Chapter Thirteen

Nick Vs. Nikolai: Who Will Win?

Before Chapter A/N: Nikolai is Nick's inner Hollow. Hey, if Ichigo's has more than one fan name, I can make my Hollow have it's own name that makes it a different person entirely. Sorry if you don't like it when inner Hollows have names, but please still read and leave me a hate review. I won't mind.

Previously, on Bleach: Fire of Kyubi...

As Jasmine climbed down the ladder and looked at where her brother was still training, she gasped in shock.

Visored Base, Underground Training Area...

Jasmine saw Nick fighting against himself, but the other Nick was different. His face white white, and his costume looked like a gray scale version of her brother's outfit. Nick looked all bloody, too. She wanted to scream his name out, but Nick seemed to hear the gasp as he looked at her quickly. Nick turned back to his inner Hollow, who had tried lunging at him in his moment of distraction. "Can I have a minute here?" The Hollow continued to rush towards him. "She's my sister!" Nick screamed. The Hollow stopped. "I'll be a minute or two," Nick turned back to Jasmine. "Sorry about Nikolai," He pointed back to his Hollow. "He justs wants to fight right now. So, you came to see how I've been doping, huh?"

Jasmine nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry about distracting you. Can I apologize to him, too?" She asked.

Nick shrugged. "I don't know if he'll say anything back, but you're willing to try."

Jasmine sighed. "I'm sorry, Nikolai. I'll give him back in a moment."

"Oh, take your time. I could use a small break," He turned to look at Nick again. "Be quick, though, Ace."

Jasmine looked at her brother. "Ace?"

"I don't know. It's just what he calls me. I think it's supposed to mean something about royalty? I have no idea. So, if you want, wait and we'll see who can win against their complete opposite." Nick flashed a cat-like grin. (Think Gin Ichimaru's face at all times, lol)

Jasmine nodded again and walked back to the rest of the group. Nick turned back to Nikolai. "Okay, Nikolai. Let's finish this."

"Are you sure we'll finish this how you see it? I'd love to see what you have back at home that has you so worried about not being able to keep me under control." Nikolai said, flashing a grin that made him look more like Gin Ichimaru. (His eyes were even closed in that position)

"Just come on!" Nick shouted.

"Okay, but you asked for it," He stuck his hand out, which started to gather a black and red energy at the tips of his fingers. "Cero!" He shouted, releasing the trademark Hollow attack.

Nick had seen this coming and jumped out of the way. But, since his inner Hollow had the same speed as he did, Nick wasn't able to sense that Nikolai would sudden;y appear behind him again and blast another Cero blast at him, making him fall to the ground face first.

Jasmine let out a squeal and put her face in her father's chest. Elias looked at his son fighting himself. Come on, Nick! You can do this! He thought.

Nick just got up as if nothing had even happened and took Kyubi out of its sheath. (Yes, he didn't even have it out, yet. He was trying Kidou spells on him first) "Blaze, Kyubi!" Kyubi turned into its cleaver blade form.

From outside the battlefield, Jewel let out a sigh. "No matter how many times I see him release that blade, it still makes no sense that it looks so much like Masamune from the old days."

Jasmine looked at the Visored. "Masamune? Whose Zanpaku-to is that?"

One of the other Visoreds, Dominic Jones, answered her question. "Masamune," He said in a husky voice. "Was the Zanpaku-to of one of the greatest Soul Reapers of all time: Stephen Roth."

Jasmine nodded and looked back at the battle taking place.

Nick had been attacked again by Nikolai, but he had been quicker, even with the blade in his hands that looked like it should weigh more than Nick himself. Once he had gotten away, he quickly got behind Nikolai and said. "Kyubi, Unleash Your Might! Molten Slash!" Nick slashed at Nikolai from two yards behind the Hollow and had a direct hit. "How the fuck do you like that one, asshole?"

Nikolai got up, struggling for a moment. "Call me an asshole, one more time."

Nick didn't get the hint. "Asshole." Nikolai disappeared from the ground.

Nick could sense Nikolai's separate Spiritual Pressure moving, so he thought ahead. Turning around, he said again. "Kyubi, Unleash your Might! Molten Slash!"

This second attack hit the Hollow even harder than the last for two reasons. First, he had just appeared behind Nick at the moment of impact and second, it hit him directly down the center of his body, sending him into one of the walls of the battlefield. Nikolai still managed to get up, however, and Nick groaned. "Why won't you just give up? Oh yeah, because you can't unless I beat you. Come on, try one more time."

Everyone outside the battlefield, especially Jasmine, could feel that Nick himself was running out of Spiritual Pressure. They all knew that he would regain it all after this battle, but to win, he would have to finish this quickly. Nikolai was in such bad shape, however, that he shouldn't have been able to get up after the first attack, let alone the second. Nikolai appeared behind Nick again, and Nick wasn't able to sense that one. "Kyubi, Unleash!" Nikolai sent the barrage of fireballs at Nick, all of which were still dodged.

Nick retaliated by rushing Nikolai so quickly it seemed unreal and stabbed him in the chest, slashing upwards and finally defeating his inner Hollow. "Okay, you win, Ace. But, don't think I won't be back. I will find a way!" Nikolai said before fading away.

Clearly, Nick had won. But, after he had turned around and smiled at everyone, he had fainted from rapid loss of Spiritual Pressure. Jewel and Jasmine rushed to him, both having medical training, and treated him right there.

Residence of Elias, The Next Morning...

Elias was sitting down, eating breakfast when a Hell butterfly appeared and relayed the message that was from, even to his surprise, Tabitha. "You stupid idiot. I forgave you a long time ago! Just promise to come back to me. I love you, too." He smiled and promised her in his head, sending the little insect away, back to wherever they came from.

World of the Living, Around the Same Time...

Tabitha, Katie and Megan had been having a nice quiet breakfast when there was a barrage of knocks on the door. Tabitha smiled. "Ah, there they are. I was wondering if they'd ever show."

"Who?" Katie asked.

"My old students from the Soul Reaper Academy. I told them to come back in the morning. They wanted to meet the girl they were sent to help protect."

"Do you mean… Me?" Katie said, feeling self-conscious.

Tabitha nodded. "Yes, but don't worry. They didn't mind once they learned that they'd see their old teacher again." She said and left the room.

Opening the door, Maxi waved from near the middle of the group of fifteen. "Hello. Sorry for all the guests, but none of them wanted to keep watch."

"It's fine, Maxi. All of you, it's nice to see you again, even if I don't remember your names. I think Maxi was important because he was such a troublemaker. Now, the girl of honor is in the kitchen. If any of you are hungry, you're welcome to some of the food I cooked up," She looked to see if they were all in Gigai's. "It's a good thing you all came in Gigai's. If you didn't, my younger daughter would ask if Lauren was back." She laughed, letting them all in.

As they all filed into the kitchen, which had suddenly become cramped. (I wonder why?) Tabitha motioned towards Katie. "Katie, these are my old students. Everyone, this is my son's girlfriend, the one you're all here to protect."

Everyone said hello and Tabitha gave them all plates, leading them all back into the living room. "Now, you may all have to reintroduce yourselves, since I haven't been to the Soul Society for twenty-five, thirty years."

Everyone nodded and a girl with short pink hair spoke first. "I'm Sakura Kusajishi. I was always the smallest because I was the youngest, but I was put in your class because I was smarted than most others my age."

"Oh, yes. I remember you. I also remember your- sister, I believe- Yachiru from the Japanese Soul Society. Did you ever find out why you were sent to the Soul Society here instead of in Japan?"

"Nope!" Sakura said, grinning wildly. "Do you remember anything else about me?"

"I also remember a love for candy. Whenever I had chocolate lying around, you would bite my shoulder in order to get at it." Tabitha laughed at the memory. "Happy times."

The next person spoke up. "I don't think you'd really remember me. I was always so quiet." He said.

Tabitha realized who it was by the dark bluish hair and glasses, not to mention the small glove on her right arm. "Sayuri Ishida. I should have realized that right away. I'm guessing your father knows about this now, right?"

"Yes. My mom told him years ago. He accepted it, though. He said that I had a right to learn how to be a Soul Reaper, because of my Soul Reaper and Quincy powers. They say hello, by the way."

"That's good. So, is you little brother still in the Quincy training Program we started here in the States, or did your father take him out?"

"No, Takumi is here, too. Taki, where did you go? He was just here a second ago."

"I'm in the kitchen, talking to Megan and Katie."

"Get back in here!" Sayuri said, running and dragging her younger brother out of the kitchen, and in front of Tabitha. "Here he is. Say hello to Mrs. Lenora."

"It's Mrs. Negron, actually. Didn't any of you hear that my son is now a Visored, or did they not want to tell you?"

"Nobody told us." Sayuri said, her eyes darting to the kitchen doorway.

"Tabitha?" Tabitha turned and saw Katie, her face stuck in an expression of confusion. "What's a Visored?"

A/N: Yes, I finished this before eight. I will have the next chapter up tomorrow, I think. So, how do you like the characters I introduced? If you were a little confused, I highly suggest you read Inner Hollow by Theresa Crane. It'll tell you all you need to know. I will also be telling her of these developments, because I may be making this into sort of an after story for after Inner Hollow is finished. So, I think that I should be informing her of what I'm making happen so maybe she can incorporate some of it in her story at the end. Well, hope you enjoy it and remember to send me your thought, please.

Next Time: Well, the truth about Nick's condition is now revealed to Katie. What will she think about it? Well, I can't tell you that, since I have no idea. But, I may also bring Gin Ichimaru back into the loop. Maybe it'll throw Rangiku off because of how they seemed to imply that she was in love with him in the show and even some good stories on this site. If I do, though, he'll have been living in the American Soul Society for years because of running away from Aizen after they left the Soul Society at the end of the Soul Society Arc in the anime. Please, continue to read this. I love all those who read this, even if they're guys, but that's only because they actually checked this out and maybe even commented. Until the next chapter.