Inner Conflict — XVIII
The hollow was restless. Aizen watched him stomp back and forth, swinging his Zanpakatou restlessly. Every now and then he'd hit one of the Arrancar lining the walls, obliterating it. Aizen had to admit, it was amusing.
"You want to fight, don't you?"
"Of course I do!" The hollow snapped, turning to face Aizen. "Your pathetic little foot soldiers aren't doing a damn thing to keep me amused. I want someone who knows how to fight. I want a challenge, if that exists."
Aizen smiled. He knew, of course, that the hollow wasn't really an ally — the monster would turn on Aizen the second he was sure the man couldn't give him the opponents he desired. But Aizen didn't have any intentions of keeping the hollow around long enough for a betrayal.
"Would Shinigami satisfy you?" The yellow eyes behind the mask lit up — in a manner of speaking. The hollow liked that idea.
"What have you got in mind?" Because he had something in mind as well. He had a promise to follow up on about seeing a certain, violet-haired Shinigami dead…
Toushirou's eyes opened slowly. He was half-sitting, half-laying on the couch in the fifth division office. Momo was curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed. Toushirou looked at the clock. It was after midnight.
Poor Stealth Squad member must be bored out of his skull, Toushirou thought idly as he shifted, trying not to wake Momo. They'd been talking, though not about anything in particular. Just talking. It had bee nice, the mindless chatter. Almost normal. Toushirou sighed. Normal. As if something like that existed.
Alarms rented the formerly quiet night air, scaring the hell out Toushirou. He jumped, and at the same time Momo jerked awake, looking disoriented.
"What—"
"Stay here." Was all Toushirou said before he jumped up and flew out of the room. Momo stared after him, her mind finally registering the alarms.
An attack? But what…
"Matsumoto!"
Toushirou found his vice-captain already locked in combat with a group of Arrancar. "Captain! Where have you—"
"Never-mind." Toushirou took out the last of the Arrancar before turning to face Matsumoto. "Any indication of what they might be after?"
Matsumoto shook her head. "It seems like all the others. Just a random attack — no reason behind it. Do you feel that reiatsu tough? It's…"
Toushirou nodded grimly. He'd recognized it as soon as it had hit him. "Kurosaki."
The hollow cackled as he cut down a Shinigami, and then another, and then another… they weren't very strong. But he enjoyed watching their blood spill.
And then he stumbled into one that was by himself, finishing off an Arrancar. The hollow recognized this one — through Ichigo's memories, at any rate. It was one of those crazies from the thirteenth division — Sentarou. I'll be he knows where I can find her, the hollow thought, delighted, as Sentarou turned to face him, his eyes wide. "Hey there." The hollow slung Zangetsu over his shoulder, grinning a sadistic grin under his mask. "Don't suppose you know where your pretty little vice-captain is, do you?"
"Sentarou!"
Speak of the devil. The hollow turned to look at the new-comer. Rukia was standing just a few feet away from them, her Zanpakatou already drawn. "Get out of here." She snapped at her subordinate.
"Rukia-san, you're not supposed to—"
"Stand down!" Her voice came out a bit harsher. Sentarou jumped back. "Go find Captain Ukitake. Or anyone else, really. Just get out of here."
He hesitated before obeying orders, Shunpo-ing away. Rukia turned to glare at the hollow, taking in the disgusting sight. He had already activated Bankai; the black robes Rukia had once thought of as a symbol of safety now mocked her as they were worn by the enemy. The face — Ichigo's face, her anchor — was covered the mask, that sickening hollow mask. When he spoke, it made Rukia wince; it sounded like nails on a chalk board.
"Well, well, save me the trouble of hunting you down." He laughed his distorted laugh. Rukia shuddered.
"What do you want from me? If Aizen thinks I'm going back to him now—"
"As if that old fool has anything to do with it." The hollow waved Rukia off, holding out Zangetsu. "No, this is a personal thing. You see, Ichigo thought about you so much, it drove me insane. And I started wondering what it'd be like to kill you, and…"
His voice drifted off. He sounded so casual. It made Rukia sick. "But enough of this." She could tell the hollow was grinning when he spoke. "Let's just put and end to this already."
He sprang forward to attack.
Momo had never been good at listening to what anybody told her, captain or friend or both. And it was no different with Toushirou. She wasn't about to hide in her division when there were other people fighting, getting hurt, dying. She sprang through the streets, Tobiume by her side, slicing through any Arrancar that came at her. They fit the M.O. of the attacks that had preceded this one; foot soldiers, not overly strong, but heavy in numbers. What, she wondered idly as she ran, was Aizen trying to accomplish by sending such weak fighters? What was the point? This was what, the second, third attack in the last few months? And none of the others had succeeded. What was Aizen planning?
It was all very confusing. And Momo couldn't really afford to get lost in thought trying to figure it out when she was surrounded by chaos. She would decipher the method behind the madness. It was, she decided as she put her Zanpakatou through yet another Arrancar, the least she could do. But for now, she put it out of her mind in favor of fighting, silently promising to go back to it later.
Toushirou growled under his breath as he released his Zanpakatou, taking out several Arrancar at once. "Damn it Momo, I told you to stay put." He grumbled as he tried to re-locate her spiritual pressure — because of course, it wasn't at the fifth division where it belonged.
Like you really thought she'd listen, a voice in the back of his head reminded him. She won't stand by when other people are getting hurt. You know that.
He did. And it was, he realized in that moment, just one of the many things he loved about her.
"Bankai!" The hollow grew elated as he watched Rukia release her Bankai. This was turning out to be an even better fight than he had originally planned. She was amazingly strong, this girl who had dominated Ichigo's thoughts for so long. Her size definitely betrayed her; it was amazing to think how much power was stored in that small body.
The hollow wanted to find out.
Rukia gripped Shirayuki's hilt tightly, raising the sword above her head and swinging it down. The hollow barely dodged the stream of ice that flew at him, taking to the air and swinging Zangetsu. "Getsuga Tenshou!"
Rukia missed the blow by about half an inch. If she'd been just a little slower…
She took off into the air after the hollow, and their Zanpakatous — so similar to each other it was almost scary — met with a loud clang that reverberated through the air, getting lost in the sound of the madness that surrounded them. "Strong little thing, arencha?" The hollow chuckled.
Rukia didn't answer. The hollow threw all his weight into his sword, shoving Rukia back. She regained her balance quickly, straightening up, gripping Shirayuki's hilt tightly. She'd already accepted that she couldn't win this fight. The hollow was stronger. The hollow wouldn't hold back.
Rukia didn't care.
Her fingers tightened even more around the hilt of her Zanpakatou, her body reacting her to her ignoring the basic instinct saying run away.
"Stubborn." The hollow sounded strangely approving. "Im beginning to see what Ichigo likes so much about you. You know you're going to die, but you won't run. You still want to fight. Makes things interesting."
He disappeared, surprising Rukia. She barely had a chance to find his spiritual pressure, and then he was behind her. She whirled around, blocking the blow, and he shunpo-ed away again, this time coming in from the side. Again, she barely blocked it, and again, he disappeared. He was too fast. She couldn't follow him forever…
He waited five seconds before attacking. It was the only thing Rukia had to work with. He disappeared again, and Rukia rushed to find him. Above her! She swung Shirayuki up just before he appeared again, Zangetsu raised…
He was gone before their swords connected. Rukia jerked, surprised, and he came in behind her. She whirled around…
And blood stained the night air.
The hollow's aim was better than Rukia's. Zangetsu was buried dead center in the middle of Rukia's chest. She, meanwhile, had, in her panic, missed her mark, succeeding only in spearing the hollow's shoulder. He laughed his sick, twisted laugh.
"Pathetic."
Despair momentarily won out over the pain coursing through Rukia's chest. She should have known better. She should have known she would have failed…
"Ichigo…"
The hollow laughed again, raising one hand up. "He's gone, you fool, he's gone! He's not coming back! This is my body now!"
He grabbed Shirayuki's blade, obviously intent on pulling it out. But the second his fingers made contact with it, something strange happened. His entire body jerked, as if he had been electrocuted, his eyes widening.
"What the hell—"
In one, swift movement he jerked Shirayuki out of his shoulder, yanking Zangetsu back at the same time. Rukia barely noticed as her legs gave out beneath her, and she hit the ground.
What just…happened…
The hollow and Ichigo may share a body, but they are two separate entities, Rukia was surprised to hear how calm Shirayuki sounded. This was usually about the time when she started yelling…
What does that have to do with anything?
Everything. Ichigo is a pure person, he has a good heart. The hollow is selfish, power hungry. He pushes Ichigo back, ties him down in a corner of his mind. But even he can not destroy what you and Ichigo have. The love you both feel is inescapable. The hollow can't stand it.
So what, love is the answer? Rukia wanted to roll her eyes.
Close. The bond between you is the answer. Don't scoff, Rukia. You share something with Ichigo unlike anything anyone has ever seen. Your destinies are so tightly tied together they are almost one. As I told you before, you two were always destined to meet. Fate didn't count on the two of you falling in love though. That just strengthens the tie. And it makes the hollow, who is incapable of understanding emotions like love, unable to touch you, as driven as you are by what you feel to save Ichigo.
Leave it to Shirayuki to explain everything and yet say absolutely nothing.
I don't understand.
But Shirayuki was silent. As usual, speaking with her did not take as long as it seemed. Only a few seconds had passed. The hollow had already recovered. "Don't know what you did to me just now," he said easily, "but I guess it doesn't matter. Whatever it was, you're in no condition to try and do it again."
He practically swaggered over to Rukia, raising Zangetsu. Rukia thought fast. What would happen if I grabbed his mask?
Shirayuki didn't answer. Rukia took that as an invitation to try. Ignoring the pain that coursed through her, she flew up, one hand shooting out, grabbing the edge of the mask.
The hollow's response was instant. He shrieked in pain, trying to jerk back. Rukia tightened her grip, refusing to let go. "Let go, let go!" The hollow screamed, thrashing. Rukia's Zanpakatou slipped from her grip as she reached her other hand out, grabbing the mask firmly. "Let go, damn it!"
He swung Zangetsu again and again, leaving long, deep gashes anywhere he managed to hit Rukia — her arms, her chest, her legs, wherever he could make contact. And still she didn't let go. "Damn you!" Something connected with the side of Rukia's head. The force of the impact was enough to throw her away, and she hit the ground hard, the pain finally catching up. She pushed herself up onto her knees, coughing. Blood slipped past her lips, hitting the ground with a sickening splattering sound.
What'd she do to me damn it?! The hollow raged furiously, his hands gripping his face. It felt as if she'd driven daggers into him. I'll kill her, I'll kill her!
Nnnngh…
The low groan shocked the hollow enough to cut through his ranting. Wha…what the… Ichigo's voice was confused, weary, disoriented.
Get back! The hollow screamed at him. Slowly, Ichigo crawled out of his corner. Already the hollow could feel him trying to take over. No! This is my body now, it's mine!
Wrong. The hollow felt his hand move. He wasn't moving it. It's mine, damn it. You just share.
The hand grabbed the mask. Mine, Ichigo said again, pulling at the mask.
No! The hollow shouted in response, pushing Ichigo back. The hand on the mask shook for a moment, then Ichigo's control was as strong as ever.
Mine.
The mask shattered in Ichigo's hand. A silent scream echoed in his head as he shoved the hollow back into the corner where belonged. He fell to his knees, exhausted.
You, he said matter-of-factly to the hollow, are a guest in my body. Don't forget it.
Rukia ignored the haze that filled her mind, ignored the fact that the edges of the world were darkening. All she cared about was Ichigo. Ichigo, his face drawn and weary and there, no longer by a mask. Ichigo, his eyes the deep, sharp amber she loved. He was Ichigo again. He was back.
Rukia didn't fight against the blackness that overtook her vision. She was done. She'd accomplished what she'd had to do.
"Rukia!" A pair of large arms grabbed her, keeping her from pitching forward. "Look at you." Ichigo moaned, cradling her gently. "You're a mess. What the hell were you doing? Idiot."
"Shut up." Rukia muttered, one hand unconsciously gripping Ichigo's robes. She couldn't bring herself to be offended though. There were too many other conflicting emotions. Elation. Weariness. Pain.
"Let's get you to the fourth division." Ichigo stood, careful not to jostle Rukia too much.
"Ichigo?" Her voice, barely a whisper, was pain-filled and tired. Ichigo was willing to bet that she didn't even realize she was speaking.
"Yeah?"
"Don't leave me." His heart skipped a beat.
"I won't." He promised. She didn't answer. "Rukia?" Nothing. She'd gone under at last. So Ichigo did something that surely would have gotten him killed, were she conscious; he pressed his lips lightly against her forehead.
"I'm not going anywhere.
Author's Note: Aawww…/ahem/ Anyways. Going to Germany for twelve days. Very much so looking forward to it. Will update when I get back. Review please? — Sam