Chapter Ten
"I will become stronger Karin… become strong enough for me to protect you. Not me…"
He made that promise, a promise on his soul. Well, if he had a soul, he was sure since Hollows and Arrancar's don't have hearts then they cant have souls either.
The Snowflake closed his eyes and listened to the rough breathing of Karin, hearing a soft gasp that instantly went back to her normal breathing. Toshiro turned his head towards the ceiling, closing his normal eye and staring through the hollow eye. Everything flickered red and then began glowing to him and he instantly picked up on the body heat of himself and Karin.
If he focused hard enough, it seemed like he was cold blooded and Karin warm blooded, but that was probably because he had an ice-type Zanpaku-to. He closed both eyes and sighed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day and he didn't know how much rest he would get, so he better get it now.
"I see." commented Byakuya, looking towards Soi Fon, "Captain Soi Fon, be patient a while longer."
"Two more days?" she breathed, closing her eyes and nodding. "I understand."
"Although, I must say, Kurosaki Ichigo, Ichimaru Gin and Kuchiki Rukia are doing exceedingly well in their escape," said Mayuri, the beetle giving another beep, "They have not yet been caught."
"I could sense that pretty well." replied the noble stiffly, "Hopefully they won't get caught."
"According to the recording I have received from the beetles, they seem to being helped by the supposedly dead Ichimaru. How curious…" said Kurotsuchi again.
"Aizen resurrected him but he refused to obey him." said Byakuya dryly.
-
"ICHIGO!" shouted Rukia, narrowly dodging a blade and then running towards her fallen partner, who was now clutching at his side where blood was seeping out. Gin stood near him, Shinso fully extended and was piercing an Arrancar's skull while his foot was planted into someone else's gut.
"Bankai, KamiShininoyari."
Rukia let out a scream as a blade extended right past her and made the whole corridor crumble behind her and killing the Arrancar who had nearly stabbed her. Gin let out a smirk before he winced and fell down onto one knee, clutching at his chest.
"Gin!" shouted Rukia, Ichigo in her arms. I was a twist of luck really, they had entered a room full of Arrancar, but had found all of their Zanpaku-to's stored there Rukia heaved Ichigo over her shoulder and ran to Gin, but the felt herself skidding across the ground moments later. She loked up through her fringe as she struggled to get Ichigo's weight off her and widened her eyes. The person standing in front of her was…
Tia Halibel.
Gin got to his feet quickly and deflected the person behind him, instantly recognizing him as Ulquiorra Schiffer.
"I believe you are being disobedient, Ichimaru." said Ulquiorra coldy, his sword Drawn as he block another quick swipe of Gin's blade.
"I'm sorry," said Halibel, looping a finger round the top of her hilts protecter and flipped it out, spinning it until she could hold the hilt fully in her hand, "I don not want to do this, but I now have to be respectful towards Aizen-Sama for graciously reviving me and my friends."
Rukia widened her eyes and got to her feet, clinging onto her blade fearfully. There was one problem though. She couldn't remember the name of her Zanpaku-to.
"I'm not going to tell you what my name is," said a soft voice in her head, "you'll have to remember for yourself Rukia."
Rukia gulped audibly as she blocked a strike from Halibel, then grew surprised as it hardly had any force. She looked up into the eyes of the blonde and the hurt could easily be seen. She truly did not want to do this. Rukia thought for a few minutes and then panicked, she had to defend herself and Ichigo until she heard Halibel speak again.
"Don't worry, I won't attack the boy as I am fighting you."
Rukia nodded and then raised her sword, a quick flicker of a memory coming through her head.
"Mai, Sode No Shiryuki."
"MAI, SODE NO SHIRAYUKI!" shouted Rukia, releasing her sword as a ribbon of white silk surrounded her, "Some No Mi, Tsukishiro!"
Halibel leapt out the way as an ice circle formed under her and narrowed her eyes. Although she did not want to hurt the young Kuchiki, she was not going to let herself get killed for it, she pointed her blade to the side.
"Attack, Tiburon."
Gin skidded back through the wall he had just destroyed and somehow ended up in the dark cellars of Las Noches. He didn't know how many floors he had dropped, but he knew he was far away from Ichigo and Rukia.
"Damn it…" he muttered, turning to face his opponent who dropped to the bottom floor with hardly any effort at all. He was still in Bankai mode, but who knew how effective it would be against Ulquiorra Schiffer. Mind you, at one point the had even managed to stand up to Aizen, but that had been before he died and had a lot ore power than that. He raised his blade at pointed it at Ulquiorra.
"KamiShininoyari, Buto."
Ulquiorra stepped to the side and allowed the high speed Zanpaku-to to go past him. He drew his sword.
"If you refuse to surrender, I have no choice," said Ulquiorra silently, "Crush him, Murcielago ."
Gin felt his breath hitch slightly as the horrifying spiritual pressure entered the condensed cellar and aimed Shinso at him once more, failing to strike him due to the bat like wings. He retracted his sword but then instantly felt a clawed hand wrap round his throat.
"Give it up." said Ulquiorra solemnly, "You don't stand a chance."
Gin felt himself getting raised off the ground and then felt the other clawed hand stab through his gut. His eyes widened in surprise momentarily before he retched, blood dribbling down from him mouth and down his chin. It continued to run down his neck and was now pooling around Ulquiorra's hand. Ulquiorra kept a firm hold round his throat.
"I guess I'll just keep you like this until you lose consciousness."
Gin let out a gasp as he felt the room around him grow dizzy, but he wasn't willing to give up that easily. He raised his blade and grasped the hilt with both his hands, allowing his weight to drop around Ulquiorra's hand.
"K-KamiShininoyari… Buto…Renjin…"
Ulquiorra's eyes widened as a quick flash of light was directed through his skull. He instantly dropped Gin and left him spluttering on the ground as he stared at the wall.
"I'm sorry… Aizen-Sama…" said Ulquiorra, raising a hand to his skull but then felt it disintegrate before he could even touch his regenerating skull. "I failed you… again…"
Halibel and Rukia were on even fighting terms but the young Kuchiki knew that the Espada was going easy on her. Every strike she took to Halibel's blade revealed more and more sorrowful memories from Halibel and she didn't know how she could see them.
She quickly struck her blade forwards and aimed for Halibel's gut, which she narrowly dodged but ended up with blood spurting out of her shoulder. She clutched at it and lowered her encased arm just as Rukia charged again, not even bothering to defend herself.
"Aizen-Sama… no, just Aizen…" she thought to herself, "I… am no longer in your control, you grasp. Goodbye, Sun-sun… Mila-Rose… Apache…"
Halibel opened her eyes as she felt a blade go through the side and actually, unbelievably, smiled. Rukia stared at her confused as she closed her eyes and fell forwards. Rukia, as a soul reaper should do, should have let her fall and hit the ground, but she wasn't like that.
She swiftly caught Halibel in her arms and then laid her down next to Ichigo. After wiping a bit of blood from her face, she proceeded to heal Ichigo's wounds when she heard the Espada.
"Why… Do you spare me?" she asked quietly.
"Because…" Rukia paused for a moment, "I won't kill someone who never had any intent to kill me or my friends."
"I am your enemy." she responded, "If you let me live I'll be forced to work under Aizen again…"
"Not if I can help it." replied Rukia grimly, a memory from her execution flowing through her mind, "I'll kill the bastard by my own hands if I have to."
Toshiro opened his eyes immediately as a light was switched on and Szayel walked through with Stark by his side.
"This is the boy prodigy Aizen-Sama goes on about," said Szayel with a hint of pride in his voice, "I put him through the process of Hollowfication- oh look, he's even awake to greet you, right Hitsugaya?"
Toshiro growled lowly but the stopped as he felt the top half of his clothing get dragged off and his hollow hole revealed.
"As you can see, he's exactly like an Arrancar."
Stark looked at him and yawned.
"You brought me here to show me that? You disturbed mine and Lilynette's sleep to see a stubborn silver haired boy? Said Stark dully, staring at the Karin, "Who's she? She looks like a human."
"She is a human." said Szayel, "A human that has gone under the Vizard experiment."
"Whatever." said Stark, walking out the room, "Next time you decide to bother me, make sure it's important."
Szayel frowned and then approached Hitsugaya, tightening his collar around his neck and the released his binds.
"That's not the point, you have been summoned to stand before Aizen-Sama."
Toshiro was put in front of Aizen and his eyes widened. On the floor, a body lay crumpled before him. Aizen gave him a smirk from his throne and rested his head against his hand.
"Welcome back Hitsugaya," said Aizen, evil glinting in his eyes as his gaze shifted from Toshiro to Gin, who was now unconscious from blood loss. "I have a little 'job' for you to complete."
"I'll never do what you say." Toshiro hissed, feeling Szayel push him forwards a little.
"I'm afraid I cannot allow that." said Aizen, "If you do not cooperate I can make sure the 'Princess' suffers."
Toshiro visibly stiffened and Aizen knew he had hit a nerve.
"I could put her in a torture chamber and allow her to scream herself hoarse-"
"ENOUGH!" shouted Toshiro, "LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!"
"Are you willing to cooperative?" said Aizen, clicking his tongue.
"… What is this 'job'?" questioned Toshiro. Aizen got off his throne and walked towards him, his lips brushing past his ear.
"Right on this very spot I want you to finish off Ichimaru Gin."
A/N: CLIFFHANGER! It took me a total of 8 hours to complete this chapter... it was so god damn hard! Reviews please? *gives all who reviewed a cookie*