25
Cycle
…
The battle had been a hurricane, but this moment was the eye of the storm. It was silent. Unmoving. Stares shifted between all participating parties.
White-haired, teal-eyed Katashi was on the ground, shocked beyond belief.
Black-haired, green-eyed Ulquiorra was in the sky, giving no reaction at all.
"But they're the same person…" Ichigo muttered.
Toshiro couldn't find any words at all.
It was Ulquiorra who decided for them. Energy grew on the tips of his bone-covered fingers—the same bone that acted as armor to the rest of his body, ending in the full horned helmet on his head. Only his face was visible, long black hair streaming down it, accompanied by the thick black tear trails.
The cero fired, snapping everyone back to attention.
"This Ulquiorra is a Vasto Lorde!" Ichigo realized. "Pure Hollow."
Toshiro glanced at Katashi again. Isshin was restraining the pale teen Shinigami. That was his real brother, Toshiro told himself. This thing in front of him was a fake. A copy. Something dangerous that needed to be destroyed. He firmed his grip on Hyorinmaru.
"Ryusenka," he whispered and entered the battle.
…
In the confusion, the fight with the Head Captain had slowed to a stop.
"Grimmjow, what the h— did you do?" Shinji asked. "Aren't those two supposed to be the same person?"
"Ulquiorra tried to kill himself," Grimmjow explained. "I used the Hogyoku to revive him. At least, I thought I did."
"When you tried reviving him, what was your intent?" Urahara questioned.
"We needed another fighter." Grimmjow frowned.
"Another Hollow fighter," Urahara concluded.
"When I got there," Grimmjow explained, "he was already starting to deteriorate. He'd stabbed himself nice and good. Before he vanished completely, I took out the Hogyoku and forced it to bring him back. I didn't think it worked at first, but then he appeared again looking like that."
Urahara nodded in comprehension. "You brought him back as a Vasto Lorde."
"Yeah," Grimmjow said. "I thought that maybe there had been some balance upset, turning him full Hollow and wasn't sure if he could still become an Arrancar."
"You didn't revive him," Urahara explained. "You split his soul in half."
"In half?" Ukitake questioned from close by.
"Ulquiorra was half Shinigami and half Hollow. The Shinigami part of him made an easy transition to Soul Society when he tried to purify himself. Grimmjow pulled the Hollow half back toward the World of the Living with the Hogyoku. Because that half was still trying to move on to Soul Society, it became unstable and needed to be in constant contact with the Hogyoku to remain intact."
"So each of those two is a half of the original," Shinji voiced.
"Yes," Urahara confirmed, "but if the Hogyoku shard should be taken from the Hollow half, then it would theoretically disintegrate and return to the Shinigami half."
"Ichigo!" Ukitake called, coughing. "Get the Hogyoku shard from around Ulquiorra's neck!"
Ichigo looked over and acknowledged that he heard the message. The halted group watched as he charged forward, only for the Vasto Lorde to swipe him away with unnecessary force. While Ulquiorra's face remained emotionless, his eyes were another story. They glowed an acidic green, more vibrant than even the energy he was shooting off.
Ukitake shook his head, disbelieving. "No…"
Shunsui gripped his shoulder tighter. "Watch," he demanded. "Do you see the way they're fighting? The Vasto Lorde seems to be going a little over the top, don't you think?"
"You're right." Ukitake narrowed his attention. "He remembers."
"Remembers?"
"Ah," Ukitake confirmed. "Katashi as a Shinigami holds none of his old memories, but for some reason, this Hollow version of him has retained them."
"And because he is a Hollow, he'll aim for people he used to know well or were important to him," Shunsui concluded.
Ukitake glanced away for a moment. "Yes."
…
Ichigo ran circles around his opponent using the intense speed of his Bankai. Ulquiorra didn't so much as move. Believing that he was focusing on Toshiro, who was raising Hyorinmaru to the sky, Ichigo took the opening.
Only then did Ulquiorra turn around.
And show Ichigo the Lanza del Relampago he held.
It missed the Substitute Shinigami by mere centimeters.
Ichigo cursed. His eyes drifted over to Toshiro, who swung his blade down violently. A wave of ice cascaded outward and toward Ulquiorra. Yet, somehow, when it hit, not the slightest bit of relief was felt by Ichigo.
"I don't think that's the end of it," Ichigo said, eyeing the frozen-solid Ulquiorra.
Toshiro tensed up. He could feel it, too. The reiatsu within the structure was fluctuating. It was only a matter of time before…
Ice shards were flying at them before they could blink.
Ichigo and Toshiro dodged the best they could, though sadly not escaping all the little slices. Low growls echoed in both their throats, although Toshiro's had much more to do with the emotional trauma being instilled on him at the moment. His older brother's soul was split into two pieces and one piece wanted to kill him while the other didn't have to slightest idea who he was. It was enough to drive any sane person over the edge. All of it only added to his current frustration.
In this mood and under this light, his eyes appeared a venomous green. Much like Ulquiorra's had been, anyone would have thought had they been able to get close enough without being hacked to pieces.
Meanwhile, Vasto Lorde Ulquiorra was surveying his "prey." Too many painful memories attached. Had to destroy. Had to make the pain stop. He wasn't even positive who these people were anymore, only the vaguest idea in the back of his mind. It was nothing more than a blur.
The younger was furious. Tortured.
Why?
Ulquiorra's momentary curiosity left him open. Ichigo tried to take that chance, managing a small nick on the Hollow's arm before Ulquiorra reacted.
Orange hair, the pale man thought. Something familiar about orange hair. He threw Ichigo twenty meters away with little more than his arm. Orange hair. He glanced over toward the younger boy. Teal eyes, almost green now.
Something clicked. The foggy memory was now at the forefront of his thoughts, vying for clarity. Ready to kill for it.
Both of the familiar Shinigami rushed him. He fought them off twice as hard, unintentionally placing more force on the younger. He would not be defeated. The growing need for power became apparent when he started to struggle keeping up with the two of them. Then, he didn't move fast enough. The white-haired boy clipped his armor. A fragment fell off.
Breaking.
Shattering.
Ulquiorra felt his whole being tense with a sudden wave of power. Its source was the infernal thing around his neck that was somehow attributed with his continued existence. A feral noise tore through his vocal chords. Pure, undiluted strength and energy were flooding his senses.
His own strength and energy.
…
Ichigo and Toshiro were thrown back by the influx reiatsu. The force was so immense it had become physical. In fact, there were a few seconds within his crash-course to the earth that Toshiro could not recollect. In simpler terms, he'd blacked out.
Ichigo cracked open his eyes, clutching one hand over his upper abdomen. Scarlet was pouring from a fresh wound. Because of this blood-loss, he thought for a moment that he could have been delirious. There was no way what he was witnessing was real.
However, he quickly realized that his mind was functioning just fine and the fear growing in the pit of his stomach was justified.
The Hogyoku shard around Ulquiorra's neck had pulled itself loose from his cloak and wrapped a strong glow around its surface. Active. Ichigo gulped, waiting to see what horrible new power this would grant his current opponent. The glow was spreading, clinging ever so softly to Ulquiorra's bone-covered skin. The light was an entity all its own. Loving, at first, in the way it caressed the man's cheek. Then it bit. The light mutated into a parasite. It sunk into the bone and devoured it. Ulquiorra's eyes displayed the silent scream his paralyzed features could not let escape.
And everyone watched.
…
Katashi gasped, doubling over. Isshin noticed immediately and grabbed the young man's arm. The snowy hair had fallen over the boy's face, hiding any emotions that may have played across it. Still, Isshin could feel it. Fear. Panic.
"What's wrong?" Isshin demanded.
The boy began shaking. Casting a quick glance up toward the transforming figure above them, Isshin wondered if maybe this pressure was too much. Katashi was fresh out of Soul Society. He might not be able to withstand the reiatsu.
"Schiffer," Isshin called, hoping to earn the boy's attention. "Katashi."
Isshin wiped the hair out of the youth's face only to discover a thin film of sweat over stark-white skin. Concern escalated.
"Can you speak?"
Katashi's lips parted. The words were right there, ready to be set free. Instead, they were choked back with a gasp. Blue-green eyes shot open. Isshin felt the boy's reiatsu drop dramatically.
"Hey, hang in there, kid," Isshin said. He turned in the general direction of Ukitake and screamed, "Something's wrong over here! The kid…!"
Isshin was cut off by the startling feeling of a weak hand gripping his uniform. He took another look at the boy. Whatever he was going to say was forgotten then and there. The message had hidden behind the new veil of oncoming emotion. The grip on his shihakushou loosened.
Katashi's left arm had vanished into a flurry of spiritual particles. The scattered bits spiraled into a steady stream upward. No, not toward the forgiving heavens, but into the monster overhead. The monster that was now stealing his own life.
Soon Katashi would be no more.
…
"Ulquiorra!"
Chad held back the frantic Orihime. The name of the ex-Espada had been torn from her throat in a raw, uncontrollable surge of emotion. She wasn't sure how she should feel about this. He was alive, but not at the same time. She had no idea what was going on.
"Why are there two Ulquiorras?" she asked no one in particular.
Uryu fixed his glasses. "I'd think that one of them is the Hollow half and one is the Shinigami side. How this happened, I don't know, but the split is dangerous. Do you see those spirit particles? It seems as if the Hollow Ulquiorra is absorbing the Shinigami one."
"But why?"
…
"No!" Ukitake shouted upon registering what Isshin was yelling about. He broke free of Shunsui's grasp and raced over, illness or not. To himself, he said, "If the Hogyoku shard had been keeping Katashi's Hollow side stable, then now his drive for survival must have allowed it to take over. He's absorbing Katashi's power and the other half of his soul. If they become one now…"
…
"There's no telling what could happen," Uryu finished. "But from the looks of it, Ulquiorra is transforming into an Arrancar once again."
"That's a good thing, right?" Orihime asked.
"Not if he still lacks control."
…
The particles contined to wind around Ulquiorra. He held a hand in front of his face, examining the pale skin. His armor was gone, although the shard and cloak remained, as did half of his helmet. Green eyes drifted over to his two opponents. These two people stirred an aching emptiness deep within. He blocked the memories trying to attack his brain to little avail. Their onslaught brought a cold anger with it. Holding one hand toward them, all he knew was that he needed this to stop. If not, it would drive him insane.
…
The cero was charging. Inside the domed shield, Rukia forced Karin's face against her shirt. "You don't need to see this," the Shinigami whispered.
Karin struggled. "Why isn't anyone doing anything? Why aren't you out there helping them? That weird guy is going to kill Ichigo and Toshiro!"
"Karin…" Rukia whispered.
Uryu caught the scene. With quick steps, he approached Tessai. "Sir, there's something I need to ask you."
…
The cero fired.
"Toshiro!" Ichigo screamed. The energy raced towards them with incredible speed. Not enough time to move out of the way. In the split second he had, Ichigo was only able to make one minute shift, but it was enough. Only one of them would be hit now. He'd kept his promise.
Toshiro would be saved.
…
Karin broke away from Rukia just in time for her to see the scene about to play out and realize the outcome.
"Ichigo!"
…
In the time it took for Toshiro to realize what the older boy was doing, it was too late. Another person would die protecting him. He was powerless. Teal eyes closed out of reflex. The bright flash of light came a split second later.
…And then vanished.
He peeked out with hesitation. Instead of a corpse slumped over, he saw a shadow that had fallen across their bodies. Ichigo pulled back upon realizing that this person had just saved them. Once the light fully died, he was able to make out the identity of their savior.
"Grimmjow."
The blue-haired man barely glanced at them. Instead, he focused on the being above them. "Ulquiorra, that's enough," he called. When there was no indication the dark-haired Hollow had heard, Grimmjow barked, "Ulquiorra!"
A soft hand landed on Toshiro's shoulder.
"Captain," the feminine voice of Matsumoto lilted.
It was at this instance that Grimmjow whipped around. His upper lip had curled and his brow creased. "What are you two waiting for? Stand up already, Kurosaki!"
Shock tingled along Ichigo's spine. "You're back to your old self."
"Don't make me repeat myself," Grimmjow threatened. "Move!"
Ichigo jumped to his feet. "So you were buried underneath that cold and uncaring act."
"Not necessarily." Some of the emotion fled from Grimmjow's face. "It's not the same, but now's not the time for sappy speeches. Ulquiorra's gone nuts."
"I know," Ichigo agreed. "What do we do?"
"How else do you stop a Hollow?" Grimmjow replied. "You kill it."
"Can't we just take off the Hogyoku shard?"
"He's already absorbed part of his other self, making this copy the dominant one. If we remove the shard now, the process will continue."
Ichigo's hand tightened on his zanpakto. "But if we kill him, then we lose both halves."
"Or not," Grimmjow said, "but it's a chance we're going to have to take. Are you ready?"
"No, but I don't suppose I have any other choice."
"Good enough."
Grimmjow stared heatedly at the Arrancar-creature above them. It was sickening. When he'd planned this out, he'd never expected that so much could go wrong. Now, he'd have to make it all right again. If for nothing else than to keep Ira and Ari and even Kaeliel and Nel safe. He could have lied to himself and reasoned that he was preserving an endangered species, but he knew the truth.
Somewhere along the line, he'd started to care again.
…
Thank you: Jiyle, hitsugayataichoda, -SoManyUpsAndDowns-, fan girl 666, Thunder Claw03, The Silent Cartographeresse, and Insomniac95.