I'm in a good mood again! I just got a new iPod! I'm so happy, it's blue... yayyyy!
But, since I have limited time, I should get to the point and talk about the story... I'll need to tell you that Gin's bankai appears in this chapter, but I don't elaborate on it very much (actually barely at all, I don't think his bankai is very special) so if anyone hasn't caught up with the manga, I'm really sorry, but with how angry he also must be, I can't imagine him not using bankai.
Toshiro gets to fail in this chapter! Well, more than he already has that is. But maybe next chapter he can have some coolness times.
Anyhow, here's the next chapter, so enjoy!
Aizen's eyes glinted menacingly as he stared at Toshiro from above.
"Now, Hitsugaya, release it." His voice came forcefully, with an air of authority that no wise or rational person would dare defy.
But Toshiro's eyes only narrowed in annoyance, Aizen's words not striking any emotion other than anger and hate. Even Ichimaru, creepily squinting by Toshiro's side, did not show any fear of Aizen's wrath.
In a low voice, Gin whispered to Toshiro.
"I know you probably already understand this,but no matter what, you cannot let Aizen use his illusions to trick you into opening the Hogyoku. If that happens, he'll be unstoppable."
Toshiro's annoyance at Gin ticked again as he gave a small grunt of acknowledgment, but made no comment.
"Fine then." Gin's eyes opened somewhat as he glared at Aizen. "I'm getting tired of this."
Bringing his zanpaktou into a stance he had become accustomed to, Gin spoke a single word to release the next stage of his zanpaktou's abilities.
"Bankai."
As the words left Ichimaru's mouth, Toshiro vanished in a shunpo. Faster than the eyes could see, Shinso extended, only to reappear in Gin's hand at normal length almost instantly.
Aizen turned just in time to see Toshiro's ice based zanpaktou aiming for his neck, but Gin's attack was so swift that the enemy did not feel the blood already soaking through his clothes for a few moments.
With a small grunt of effort, Aizen dodged Toshiro's attack and his hand flew to his abdomen where Shinso had struck. He knew of the high speeds that Gin's bankai held, but in his focus on Toshiro, his subordinate received little attention.
The bemused man gave a sigh as the skin immediately began to heal, instant regeneration closing the wound before either of his opponents could attack again.
"Gin..." Aizen tore his eyes off of his coveted child prodigy and finally rested them upon the one whom had injured him. "Shouldn't you understand by now to not interrupt me when I'm conducting my business?"
A smile crept along Gin's face, and Aizen studied the expression carefully. He had never given much care to think about Gin's situation much, as the soul reaper was old news, and the game Aizen played with him was indeed becoming boring.
Messing with Hitsugaya was simply more fun than with Gin. The boy was emotionally stronger than him, and watching Toshiro struggle helped fill the sadistic desire in Aizen's stone cold heart. Gin was occasionally handy to have around, but at the moment, he was a mere nuisance.
Aizen blocked an attack from Toshiro as if the boy wasn't even there, and made his decision to be rid of his minute annoyance.
Gin saw the attack coming, but in his own anger, he refused the cowardice of a dodge. In a flash of irrationality, Gin brought his shortened blade up in defense.
It was a mistake. Aizen had used shunpo to get to Ichimaru, without bothering to use illusions. Metal clashed as Kyoka Suigetsu and Shinso met. Gin's muscles protested with the strain of holding Aizen back.
The white haired ex-captain gave a start as Aizen's smile widened.
"Hado 99"
Seeing his opponents hand heading for his chest, Ichimaru gasped and attempted to shunpo away.
"Black coffin."
Gin's desperate endeavor of a dodge was not enough to evade a direct attack from Aizen. Toshiro's eyes widened as his ally disappearing in a black prism summoned by Aizen's will. The air hung in strange apprehension as the effects of the hado took their toll on the soul reaper caught inside.
Gin Ichimaru found the blood catch in his throat, erasing the scream of shock that rattled in his head. As the blackness subsided, his vision blurred and his conscience faded. He did not even feel himself fall helplessly to the ground, incapacitated.
"Fool."
Gin's heart wrenched as he faded further and further away from the world, a sharp and horrid pain spreading across every wound and bruise on his body. Aizen had gotten better at that hado, thought the mere fact that Gin retained a breath proved that his enemy had not used his full abilities.
As Gin struggled to breathe, blood flowed from his mouth and out of the wounds newly sliced into his flesh. Toshiro stared in vague surprise at the broken and bloody form of Ichimaru before he forced his emotions down. Hatred and anger would be the only things he would allow himself to feel.
He had only just tightened his grip on Hyourinmaru when the breath was knocked out of him. Toshiro's head spun as the air whooshed by. Coming to a sudden stop, he gave a quick gasp as his head struck hard rock, followed by the rest of him. Crumpling to the ground, he clutched his head in pain. Crimson blood ran down his face in danger of entering his eyes.
Clenching his teeth together, Toshiro ignored the ringing in the back of his head and started to his feet, his eyes tightening in rage.
Aizen did not wait for Toshiro to gain his footing. After his first attack, the enemy immediately shunpoed to the half-standing soul reaper, and his strong hand came to the boy's neck.
Toshiro didn't have enough time to gasp. His eyes widened in pain momentarily before he narrowed them again. Having fallen to his knees, the boy's resilient eyes continued to harbor his hatred and none of his fear as he was held by his neck. A look of contempt coming to Aizen's face, he tightened his grip. Toshiro winced and his mouth gaped in search for air. Fully enjoying his position of superiority, standing firmly above the boy who was helplessly driven into a kneel, the man forced the now struggling boy to raise his head and meet Aizen's eyes.
"I gave you an order." Aizen growled, and though he completely relished in the power that he had over the younger boy, a flash of anger passing through his eyes. "You are nothing more than a tool, and a tool is to do as is the will of his master.
It appears you have yet to learn that."
Aizen released his grip on his prisoner's neck and cast him to the ground. As Toshiro coughed and gasped, trying to regain his breath, Aizen withdrew the Hogyoku from the depths of his robe.
"I will give you one more chance." Aizen spoke as Toshiro continued to cough, until the boy fell back to a quick shuddering pant, and his malicious glare found its way back on Aizen. "Open the Hogyoku, now."
Toshiro noticed his zanpaktou fallen a few yards away, and considered bolting for it, though not for the purpose Aizen would've preferred. A feeling of utterly pathetic weakness had filled Toshiro's heart as soon as Aizen had held him in such a pitiful situation, and the boy wanted only to hide that feeling behind a blade, to swing a sword with all his effort in order to avert those horrid feelings of powerlessness.
But Aizen took a step to the side and Toshiro's view of his zanpaktou was blocked. The boy was still keeled over, trying to catch his breath, and he turned his eyes back to Aizen.
The man above him seemed to show a bit more emotion than usual, though only out of his growing impatience. His eyes narrowed.
"If you are refusing, Hitsugaya, then I will have to teach you to obey."
Aizen retrieved a second object from his robe, and immediately Toshiro forgot about trying to breathe. A short yet smooth wooden object revealed itself in Aizen's hand, it's pure black surface seeming to thirst for a person to take its abilities out on.
The walls Toshiro had built up against his fear took a cannonball right in the center, and parts of them crumbled. The boy's eyes were wide and he found the hatred and rage immediately replaced with a fear so strong he couldn't keep himself from trembling and backing up away from Aizen and against the large piece of wall behind him.
A smile returned to Aizen's face as he noticed the look of utter horror in Toshiro's eyes. With a chuckle, he leaned forward towards the boy, who shrank down and tried to press away from the man, looking very much like a cornered animal. In a sadistic type of glee, Aizen reached forward and clenched his hand around several locks of silvery hair. The thrill of his own great advantage passed through the man's heart as he pulled the panic-stricken soul reaper upwards. As his feet left the ground, Toshiro didn't even hear his own whimpers of pain and fear. Aizen's fingernails dug into his scalp, and the boy felt blood running down neck.
"You know, I created this device a long time ago, especially for controlling Gin." The enemy spoke as uncontrollable tremors began to shake Toshiro. "But I can see the effects on you are equally interesting."
After only another second of waiting, Aizen pulled the device back, and, at long last, brought into Toshiro's side.
The boy could only do one thing to release even a tiny fraction of his pain. He screamed.
As Ichigo brought zangetsu's bankai form down to meet Grimmjow's blade, a new sound suddenly came to his ears, and he stopped in surprise. The pause was involuntary, and Ichigo thought for sure his stupid move would give Grimmjow an opening, but the Espada jumped away and landed a few yards away, looking towards the direction of Aizen's battle.
Ichigo turned his head in that direction and listened, until the noise was present again.
It was Toshiro, he realized as his stomach churned in horror, he failed.
The boy's agonized cry was barely audible from this distance, but the amount of pain contained in those screams brought Ichigo to absolute revulsion.
As he tried desperately to block out his friend's shriek of agony, Ichigo looked to Grimmjow, and noticed a huge grin across the arrancar's face.
Well, Ichigo's gonna be pissed.
I AM HORRIBLE! I cannot BELIEVE how cruel I am! I almost don't want to reread this chapter, it makes me feel sick, and it's worse when I know that this is all from MY imagination! I don't know why, but this chapter in particular I feel really really horrible about. I was very nearly crying as I wrote it, and ask my twin, it is pretty much impossible to make me cry.
At this rate, how am I going to get myself to write all the things that happen in the sequel? Oh those last 10 or so chapters are going to be complete torture to write... poor Toshiro, I am absolutely horrendous. GOD. Ichigo, you had better get over there and help Toshiro before I can't get myself to write the next chapter... only actually I think the next one won't be as bad as this one...
I luv how I'm just now fully understanding how sick, twisted, and evil I can be. To fictional characters of course. I just want everyone to know, I am not a mass murderer, or a torturer, or anything demented like that. I'm a high school student. Although I suppose high school can be pretty demented, especially my biology teacher...
I need to stop rambling now, and it would be great if you guys could review me and tell me if you liked this chapter... or were terrified by it, or whatever... I think I might just be overreacting.. is this much worse than my usual writing?
