated in the shadowed expanse, their eyes closed and their bodies pale and naked as they slept. Then one stirred; a figure with the form of a man and skin as white as snow, his hair a pale white. His eyes opened, revealing black sclera and irises colored a sickly yellow. His body, previously floating parallel to the ground, spun in the air until it was vertical to the ground before gently setting down upon the darkness, somehow standing on this air. A maniacal grin spread across his lips as his eyes roamed over his body, and then with a snap of his fingers a white shihakusho spun out of reiatsu itself wrapped around him, settling on his shoulders and surrounding him. His eyes lifted to mine and he grinned at me, but there was something different about his grin. It was still maniacal, nothing would ever change that, but it wasn't so… it wasn't so leery, so mean. There was a touch of warmth there, and a little respect shone in his eyes. We nodded at each other and the vision faded; the last I saw of the room was Zangetsu, his face contorted in anxiety as he struggled to stand, his eyes open and locked on mine. He opened his mouth and spoke, "Only by your will can I wake, and only through the aid of your soul and the acceptance of yourself shall that come to be. Find me, Ichigo, and raise me; for I cannot do it alone. No matter of power shall set me free. Do this, Ichigo, and you will be stronger than ever before…"
I leapt to my feet, my chest heaving as I gasped for breath and my head spinning form the sudden change. I first noticed the weather; the lack of ice under my feet was the first clue. Next registered the utter silence, the lack of thunder, rainfall and the cracking of ice was gone. The burning cold that was the air had gone, only to be replacing by comfortable warmth that sent thrills of pleasure through my frozen body. I opened my eyes, staring up at the dancing sun and the clear blue sky stretching endlessly above me. Everything was right now, the way they were supposed to be. Everything that is, except for Zangetsu.
"It's about time you got up. Didn't think the old man would take that long to fill you in. What did he say?" The voice came from my right, rather close to where I was standing. I turned my head, fully prepared for what I was about to see. My hollow was resting about four feet away, leaning against the pole that Zangetsu normally stood on. I looked around, confused as to how I got here in the first place.
"You automatically appear here whenever you come to your mind. Now that you have your power back, returned to you through the lightning bolt during the storm, your mind was returned to its original setting, and you are returned to this spot. Now once again I will ask, how do we wake the old man?" I could tell by his voice and the tense set of his body that he was serious, and that he was getting impatient. I assumed it would be better to stay on his good side, so I answered, "He is already awake. He just cannot come out yet." Hollow's head whipped around until he was facing me, his eyes boring into mine.
"What do you mean, he cannot be free yet?" there was an undercurrent of anger in his voice, a dangerous edge that kept even me from joking around.
"I mean that he cannot rise. Not until I accept myself, and will him fully to wake." He seemed to appraise me, his eyes running up and down my body before smirking slightly.
"Of course he would; Zangetsu wants everything to be all lovey-dovey doesn't he? Well, there is only one way I will ever accept you." I rolled my eyes, cutting him off.
"I will have to kill you, or beat you in a fight. I know, I know; you are, after all a part of me." I paused, tilting my head as he stared me down. "That and you have sung this tune a thousand times. Well, when do you want to start? I have nothing better to do…" We both winced, our faces twisting up into an expression of disgust and horror. I shuddered, and Hollow shook his head, as if to fling the thoughts out of his mind. "Well, what we gonna do, Hollow?"
"It isn't Hollow… It's Tatakai!" The roar echoed in the empty city, amplified by the walls of the buildings and the roads. He leapt forwards, his hand held up in a position that would have made a sword skewer me through the stomach, if there was one in his hand. Even so I stepped to the side, unwilling to even so much as be in his way. Sword or no, he was one hell of a warrior; I wouldn't want to be in his way without a weapon of my own.
He spun around, rage rolling off of him in waves, all but visible in the mid-morning light. In his hands a sword formed, the free-floating reiatsu in the air swirling together to form a silver daito, almost an exact replica of Zangetsu's bankai form. Something stirred in the back of my mind as I too summoned one, holding it lengthwise across my body, covering from shoulder to hip. I ignored it, knowing the old man would form when he was ready. Tatakai, as he wished to be called, raised his newly formed weapon and charged at me, utilizing his skill at shunpo to appear behind me. His sword swung up from below me in an attack meant to cleave my spine in two. I followed his progress, spinning in accordance to his movements and raising my sword slightly, tilting it just so as to send his own spinning to the side, deflected off of my blade. The resounding clash was harsh, but had no real effect on me. Tatakai's sword skidded along my blade, catching on my guard before he ripped it away.
He jumped back a few steps, sneering at me. We circled each other warily, our eyes locked. He flicked his gaze away for just a moment, flitting over to the sword in my hand. Seeing an opening I leapt forwards, my arm outstretched. The tip of the blade dug into his gut, and I flicked the sword up; a long slice was left on his abdomen, bleeding. His eyes widened, pupils dilating in surprise. A finger skimmed the expanse of the wound, from his lower stomach all the way up to the top rib, and when he pulled it away it was drenched in blood. His shihakusho was laid open, revealing the wound in question to the world. His eyes narrowed, anger blazing brighter than the sun above us.
"Very good… seems you have been practicing. But, can you fight with nothing but your instincts? Can you fight without the need to protect something? Can you kill without real cause?" He sneered at me, and I simply smiled back. The infuriated look returned, and we began to circle each other again. Suddenly, he disappeared; I jumped into the air just in time to avoid a Getsuga Tenshou cast at my back, and spun on my heel to face the annoyed hollow. One eyebrow arched on my face, a small smirk turning up the corners of my mouth.
"What's wrong? Has the hollow finally realized that power isn't always the way to go? That instinct can lead you wrong?" I flickered, using shunpo to appear behind him. Tatakai spun, his daito extended in a way that was supposed to make the move both offensive and defensive. I stepped to the side as he moved and ran forward, ducking and sliding across the surface of the skyscraper. My sword caught the back of his legs, creating two identical gashes in the back of his calves. He howled in agony, stumbling forwards as his muscles spasmed, struggling to hold him up. They wavered, healing just enough to allow him to walk. The damage was done, however; his arrogance shattered and overcome by the force of his will to win, to kill me, and his anger at his inability to do so.
He raised the fake Zangetsu over his head, holding the small length of chain in his hand and swinging it in a slow circle. I stood watching him as it spun faster and faster until it blurred, and didn't as much as budge as he released it. I raised my Zangetsu and copied his movements, pumping reiatsu into it the whole time. Just as his copy approached me I lowered the sword, spinning it so that it created a wall of pure reiatsu between me and his sword. They impacted, and the sword was stopped in midair by the shield. The tip of my spinning sword caught his blade, sending it flying across the skyscraper. It skid over the glass surface for a good fifty yards before coming to rest, spinning, less than seven feet away from the buildings edge.
I smirked at him and released my sword. It, along with the wall of reiatsu, flew towards him. Realizing the danger he leapt into the air, dodging the sword but not the shield. The reiatsu slammed into his legs, throwing him forwards and sending him crashing into the ground. I flicked my hand to the side, calling my sword back to me via the string of reiatsu I had connected to it less than an instant before I threw it. Its pommel slammed into the palm of my hand, jolting my hand slightly upon impact. With sword in hand I stalked over to Tatakai, my sword tip held down and slightly forwards. I stopped when I stood a foot away from him, extending my extensive weapon until the tip of the blade rested against his chest. He lay beneath it on the glassy ground, his body tense and his breath baited. I could tell by his posture that he didn't expect this to happen, that he expected to win easily and not be brushed off like an annoying little gnat.
"Well, well, well… what have we here? Did I just put you down? I am sorry… were your feelings hurt?" I smirked at his expression: pre shock, rage and respect, mixed in with just a little fear. "What do you think I have been up to for the past thirteen years? Sitting around growing fat? No, until just a few months ago I have been training on everything there is to know about swordplay, keeping in shape and learning as much as possible. I am so much stronger now than I used to be, and I am not nearly as reckless and stupid. Do not underestimate me, Tatakai; I may look like the same stupid little boy, but he is not I. We are two separate people, a mix of the old and the new." I looked down at him for a few moments longer, taking in the sight that I would most likely not be seeing for a while after this. When I had seen my fill I fiddled with the sword in my hand a little, picking at the flaws and chipping away the metal. I felt Tatakai shifting under the tip, and I dug it farther into his chest. He stilled, scowling up at me.
"Well, are you going to kill me or not?" I smiled at him and shook my head, laughing softly.
"Tell me, why should I kill you? You are me, a part of my soul that rebels against himself. You are like me, in that sense; I hate bending to the will of others, and so do you. I cannot force you to listen to me, or to do as I ask without you hating me. If you hate me, I could never achieve the power that I wish to have back, because you would not submit your full power to be used at our disposal. I will not force you to yield because of this. Instead, I offer you a proposition. Stand and live, and become my equal. No more battles for control of my body. You will be heard when you speak, and your words will be heeded. You will have a say in everything I do that has to do with battle, and a piece of my conscious mind will be yours, as a piece will be Zangetsu's. Both of you shall always have access to my mind unless I prohibit it for personal reasons, as is perfectly within my rights. I shall give you control of the body, to a certain extent, during life or death battles, or for fun while slaying Hollows. We will be one, in every sense of the word. Hell, if we can figure out how I will also allow you to form a corporeal body as Zangetsu does, as long as you swear to devour no souls, and to refrain from tormenting any poor person who you take a fancy to. We would still battle of course, but it wouldn't be to the death; it would instead be educational, and we would learn from each other. The choice is yours, Tatakai: to live, or to die?" For ten minutes we stared each other down, our gazes locked and our eyes boring into each other. His was a glare, annoyed and contemplative. Mine was a flat stare, cool and calm, collected. The pregnant pause seemed to unnerve him, because he fidgeted slightly under the cool metal of the blade, opening a new cut.
"I concede. We will be as you say. I hope you know what you are doing, Ichigo. Now, let us wake Zangetsu. He has been asleep for too long." I gave him a terse nod and pulled my blade away, dropping it blade first onto the side of the skyscraper, where it dissolved back into reishi as it fell. We stood as one, and made our way over to the flag pole, picking our way through the scarred building carefully. When we arrived we glanced over at each other, unsure of what to do. With a shrug I place my hand on the pole and concentrated, feeling Tatakai do the same next to me. We pooled our will, our want for him to wake. We pooled our need to complete ourselves, to be whole again. We might have been there for minutes, or we might have been there for days. I didn't know. All I was aware of was the stirring of my Zanpakuto in my mind; of his slow release from the prison that had held him captive for thirteen long years. His presence was becoming stronger, more pronounced with each second. I felt the world fade away and the solidity of the pole dissipate under my hand. When he had fully awakened I was no longer in my inner world, but back at the academy, in my Zanjutsu class to be exact. A dull pressure was present in the back of my mind, and I could hear soft whispers from it. I waited patiently for Tatakai and Zangetsu to finish their conversation, waiting for his call phrase to come to my mind. Finally, after over half-an-hour of conversation he turned his attention to me.
"Thank you, Ichigo, for heeding my words. I am truly grateful to you for my release. It never ceases to amaze me what necessity can accomplish..." He trailed off, but his meaning was clear. He was speaking of the truce we had come to, the newfound peace of mind. "Anyway, I do believe we are missing something, are we not? Now, repeat after me…" The words flowed into my mind, familiar yet so different.
"Calm the storm; call forth the power of the Ancients so that we may protect what we must. Awake and Rise to the heavens, Zangetsu!" I closed my eyes as a pulse of power emanated from me, feeling the familiar weight of my sword coming to rest in my hand. I gazed down upon my new blade in appreciation, taking in its new look.
It was longer, of course, and wider having grown to match me. The black blade was still rimmed in silver, but their meeting was different. A golden dragon snaked along the center of the blade, its head facing the hilt and its maw opened wide. In its mouth was a silver-white crescent moon, and in the center of the moon rested a golden butterfly. Underneath the dragon's outline, coloring it was swirls of silver and onyx, fused together through some new, mysterious means.
The hilt was that of a butcher's knife, long and smooth. It was wrapped in black silk, a blue velvet under wrap emerged from underneath it, twining with it to form a long, free-flowing cloth that stretched out behind the grip to dance in the steady breeze. Extending in a sort of guard past the hilt, dull in the inside but sharp as a razor on the outside, meant to protect his hand was the blades end. It was beautiful, the perfect mix of Tatakai and Zangetsu's personalities; beautiful, deadly, a perfect example of the way battle should really be and truly a wonder to behold. He hadn't noticed the students gather around him, gawking at his newly re-acquired blade. However, he did notice when one of them extend their hand to touch the blade, and the dragon on its center burn a bright gold. The girl pulled her hand back with a yelp, nursing the newfound burn and glaring down at the sword. Sheepishly Ichigo held out his own hand instead and asked, "What is your name? You can call me Kaien."
The girl was about fifteen of sixteen in age, and she had symbol on her uniform that identified her as a sixth year, one of the last years of the academy. He also noticed a rather large katana strapped to her hip. "I am Shizuka Ongaku, but you can just call be Zuka. I am sorry about trying to touch your Zanpakuto, but it is one of the largest and most beautiful swords I have ever seen."
I laughed, shaking my head. She glared at me and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged at her, saying "Well, it isn't the most beautiful zanpakuto out there. I happen to know the woman who wields the zanpakuto holding that title." She opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment Yoruichi strode through the door, her eyes locking with mine as she gestured for me to follow her. I stood with a sigh, casting a glance back at the girl. "Sorry, I have to go. I guess I will be seeing you around, then?" She nodded, turning away from me and heading over to the far corner of the room, where she began to work on various swordsmanship exercises, taking great pain to stay away from the other students. I watched her work for a moment, but only a moment, before turning and walking out of the door towards Yoruichi and whatever she had in store for me
So, how was it? Good, Bad, Confusing? How many of you guessed that the storm system was his reiatsu? What do you think of Zangetsu's new look?