Snowflake
Chapter Thirteen
Yoruichi ran as fast as she could while carrying Hitsugaya's limp form, nibbling her lip as she Shunpo'd round a corner.
"It can't be possible… can it?" she questioned herself. She was still trying to figure out whether or not that girl was telling the truth. She said that she was the one in charge and Aizen didn't even disagree with her. She Shunpo'd to the right and then stopped as she came across everyone, minus Karin, staring at the flames and the blockage up ahead.
"What the hell is going on?" demanded Yoruichi, feeling everyone turn round and stare at her sorrowfully.
"Karin went to go save Hitsugaya-" Renji's jaw dropped as he saw said person draped over her shoulder. "Hold on, if Hitsugaya Taicho is here then-"
"Karin's now the one in danger damn it!" shouted Yoruichi, exasperated. She quickly pulled Toshiro over and then carried him bridal style, causing everyone to gasp."H-he's…
"Shiro-Chan i-is a-an Ar-Arrancar?"
"I don't believe it!"
"… It appears as if we were too late then…" Unohana's soft voice cut through everyone's panicked gasps and shocked murmurs and then placed a hand on the now crying Hinamori's shoulder. Yoruichi then walked over to Unohana and placed the Snowflake in her arms.
"Look after him, I'll go look for Karin." Said Yoruichi with a sigh, "She couldn't have gotten far-"
A flare of Reiatsu spread the area and everyone's attention snapped to it. It was a warm yet fearful Reiatsu but it could instantly be recognized.
"Karin!" shouted Ichigo, but was stopped by Yoruichi.
"Ichigo, I need you to do something for me as I go retrieve Karin." Said Yoruichi calmly. Ichigo shut up and listened. "I need you to go find Ichimaru Gin and bring him back here so he can be healed by Unohana Taicho."
Ichigo nodded and then looked at everyone with a nod before he Shunpo'd off.
"Now to find Karin." Muttered Yoruichi, "SHUNKO!"
Jugo had failed to catch up with Yoruichi and grab Hitsugaya, but he had managed to bump into Karin and if he managed to capture her, his punishment wouldn't be too severe.
Karin flared up flames to match his. He had the same Zanpaku-to as his sister, so you could call them twins. His flames fought against hers but everyone knew that fighting each other when you had the same element was very difficult. It was difficult to tell on whose fire was whose are until a bit flicked up and attacked there forms. Karin grimaced as she felt her uniform catch fire. Like she cared, it was that stupid uniform Aizen made, but she would be wearing this than being naked, so she quickly put it out with her hand.
"Karin-san, feel the flames." Said Fenix in her head. Karin sent out some more flames and the responded.
"How exactly?"
"As you fight with him, look for your Reiatsu and my own. That is how you will be able to identify whose flames are whose!" she replied, feeling proud of herself until she heard another voice next to her.
"And you need to look for mine." Hissed her inner hollow. "Don't forget I'm helping you too idiot!"
Karin ignored the hollow and then extended her senses to the flames. As she opened her eyes, she saw that her own flames had a blue coating and the other didn't. Only she could see this, so if the enemy didn't know which one was hers…
She quickly raised a palm and flared all her fire around the hall before aiming it at Jugo. Jugo had done the exact thing and Karin let out a surprised gasp and covered her face with her arms and then heard an explosion not too far away. She then opened her eyes to see the flash master standing right in front of her, flares of her Shunko blocking Jugo's fire with ease. She was surprised at first, but then grew furious.
"HEY! This is my fight Yoruichi-san!" shouted Karin. Yoruichi turned round and shot her a glare.
"Yeah right, if I hadn't come and helped you both of your arms would have become un-usable!" shouted Yoruichi, "And anyway, you don't need to go on this death trip, we have everyone in safe hands now, including Hitsugaya."
Karin's eyes lit up instantly until she saw Jugo move.
"Yoruichi-San, watch out!" shouted Karin. Yoruichi turned round and flared another bit of her Shunko and destroyed the huge fire ball heading her way. Karin closed her yes and then let both her hands up and stepped to the side of Yoruichi. She then began to whisper.
"Fenix." She whispered, "Flare."
Yoruichi turned her head and then moved as a huge Phoenix formed next to her, its fire wings spreading wide. Jugo took a step back and widened his eyes in amazement. Karin opened her eyes and the stretched both her hands up and clapped them.
"Envelop."
The Phoenix let out a sharp cry and then flew at a shocking speed, its sharp, burning beak piercing Jugo through the throat. Karin retracted it as she saw Jog collapse and turn into dust particles. She then felt Yoruichi turn towards her and grin.
"I see your new found powers are more powerful that Aizen would have expected." Said Yoruichi, and then she folded her arms. "it's best we get back to the other's, they've already probably exited the building."
Ichigo quickly ran out of Las Noches with a barely conscious Gin on his back. He could feel blood seeping through his own Shihaksho from Ichimaru's stomach and was now taking ragged breaths.
"I don't have time, he needs treated immediately." thought Ichigo, shampooing even faster until he reached the white sand of Huecho Mundo, where Isane quickly greeted him and took Gin off his back before running back to Unohana. Standing a few feet away was Renji, kneeling next to him was Momo who was watching Hitsugaya nervously. He had coming in and out of conscious for a while now but he hadn't woken up again for ten minutes now.
Unknown to everyone else, he was actually having an internal battle in the depths of unconsciousness.
Swords clashed against swords, the ring of metal stung the air. Toshiro skidded back and so did the hollow, who was by far pissed off with his master. Hyorinmaru stood at the sidelines, torn. He couldn't help his wielder because if he did, then it wouldn't have really been the Snowflake defeating the vile creature that lurked his inner world.
Hyorinmaru looked towards his master again and sighed as he saw the hollow mask had reappeared and so had the hole in his chest, but this only happened because his inner hollow had hollow, materialized another sword and the shots a stream of black ice at Toshiro, who dodged in quick succession and as he twisted in the air, he sent shard after shard of ice in return. Hyorinmaru looked down and winced slightly. He was being drained of his spiritual pressure, he didn't mind Hitsugaya using it, it was just that the hollow was using it without even hesitating.
There was another clash of blades and as Hyorinmaru looked up, he saw Toshiro skid across the ground and go hurtling into an ice pillar that crumbled and collapsed under him.
"Master…!" started Hyorinmaru, but he felt the hand of the hollow rest on his shoulder.
"Forget him, I'm your master now." it snarled viciously. Hyorinmaru blinked and clutched at his head and his thoughts became muddled.
"LEAVE HYORINMARU OUT OF THIS!" shouted Toshiro, picking himself out of the flaked pieces of ice and then charging once more. "BANKAI! DAIGUREN HYORINMARU!"
The hollow leapt back and landed on his hands before he flicked himself back up again. Hyorinmaru blinked and then fell to his knees and then looked at his master fearfully. He looked like a complete different person.
Large icy wings spread across and shimmered faintly as red tints showed through it, his clawed feet making a snapping sound beneath him, but this wasn't the thing that worried Hyorinmaru. As he looked towards the snowflakes face, it was encased in black ice and the hollow eye from his mask lowed bright enough to show through it. Toshiro looked over at his Zanpaku-to and let out a sigh.
"Pretty horrible looking, isn't it?"
Hyorinmaru blinked before he started shouting.
"MASTER BEHIND YOU!"
Toshiro quickly turned and parried the Hollow's blade with ease before grabbing his throat and smashing him to the ground. He then raised his blade and pierced it right through the Hollows throat. Blood spurted across the ground and a howl that was meant to be pain turned into a weak whimper.
"Y-you…"
"No more." said Toshiro, bringing his sword to his face and shattering the ice surrounding it with his hilt. "I know it won't change who I am, but at least I won't have to worry about Hollow scum taking over my body."
The hollow glared at him before he let out a low growl before he closed his eyes and let the rest of his life drain away from him. Toshiro stood up and then approached Hyorinmaru, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you ok Hyorinmaru?" asked Toshiro quietly, "I know I used a lot of spirit energy from you and I know that hollow did as well."
"I-I'm fine master…" responded Hyorinmaru quietly, smiling slightly. His master was back.
Karin ran beside Yoruichi and then stopped at the dense spiritual pressure filling the area."Wha… What is this?" choked out Karin, falling onto one of her knees while Yoruichi remained completely still.
"It's Aizen." she said quickly, helping the Raven back to her feet. Karin looked round carefully and then blinked in surprise that he stood so far away.
"I see you have been disobedient, Karin Kurosaki." said Aizen slowly, brown eyes glinting maliciously. Karin took a step back and was slightly thankful that Yoruichi had stood in front of her, protecting her from harms way.
"What do you want with her Aizen?" she snarled, hair whipping around from the amount of pressure she was exerting into it.
"Since it's going to happen no matter what you do, I might as well tell you and the princess." said Aizen, sneering, "That girl's soul is very valuable to me."
"And why is that?" said Yoruichi, an arm stretched out in front of Karin.
"You've seen her ability right?" said Aizen.
"Of course." she said, growing impatient, "What use is her strength if she will not fight for you?"
"Ah, you see…" said Aizen slowly, "I never wanted her for combat. There was a reason I turned her into a Vizard and Hitsugaya into an Arrancar."
"SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!" demanded Yoruichi.
"By combining those two souls together." said Aizen, smirking, "Those two souls would be enough to make the Oken instead of using one million souls with high spirit energy."Karin backed away more, terrified. What the hell was this Oken?
"Master, do not become afraid, it's only a threat!" said Fenix in her head.
"Oh, and of course, her spirit guardian, Fenix, will make up a quarter of the Oken."Fenix face palmed in Karin's head and sighed. Karin frowned as she calculated what this could mean. If Fenix was a quarter, the she too would be a quarter, Toshiro being a quarter and then… would it be his hollow or Zanpaku-to spirit that would be the other piece? She was dragged out of her thoughts as she felt a pair of arms wrap round her waist before she seen the whole area blur as a huge explosion happen.
Karin couldn't help letting out a yelp of surprise as she felt Yoruichi lose her balance and skid across the floor, arms wrapped round Karin as she took all the damage, allowing the skin on her arms and shoulders to scrape off and bleed. Karin then glared at Aizen and summoned her flames- but she wasn't fast enough. She felt a hand grab her faces and then saw a red light.
"Goodnight princess."
"SHIRO, WAIT!" Momo shouted after her childhood friend but he continued to Sonido away. Renji attempted to keep up with him but he wasn't doing a good job.
"COME BACK HITSUGAYA!" shouted Renji, stopping when his Taicho Shunpo'd past him and right in front of Toshiro.
"Captain Kuchiki, move it!" shouted the Snowflake, "Aizen is near her, I won't let him hurt her!"
He quickly drew his sword and clashed it against Byakuya's before he Sonido'd to the side and travelled at his highest speed that was even faster than Yoruichi. He formed a cero his hand and blasted through the wall, causing around half of the huge palace to Sonido'd forwards, oblivious to the fact that he was running right into a trap. He appeared in the middle of a room and found Yoruichi lying unconscious o the ground but there was no sight of Karin anyway.
"Ka-" Toshiro whipped round and then felt a hand slam into his face. It began to glow and then he quickly went limp.
"What a pity." said Aizen as he caught him in his free arm, "I thought your reflexes would have been better than that, but I guess that's what happens when someone as panic stricken as you walks across my path."
In the world of the living, Orihime looked as Chad was tossed across the ground and Uryu narrowly dodged various swords from Shinigami. She looked up and summoned her shield forth and kept blocking the sword that was getting swiped at her relentlessly. Uryu looked at her quickly before jumping up and aiming his Ginrei Kojaku at the Shinigami.
A loud ear-piercing scream could be heard as Orihime's barrier shattered and a blade nearly hit her head.
"Orihime, hang on, I-" Uryu stopped and the used his bow as a shield but then felt his other arm being grabbed and snapped brutally. One of the traitorous Shinigami glared at him.
"Great, now we do have to keep the healer alive to heal his arm damn it!" he hissed, taking his blade away from Orihime head and grabbing her by the hair, "Kill the tanned one, he has no purpose."
A Shinigami then approached Chad but then they both heard shouting.
"DON'T HURT HIM!"
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
The Shinigami turned to them and smirked.
"Very well then." he sneered, and then felt a Garganta open above them and then Aizen came out, holding Karin and Toshiro while Amelia came shortly behind him, her head bowed. She was still upset about the loss of her brother. She looked up and let out a slight smirk to see that all the humans had already been captured but then narrowed her eyes as she couldn't see one of them.
"Where is Yuzu Kurosaki?"
One of them stepped forwards and bowed.
"Lady Amelia, we have set three other Shinigami to bring her here-"
A split second later another one appeared and dropped a crying girl on the floor. She shook and the looked round to see all of her brother's friends bleeding, stuck or just terrified.
"Ah yes, everyone I need is here." said Aizen, looking at Yuzu and Uryu, "you may kill the other two."
A/N: New update... I don't think I'll update for a few days because I fell extremly ill *cough cough* thank you for reviewing anf I hope you enjoyed the chapter *cough cough*