I DONT' OWN BLEACH
Assistance in the Action scenes by Fuzzi, Jay-Kunn, and a huge effort by Tommo2304! Thank you for you hard work! HUGS YOU
Thirteen
"History keeps her secrets longer than most of us. But she has one secret that I will reveal to you tonight in the greatest confidence. Sometimes there are no winners at all. And sometimes nobody needs to lose." ~John le Carre
Chapter 5; The White Lady
"Did you hear me? We are here for the female."
"Go away." Ichigo growls without turning around, her face contorting in anger. The sweetness of Ukitake's confession followed by the interruption grates at her nerves. "I'm not interested." Right now... she is very interested in Ukitake. The white haired man stands facing her with a hand frozen in mid-air reaching for her. Denied his touch... after struggling with it and finally deciding to give in, pisses her off. "Vanish!" she says louder, her eyes fixed on Juushiro's olive green eyes.
"Unfortunately, Aizen-sama is out of patience with you." The shapely blonde woman says stepping through the gaping hole in the wall of the conservatory. "I'm to bring you to him." Halibel pulls out her blade attached to her back with a single finger curling inside a metal ring on the tsuba. "By force If I must. I'm not allowed to withdraw this time."
A bad feeling streaks through Ichigo's body. From her toes up to her right shoulder hot pain echoes only for a second. Something is different about the blonde woman. Her demeanor is different. It's harsh. It's rough like...
"Now, just hold on." Juushiro speaks up moving from behind Ichigo to face the same woman who spoke so reasonable before and now has nothing but cold blue eyes. "I've told you. Ichigo is under my-"
"Enough!" Halibel lifts her blade pointing it at Ichigo.
Instantly Juushiro's hand lightly shoves Ichigo out of the way, his body turning and his left eye catching the gleam of sharp steal. Cutting deep into his shoulder, the force of the blade being fired from the sword handle impales him to the wall. Hot pain travels down his body the poison entering his weakened system and spreading like fire.
Ichigo is knocked to the floor in shock, flicking her eyes up to the wall she sees Juushiro's trembling hand reach to take out the sword when Halibel's boot presses to her head. "J-Juushiro... you won't die from that, right? You are strong." Ichigo's lips move fast, as saying it -that isn't allowed to die might make it true.
"He is a pureblood, but they all have a weakness. They all must feed." Halibel tells the young woman on the floor. "And he hasn't in a Century." Leaning down on one knee Halibel presses her knee to Ichigo's back and pulls out a pair of special handcuffs Aizen gave her. "It's your fault."
"My fault?" Ichigo's eyes widen in shock as blood begins to pour from Juushiro's wounds and to the floor. Trying to struggle the woman's overpowering strength starts to push her body into the granite floor.
"He gave you some of his blood. I can smell him on you."
Halibel is right, Ukitake-san did save her life, he protected her even when she kept him at a distance. "I just took from him. His words, his blood, and I didn't give him anything back." Shame washes over Ichigo, a stinging fire of truth words ringing deep and painful in her chest. Looking away from his dull green eyes Ichigo stares at a long crack in the floor, wide and running towards the many shelves of music boxes, reminds her of where she is. This is her parent's home, the place she was born. The blood seeps into the crack, filling it up like an vital artery from Juushiro's body to the place she was born. This is who she is... She belongs somewhere, and she could belong to the man fighting to live.
"I don't even know what they look like."
"They are here, closer than anyone... inside you."
"In my blood."
Blood... her blood. Yes. She is from them and they were strong. They built this incredible place and loved each other. And they loved her and... her eyes flick back up to Juushiro's pleading gaze. "That's right..." Ichigo says, beginning to laugh. "Juushiro fed me."
"I-chi-go... escape please..." Juushiro whispers, his body starting to grow cold.
"Hell, no. I'm gonna kick this bitch's ass and then I'm going to kiss you again."
Hearing Ichigo's tone change gives Juushiro a spark of hope. Forcing his eyes to open they search for Ichigo's. Her eyes... they have changed into brilliant gold, her pupils shifting into slits of a vampire for the first time. Since meeting her, he has felt the power in her, even now as he is pinned to the wall unable to move, her spirit is like the blade through his shoulder and cutting it's way into the stone holding him captive.
"What did you say, girl?" Halibel lifts Ichigo up by the collar of her yukata to shake her limp body. "Have you forgotten what I am? I am the werewolf, and you are- "
"I'm Kaien Shiba's daughter." Ichigo says with a cocky grin, her right hand clamping around the blonde woman's wrist and squeezing. "And Juushiro fed me. Only Juushiro."
"You mean you are-" Halibel's eyes widen with awareness.
"Ichigo is awakening to her inheritance." Juushiro adds yanking the blade from his shoulder, his green shoes slip on the pool of blood sending him dropping to the floor. Unable to help, he can only watch, crumpled against the wall as Ichigo must fight through a difficult ordeal. "But, what powers will she gain? Kaien or... her Mothers ability?" Painfully aware of the past he has left behind he looks forward, the faces he lost are found inside this woman. "Purebloods are never awakened by another Pureblood. Only human blood is used to wake us. What will happen with my blood flowing inside her?"
Before Halibel can reply a skull connects with hers making her fingers lose their grip. Dropping the girl she takes a step back and points her blade at her. "You will come with me..." she spits out the blood pooling in her mouth to the floor. "even if I have to drag your mangled body back to Aizen-sama."
"Try it." Turning on her heel, Ichigo darts in the blonde's direction; a fist poised to strike, her bad mood stretching into a fierce anger. Flicking an eye to Juushiro she sees he is sitting on the floor with his back to a crumbling wall, his large green eyes locked on her. Giving him a nod, she returns her focus on the tall blonde interloper.
"Tch." Swiping her blade, Halibel meets air as the sword swings in a close arc in front of her. Turning quickly behind her, her eyes widen, as a deft jab to the cheek sends her skidding back on her feet. "She's fast..." Again Halibel is struck, this with a strong kick to her side. However, the blonde will not be caught off guard again. Clutching the vampire's ankle with her left hand she swings Ichigo through the air picking up momentum.
"Fuck..." Ichigo tries to break free only to be thrown hard towards the ceiling, the wall instantly shattering in a glass barrage from the force. Blood fills her mouth, the taste causing an instantaneous reaction. Bending her knees she launches herself right back at the glowering female. This is her home, her place to belong, the man over there bleeding on the floor loves her. What else could Ichigo really want? "Juushiro... I've decided something... and that means I can't lose. Not with you watching me, waiting for me to return to your side." Yes, she feels it in her blood. Juushiro's silent will for her to fight for everything they might have together. Swallowing her own blood, she reaches out and clutches Halibel by the hair, her knee lifting to crack against the woman's jaw.
"Your attacks have no power. You are nothing but speed." she replies gripping the younger woman by the ankle and tossing her towards the wall her men are standing behind. "If you don't fight me earnestly... you'll die." Halibel clicks the button firing her blade in the direction of the girl.
Flipping vertical Ichigo slips through the hole in the wall without crashing into it. The sword blade glints past her right cheek leaving a thin line of blood. Touching down on the soft green grass her eyes glance around at the star-filled sky and her father created for her mother. "I don't know anything about them. But I'm sure as hell not going to lose under the same sky." she kicks her right leg against Halibel right wrist, the long sliver blade in her hand
Ichigo blasts towards Halibel, the ground behind her exploding outwards in a shower of debris and chunks of stone. Halibel readies her blade, her eyes flashing as the girl darts towards her. Ichigo raises a fist and screams, launching a punch at Halibel. The blonde haired woman reaches out and catches her hand in the midst of the dust and slams her into the floor, a crack splitting the ground in two. Ichigo bursts up out of the smoke and flips over Halibel, the enemy twisting on her foot.
"Don't underestimate me!" Halibel shrieks. She flings her sword around her and swipes upwards, Ichigo narrowly avoiding the blade's clean edge as it cuts through the sky. A yellow dagger like blast of energy is released from the tip and Ichigo spirals out of range, landing neatly on all fours as the attack detonates against a wall in the background, balls of golden tinted smoke spewing from behind her. As Ichigo looks up, Halibel is already beside her and she slashes outwards. Ichigo vanishes but Halibel feels the blade connect.
"You're too slow," Halibel hisses, spinning around as Ichigo appears in the sky, skidding to a stop, blood seeping from her forearm. "It's over!" Halibel swings, a blast of yellow light rocketing into the sky and slamming into Ichigo, covering the girl in a shroud of power and mist. Halibel smirks at her victory, spinning her sword around on her finger. Suddenly, a bolt of black and red seething energy rips from the veil and strikes the ground, Halibel fleeing backwards, eyes wide in shock.
"But…how…?" she curses, her neck craning sharply upwards. Blood spins around Ichigo as she stands in the air, staring down at her opponent through ghostly golden eyes. The glistening red droplets hang in midair, the girl looking down with an air of omnipotence and a haughty sense of aristocratic arrogance as her hair flails about her. "You're bleeding, so what?" Halibel sneers, drawing her blade up to her level. "That blast of energy was a fluke…," with that, she vanished in a crack and reappeared in the air behind Ichigo, "…you won't be so lucky this time!" Halibel screams, a ball of whirring yellow light charging on the edge of her sword.
"Cero!" she cries, unleashing the arc of energy towards Ichigo with a ripple, the attack scouring the battlefield. Ichigo looks up as the attack blinds her, engulfing the entire stage of war. With a flash, Ichigo screams, whipping her arm upwards, a torrent of black and red energy following her hand, severing the yellow blast of power in half. Halibel stands in the air, speechless, her mouth agape. Ichigo disappears and swings her arm at Halibel, the blood flicking from her wound and forming a twisted energy strike, Halibel bringing her sword up, the two clashing, sparks flying. Halibel bares her teeth. "How? Her blood…it's the catalyst for her attacks! She's…overpowering me!" Ichigo's eyes flash and Halibel gasps.
"Getsuga Tenshou," Ichigo whispers delicately and Halibel's cries are drowned out as she disappears in a wave of surging black power. Bounding quickly out of the rubble, Halibel leaps through the air and kicks off of the wall, looking around, coughing and spluttering, her arm covering her mouth as her eyes scan the battlefield.
"Where did she go?" she thinks to herself when a shadow crosses her face and Ichigo is directly in front of her. Halibel goes to bring up her sword but Ichigo whips her arm downwards and the black rush of power lands heavily on the enemy. There is a blast and the ceiling explodes, flinging chunks of stone miles up into the air, dust and debris raining down on the two combatants as Halibel hits the floor below with a sickening thud. Ichigo lands softly some way in front of her, the rain beginning to seep in and cover the field of broken flowers and green. Ichigo's hair is plastered to her face as Halibel attempts to climb to her feet, resting on her arm, her face bloodied, some of it dripping from her lip and mixing with the rainwater. Scowling at Ichigo, Halibel sighs heavily, her shoulders lurching. Defeated by a newborn vampire... it's pathetic. Too unthinkable for her to report back to Aizen. "Your powers... use them to devour me." she asks through clenched teeth as a thin shadow blocks out the rain from falling on her face. "Kill me."
"Tch... Like I would do anything your way." Ichigo quickly replies harsh and clear, her lips curling slightly in aggravation. "Just leave." Turning around and walking back to the large torn section of wall of her parent's refuge. Sensing the men and Halibel gone she shakes the rain from her hair just as the clouds slip away from concealing the moon. Lifting her gaze to the back of the room where Juushiro sits she tilts her head to the side and gives him a smile. "I'm sorry about that."
Inside the house Juushiro gathers himself to his feet. struggling with the burning pain in his body. Spurred forward by the sight of Ichigo reappearing he moves towards her with uneasy steps. "Are... you hurt?" he whispers, lifting a hand out to her. The hole in the ceiling from the werewolves special attack allows the silver beams of the moon mixed with rain to filter into the area. The ray of moonlight strikes Ichigo's ginger hair, the effect instantly turning her hair a sudden pure white down to the tips of her long locks. "Oh... my god."
"What is it?" she asks putting a hand on the wall before hopping over a large piece of ceiling.
"Your hair... reacts with the moonlight." he gasps streaking his hand through the pristine white silk. "You favor your mother."
Ichigo didn't really think about it before. But now, standing next to Juushiro, she looks up at the false sky-filled sky and realizes what drove her parent's to come down here and live in this place. "My father and mother... they had to live down here? Isn't that right Juushiro?"
"I will tell you everything you need to know." he replies leaning against the half destroyed wall, the fatige of his blood-loss finally taking it's toll. "Soon as I rest for a bit."
"J-Juushiro!" Ichigo watches him drop to the floor in slow motion. Her arms reach out managing to keep him from hitting the cold ground. "I have you... I have you."
Hey all! It's been awhile. I've been giving the good fight, with an illness so writing is slow going. But here is the next chapter! I hope you like it. HUGS YOU ALL Fuzzi