Chapter six
Karin woke up with a groan. Her skin was singed and blistered and she couldn't remember how it happened. Probably one of the Arrancar putting her through bloody hell so bad that she simply couldn't remember it. She looked round the room and recognized it as another cell, the one person she couldn't see was her Snowflake. What happened to him and where was he?
She rubbed at her head and sighed, trying to remember. She remembered that Ichigo had been put through hollowfication-
"Ichi-nii…!"She gasped, getting to her feet and winced as she felt her back ache from the strain of- of what? She grew more frustrated. She felt weaker than what she was when she first came here… did she already go through hollowfication?
She blinked and then sighed. Of course she hadn't gone through hollowfication; she would have surely remembered the pain. She walked over to the door and tugged the handle, surprised that it was actually open. She tiptoed through and then stopped in her tracks, Szayel's lab now in view. Szayel sat at a monitor and then looked at the security screen to see Karin out of the examining room and turned to see her staring at him, confused. Behind the monitor lay Hitsugaya, out of sight from Karin.
"I see the princess has awoken." said Szayel, sneering slightly before turning back to the monitor and stared at the right hand side, examining fluctuating pulse rates and the screen below it showed brain wave activity.
Karin took a few steps forwards and raised an eyebrow hat she wasn't stopped. What was going on?
She reached for her neck slowly and found a collar wrapped round it tightly, the same could be said for her wrists. She was about to take another step closer to the scientist when she saw a familiar tuft of white. She then approached that and began trembling as she saw the form of her beloved Snowflake.
Szayel followed her gaze. Although the hollowfication was successful, it had taken it's toll on the small ones body and for his own survival was put in a comatose state until he could recover. He stared at the left hand side of the monitor, examining his unstable spiritual energy.
Karin walked to him and then kneeled down so her head was level with him. An air mask had been put over his mouth and various wires were placed over various parts of his body, the one thing that was bothering her was the hole in his chest and the mask on his face. Other than that he looked fine, at peace if you could say that. His injuries had all healed up, probably due to high speed regeneration/healing.
Karin continued to stay at his side until he felt someone tap her shoulder.
"I need you to move, his injection is due now." said Szayel impatiently, syringe in hand. The raven wondered momentarily on what was actually in the jag but then she knew that it wouldn't be something that would kill him, so she moved silently and looked away as Toshiro's head was knocked to the side. She looked at the screens and then raised her eyebrows in shock at the spike in spiritual pressure. She glanced back at the Snowflake and then seen his face contort in some form of pain.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing to him?" shouted Karin, shoving Szayel out the way and appearing next to Toshiro once more, putting her hand on his forehead. This seemingly calmed him instantly as his expression became peaceful again.
"I'm boosting his spiritual pressure." said Szayel, annoyed that she had gotten his robe slightly dirty, "the Hogyoku took a lot out of him so I give him several injections everyday to boost his spiritual pressure. After the amounts of shots today, it should be a few minutes before he wakes up."
Karin let out a sigh of relief before she got back onto her knees and waited patiently for him to wake up. Szayel was back at his monitors and was now writing on a clipboard, clearly smug at the process he had made. On the spiritual pressure screen, it shows a high increase. Szayel knew that once he awoke, another suppressing collar must be made, one that is stronger than the last.
Toshiro shifted slightly and let out a small groan before opening his eyes, one eye looking red as if picking up the body heat of the target. His body instantaneously registered Karin as a human and then his instincts told him to eat her but thanks to his other eye, he controlled himself as he managed to recognize on who it was.
"Ka…rin…" he whispered, closing the eye behind his hollow mask and then stared at her through his now jade eye. Karin petted him on the head and leaned her head against his shoulder as Szayel approached them, removing the mask from his face and removing most of the wires apart from the ones on his wrists.
She smiled. The first genuine smile she had made since she had gotten here. Her Snowflake was finally awake. He remembered her; he didn't want to hurt her. Her eyes glanced to the side as one of his hands twitched and tried to move, only to be restrained by straps. She moved her hand up to his and clasped it, causing Toshiro to relax once more.
Unknown to the happy two, Szayel was writing every single aspect of what was going on. Although he hated writing about 'gentle and loving' movements, it was rather helpful to know that either one of them could be manipulated if the other was in threat. Now he was going to put that to the test.
Sonido'ing quietly behind Karin, he picked her up by the waist and carried her sideways, causing her to cry out in protest. Toshiro's eyes darkened as he began struggling with the straps again, hissing and snarling while he opened his other eye, it registering Szayel to be an Arrancar yet also registering that he was the enemy. There was a large 'SNAP' sound as the strap keeping down the arm nearest Karin broke free, clawing at Szayel who only had to take a step to the side to avoid. Karin stopped struggling and stared at the snowy haired Taicho, her eyes wide. What had they done to him?
She quickly felt herself being moved as Szayel dodged a Cero, and then felt herself being put down as he went to examine the damage. A huge hole had been blasted through the wall and in its place ice was spreading across the wall.
"I see. Hitsugaya can you his Zanpaku-to's element in hollow attacks as well! How unique…" said Szayel. Karin ran to Toshiro's side and then wrapped her arms round him, ceasing his movements and allowing the cero he had been forming to disappear. He quickly felt a dull ache in his chest and let out a low hiss of pain as he snapped the other strap and allowed his hand to cover up his hollow hole.
Despite on what he now was, he new what kind of person he was and he would not turn into those hollow scumbags. He held Karin tightly, closing his eyes and looking down. He would not let Aizen get away with this…
Byakuya traveled quietly down the hall, Soi Fon at his heels. Despite Soi Fon being a master of stealth, it was actually Kuchiki that enabled their escape. Now all they had to do was go rescue the two Kurosaki's and of course, Hitsugaya.
They both stopped in their tracks as further ahead a wall got blast apart by a cero, ice following right after it.
"A hollows Cero and ice from Hyorinmaru?" questioned Soi Fon, raising an eyebrow.
"It appears to be both of them." said Byakuya, "But the Reiatsu released is very similar to Captain Hitsugaya's, only more hollow like."
"You think Hitsugaya had already gone through Hollowfication?" said Soi Fon in disbelief, then thinking, "But it has only been days, possibly a week since we got here. Surely they wouldn't have put him through hollowfication already…"
Soi Fon looked up to see Byakuya gone. She Shunpo'd after him and then appeared in Szayel's lab. She spotted the pink haired scientist right behind Hitsugaya. The Snowflake still had his arms wrapped round the younger Kurosaki, but the eye that wasn't covered by the mask widened as he spotted the other two captains in the room. His other eye instantly registered them and he heard a voice in his head.
"Shinigami of the thirteen court guard squads. Kuchiki Byakuya, squad six Captain. Soi Fon, squad two captain and commander of the stealth and punishment force."
"I see we have company." said Szayel, still standing behind Toshiro with a needle in hand. Byakuya raised his hand as if to perform Kido but then felt a blade at his throat.
"Do not try anything, trash." commanded the cold voice of Ulquiorra. Byakuya blinked and the turned his head towards Soi Fon, but her mouth had been covered by Grimmjow, her arms being twisted violently behind her back.
"A new toy eh?" said Grimmjow playfully, twisting her arms further until he felt her wriggle in discomfort.
Underneath Aizen's palace was where Ichigo, Rukia and Gin were being held. Ichigo rocked back in forth, his head in his hands as he whimpered quietly.
"Rukia… Ru...kia…" he shook and trembled as the girl in front of him wouldn't move.
"Relax." came a voice from behind him. Ichigo turned round to see the fox-faced man staring at him while clutching at a rib. "She's still alive; just give her some time to recover…"
"Y-you're…" whispered Ichigo, unknown to the fact that Gin had been there the whole time. "Ich-Ichimaru?"
"Guess ya haven't gone completely insane yet." replied Gin, wincing slightly. "Listen to me, you have to remain calm and think. There is a way out of this y'know."
"A way… o-out?" uttered Ichigo in disbelief.
"Ya heard right." replied Ichimaru, "Remain sane and wait for the girl to wake up."
"Hang on… I thought your speech was dodgy." said Ichigo, blinking.
"Ya mean this?" said Gin, putting his fox grin back on and began speaking again, "Ya really wan' meh ta talk like this again? Ya can' beh serious."
"Yeah, that's the way you used to talk." said Ichigo, "What's with the change?"
"I dunno, just decided to talk normally." replied Ichimaru, turning his head towards Rukia." Look, she's waking up."
Ichigo turned his head towards Rukia, his eyes glistening as she turned his head towards her.
"Rukia, you're-"
"Who are you?" she asked, clutching at her head. "Actually, who am I?"
A/N: . I dunno what to say, I shouldn't have been allowed to update today since I was a very naughty girl in school today... Running from the deputes is fun though XDD Anyway, thanks for reviewing, adding this to your favs and subscriptions, it really makes my day! Now for the spoiler...
Spoiler:
"Who are you?" asked Rukia, clutching at her head, "Actually, who am I?"
Ichigo stared at her in disbelief while Gin cracked an eye open and stared at the young Kuchiki.
"It appears as if the electricity shots and jolts have damaged her brain and memory." said Ichimaru, thinking, "We'll just have to wait until she recovers her memory before we try to move."
"What if she never recovers her memory?" asked Ichigo, sighing and then looking towards his 'midget'. "Oi, your name is Rukia and my name is Ichigo, over here is Ichimaru."
"Now, now, at least let her know my first name," he said, shutting his eyes, "my full name is Gin Ichimaru."
"Ok?" she said confusedly, still clutching her head. "And where am I?"
"In Huecho Mundo." said Ichigo and Gin at the same time. Rukia widened her eyes and then stared at them.
"Isn't that where the hollows come from?" she said, "Why aren't I in the Soul Society? Where's Renji?"
"You remember where you are from… do you know what you are?" asked Ichigo.
"A Soul Reaper."
A/N: And thats about it . Hope you enjoyed and I'll get to your reviews now, Thank you again