The Beginning of the End II

Ukitake sat down at his throne and rubbed at his black-rimmed eyes. He had only grown more tired over the last few days. With everything falling apart the captain commander couldn't resist blaming himself. Those troops who had died out in the field and who Mayuri was now using as test subjects. Their deaths were the result of his own inefficient training. His warnings had not been stern enough. He lacked the authoritive anger of the late captain commander Genryusai Yammamoto Shigekuni. The people in Rukongai were now all dead because he had not been prepared enough to save them and left them to die while covering his own. Ichigo and Rukia, two young warriors in their primes of life and great friends had died in the World of the Living because he could not rescue them. His fellow captains had also died because he had not been strong enough to protect them, nor fast enough to warn them of the threat.

On all accounts every failure was his burden to bear now. Only he could take the blame of the pain and suffering. As Captain Commander every wrong decision was his...

The only hope was in Mayuri's cure. The odd scientist had told him his cure would be ready in only a matter of days, but days were not something the weary commander could spare. The dead outside the gate were hungrier than ever. The surviving shinigami were still dwindling in number each and every day. Soul Society was barely running, only holding itself together with strands of thread. It would not be long before everything fell apart.

Ukitake prayed that Mayuri could complete producing his cure in time...

Kiyone, his faithful assistant was seemingly worse for wear than her captain. He always bid her to rest but he found it impossible to leave her for long, always having to wake her. However he had seen first-hand her sleep was fitful, restless and plagued with nightmares. She was still too young to be thrust into such a horrid series of events but the apocalypse spared no-one.

Ukitake truly sympathised for the girl. For a long time she had been a faithful adviser and a close friend and it hurt him to see her in such pain.

"Damn...This darkness...Will it ever clear?"

Ukitake was about to retire to his chambers when he felt an unusual presence behind him. He spun on his heels and faced an opening senkai gate. He cautiously drew his sword and assumed a fighting stance but quickly relaxed when a familiar face passed through into the hall.

"What? This...this cannot be! Rukia? You're...Alive?"

She returned no gesture of happiness as she was escorted into the hall by her blood-spattered companions. Her expression was grave. "Captain Ukitake, I have urgent news to report."

Only moments earlier, Rukia, Alice and Karin stood before the beast that had become of Ichigo Kurosaki. Regardless of his human visage his mind had been twisted by Mayuri's fiendish lies. He had become a slave to the nefarious scientist and as much as it hurt her to admit it, Ichigo was now Rukia's enemy.

But even so, to draw her sword against him was something beyond her abilities. But even if she could, Ichigo was too strong now. Mayuri truly had created a most powerful being. However as long as Rukia and her comrades were alive they swore to stop Mayuri at any cost. Without Ichigo guarding his side Mayuri would be left powerless and prone to defeat. Even as a captain his combat abilities were among the lowest of the Gotei 13's few remaining leaders.

And so it was decided...

Ichigo had to be taken care of. Fighting him had proven fruitless even with the combined strength of everyone in their ragged group of survivors. Therefore they needed help in incapacitating their opponent.

It was then that Urahara had turned to the others and revealed his plan. The group all were taken aback by his daring idea, but nonetheless resolved themselves to carry it out. They braced themselves for the task at hand and waited for Urahara's orders.

Seeing them plotting, Mayuri grew restless and ordered Ichigo to finish them off. Feeling over-confident in Ichigo's abilities he ignored the subtle hints of the groups slowly fanning out and taking up positions within the tunnel. He did not gauge their wandering glances, nor their muscles tensing in anticipation.

Ichigo raised his sword and grit his teeth, preparing to charge. As soon as he began to move Urahara let out a fierce battle cry and rushed to meet him. With a fury unseen ever before, Urahara collided with Ichigo with a resounding shockwave which threw them both back from the epicentre of their attacks.

Recovering instantly, Urahara thrust his palm out and unleashed a ball of blue flames. Standing rooted to the ground, Ichigo waited for the incoming blast and hacked through it with his gleaming blade, however through the dissipating flames there came a human torpedo.

Urahara hacked down upon his foe who only just managed to leap back a few paces to avoid the crushing blow. Ichigo snarled in derision and moved to attack but Urahara was already on the offensive again, refusing to let up for even a second.

Mayuri smirked at the surprising vigour in Kisuke's attacks. He seemed to have become absorbed in his battle, whole-heartedly determined to slay the ultimate being. A foolish venture, but admirable all the same.

"Kisuke Urahara...So you can be serious it seems...It only took the apocalypse to wake you up. A shame you couldn't join me."

"Ichigo!" Urahara roared, "I know your brain still works! Now hurry up and open your eyes!" With a wide horizontal swing, the senior warrior raked his blade across Ichigo's chest, sending a thing trail of blood spurting out into the air. The boy staggered back, eyes wide.

"Wha..."

"You're surprised that I hit you right? Mayuri would have told you we wouldn't hurt you because we would try and manipulate you instead." Ichigo's expression twitched. "I'm right aren't I? And you yourself believed deep down somewhere that it was true because we are your friends! Admit it!"

"But...No...You just..." Ichigo's hands were beginning to quiver. The movements were so slight only an experienced warrior such as Urahara could pick upon it. However it was clearly enough to see he had succeeded in getting under Ichigo's skin.

"You're confused now, because I just cut you, right? It hurts doesn't it? To be hurt by someone you trusted!"

Ichigo took a step back and lowered his sword a fraction. "H-Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm asking you a question. Does it hurt?"

Ichigo scowled, "Of course it hurts! You sliced me with a sword!"

"Exactly."

"Exactly?" Ichigo echoed in dismay.

"If it hurts, does that not mean that you can still feel?" Urahara asked, a slight smirk present now.

"O-Of course I can!" Ichigo snapped, "I'm still human!"

"Then why are you listening to Mayuri instead of your heart? Why are you ignoring your gut feeling and blindly following the orders of someone you barely even know?"

Ichigo cursed under his breath and took a cautionary glance to his master. "I...I don't have to answer to you!"

"I'm not asking you to answer to me," Urahara said so calmly, belying the fury he had displayed earlier, "You have to answer to yourself. Why are you attacking the friends that had devoted themselves to protecting you and the ones you loved?"

Ichigo turned to Rukia, to Alice and then finally to Karin, his beloved little sister. His eyes widened as if he had only just recognised her and his jaw dropped.

"K-Karin? Is that...really you?"

Karin smiled thinly, her eyes brimming with tears as she whispered the name of the brother she had looked up to. Her once shiny black hair had become dull and frayed from the endless days of battle. Blood and sweat left it matted together in an unwashed mess. Her cheeks were stained in grime and dirt and cuts and grazes as were her bony thin arms and legs. Her clothes were soaked through with blood and torn beyond repair. An image from a distant memory flitted through Ichigo's mind, an image of the snide little eleven year old girl who played soccer in the park and would look after Yuzu as if she were her mother. He remembered a fragile princess who would cling to her brother and cry whenever she thought of her mother.

And yet here stood a warrior, bloodied and beaten. Her indifferent frown concealed behind a mask of blood and bruises. The soccer ball in her hands had now become an assault rifle clutched in white-knuckled hands. She no longer played with Yuzu and no longer cried over her mother. Now she cried for her lost father, her lost sister and most of all...For her lost brother.

Ichigo froze up.

"No...No...NO!"

He dropped his sword and grasped the sides of his head as he writhed about in agony. His screams echoed throughout the Dangai and rose in a chorus of pain and sadness.

Urahara stood over him with a stern frown. "You can see it now can't you Ichigo? Your sister has lost everything, as have you. She saw you as you killed Yuzu and your father too. She lost her family to this madness and yet she still fights! She stayed by your side even after everything that had happened because she knew in her heart that you only did what you thought was right, even if it seemed cruel. Even when she was frightened of you, beyond belief she still stood by you in that Hell! Even when she ran away she could still only think of you!"

Ichigo remained staring at Karin even as he addressed Urahara, "How...How do you know that?"

"When she was resting at my shop I heard her crying out in her sleep. She was crying because she felt terrible for abandoning you. She cried because even when she saw you as one of the undead she knew she could never raise a hand against you!"

"What...?"

"Even when you had become one with the ghouls she had been fighting awake and in her dreams, she had resolved herself to never betray what her heart had told her! Regardless of how painful things got she has always stayed true to herself." Urahara sighed deeply before continuing, "I won't deny that what we have done to you has been cruel at times. I won't deny that we have hurt you! But you cannot deny why you went through with it in the first place! You pushed yourself beyond your limits, through unimaginable pain all for your heart's desire! You swore to yourself that you would protect the weak; that you would stand up no matter how many times you were knocked down. You swore that you would be the sword and shield to protect the ones you cared for!"

Silence hung over the Dangai for some time, even Mayuri was hopelessly lost to his own curiosity, observing Ichigo's every reaction to Kisuke' probing interrogation. This was simply a test of his creations mental strength. If he failed to withstand his opponent's taunts then he wouldn't be worthy to be the Adam of the new world. And so Mayuri stood by silently and watched.

Urahara waited patiently for Ichigo to respond, silently praying for Ichigo to wake up and break free from Mayuri's brainwashing. He noticed Ichigo's head shifting and his shoulders twitching. He overheard a faint sound, heavy breaths.

Ichigo seemed to have decided upon his answer.

...

'Schunk!'

Urahara clenched his teeth and groaned as waves of searing pain shot through his veins. He remained standing even as Ichigo's blade buried itself deep into his stomach to protrude from his back.

"Urgh...So this...Is your answer?"

Ichigo was shaking uncontrollably now, his body wracking with each panicked breath. His voice cracked as he struggled to justify himself, "I told you...I don't have to answer to you!"

Kisuke coughed up a mouthful of blood and then he let out a brief burst of laughter. Ichigo's eyes narrowed and Mayuri's grin spread wide in anticipation. The other survivors tensed up instantly.

"I expected as much...Stubborn as always Kurosaki..."

"What do you mean? Why are you laughing?"

"Because...You're still the same stubborn young brat I met back then...You still have that scowl on your face and that blazing fire in your eyes...And you still can't ever accept defeat!"

Ichigo's expression faltered yet again. Urahara's plan was going along almost exactly as he had described earlier.

"You're still...Gullible..."

Urahara's body disintegrated and Ichigo panicked, however unbeknownst to him, Urahara had re-appeared behind him, completely unscathed. His decoy gigai had worked perfectly, even fooling Mayuri. Chanting under his breath Urahara finally uttered, "Bakudo 61, Rikujokoro."

Before he could even recognise that voice from behind, Ichigo's body was pierced with six rods of blinding light. He tried to resist but he was firmly held in place.

Meanwhile Rukia had finished chanting the incantation for her own spell, directing it at Mayuri. With Mayuri and Ichigo restrained for the time being Urahara finally called out, "Now!"

Everyone ran for the light at the end of the tunnel, the path to Soul Society closing in on them now. Even as Mayuri broke free from his restraints and gave chase the survivors only pushed on faster, determined to escape.

Urahara stayed back and drew his sword preparing to hold off any who dared to oppose him.

Ichigo eventually managed to break through and in a fit of rage raced off to destroy his foes. He was upon Urahara almost instantly, moving with blinding speed. The two fought on with vigour as Rukia, Alice and Karin reached the end of the road.

Ururu stopped short of the exit and frowned. As a faithful assistant to Kisuke Urahara she loyally rushed back to help her master and prevent Mayuri from getting past.

Ensuring their sacrifices would not be in vain, Rukia, Alice and Karin headed on through the light and into Soul Society. They overheard the Ururu's screams, Mayuri's laughter, Ichigo's frustrated cries and Urahara's defiant roar all culminate and then fall silent as the gate behind them sealed itself shut.

After hearing their report Ukitake nodded gravely. He truly didn't want to believe much of what he had been told, but he was well aware that he could trust Rukia far more than Captain Kurotsuchi. With a bitter smile he thanked his young protégé and her companions before calling forth his messengers.

"Inform all captains to assemble for an emergency meeting! Also, I want it publicly declared that Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi is now wanted for treason against the Gotei 13 and is to be stopped by any means necessary!"

The truth has finally come out. Mayuri is finally declared the enemy of the living! Ichigo's brainwashing seems to be faltering! The nightmare approaches it's climax! Don't miss the next chapter! Now please review!