Chapter 4

Descent

Ichigo reappeared in front of his friends. He was careful to approach slowly and visibly; at his new level of power they couldn't feel him coming.

"Hey." Ichigo waved.

"Icihgo... what...are you?" Tatsuki asked.

"That's... a long story. It starts back when Rukia 'transferred' out for the first time. She had left for Soul Society and- wait your memories were erased, weren't they? Well, before Chad, Orihime, Uryuu and I disappeared for about a month. We went to go rescue Rukia from her unjust execution. However, my powers as a soul reaper had been taken. Urahara gave me training to get them back."

He explained his lessons, including the Shattered Shaft.

"I became a hollow. But at the same time, I became a soul reaper. Now we skip ahead until when I came back. You remember Shinji right?"

The group nodded.

"He's like me, a Vizard. Half Hollow, Half Shinigami, except he was created by Aizen about a hundred years ago using a powerful artifact called the Hogyoku, while mine was natural. They helped me gain control of my hollow."

"So what does your hollow look like? Like you do now?"

"Actually he looks kind of like I used to, aside from the mask and a different uniform. He's a little..." Ichigo paused, "...crazy. I've gotten used to it though."

"That's kind of ironic actually," said Tatsuki. "He's crazy when you're the one hearing voices."

Ichigo chuckled lightly. "I suppose you're right. I'm not done yet though. After we left to save Orihime we ran into powerful foes known as the Espada. One was named Ulquiorra Cifer. It was when I fought him I "died". That's when I took this form. My hollow took control and pushed him to the brink of death. I managed to regain control and so here I am."

"So will you... you know, ever be able to go back to normal? Like come to school with us and stuff?" Asked Keigo.

Ichigo flinched. He was expecting that question but he didn't want to answer. "I... don't know. In this state I'm not sure my human body can handle my powers. Hell, for all I know it might change too. I'm going to ask Urahara about that later. Right now, just enjoy the fact there's nothing to worry about anymore. I'll still be around. I have to go now. I just felt Uryu and Orihime return. They're with Urahara right now. I'll see you around everyone." Ichigo vanished.

Ichigo reappeared next to Urahara. He looked over to his friends.

Orihime was starting to tear up.

Before she could greet him however Ichigo looked to Urahara. "We need to talk. Away from here."

Urahara nodded and two vanished.

"It all comes back to that question I asked about my body, Urahara." Said Ichigo. "Will I be able to get back in it?"

Urahara lowered his hat. "As it stands no; your mere Reatsu would disintegrate it. However,"

Urahra smirked. "If you give me one month I can give your body some special implants that will allow it to withstand your immense spiritual pressure. I have to build them and then carefully install them into your body. Then I have to recalibrate your brain waves to compensate."

"In the mean time I"ll create a Gigai that looks just like you. Kon will pass for you the entire month, and when I'm done I'll customize the gigai how Kon wants it. He deserves a reward for posing as your all this time I think."

Ichigo crossed his arms. "Fine. What am I supposed to do in the mean time?"

Urahara pulled out his fan. "There's still the hollows to deal with. If I were you I'd deal with those to pass the time. If you wish you can stay with me for the month."

"Maybe. Thanks again Urahara." Ichigo turned and waved before vanishing in a sonido.

The blonde man returned to Orihime and Uryuu.

"It seems that Ichigo is going away for a little while. As it stands he can't return to his body. I'm going to work on that. Meanwhile Kon is going to keep playing the part of Ichigo so nobody outside of your little group suspects anything. He'll be using a Gigai I'm going to design later today. Hopefully things will remain quiet for the month I need, but with our luck..." Urahara sighed.

"I understand," said Uryuu. "This means that the rest of us will have to keep the hollow count down from now on..."

"Correct. Now if you'll pardon me I must get to work; we can't have him missing too long, now can we?"

In a few hours Kon awoke within a new gigai that looked just like Ichigo.

"Welcome back, Kon. Tell me, is everything normal? Better idea, can you feel this?" Urahara poked his arm with a thumbtack, but not enough for it to penetrate skin.

"Ow! Of course I can feel that!"

"Good! Everything is perfect! You need to hurry now; we can't have Ichigo being late to school can we?" Said Urahara with a goofy grin.

"Geez I'm going," Kon said, then muttered, "the less time I have to spend with you the better..."

"Uh, king we have a problem."

'What now?' Ichigo said, aggravated.

"Well ya see Ichigo that attack used up a good amount of my half of our spiritual pressure."

'And?'

"Well it was because of our high level and the particles in Hueco Mundo I became Vasto Lorde..."

'What are you getting at?'

"This is going to hurt you a LOT more than it will me..."

Ichigo stumbled a bit as he felt the dome part of his mask shatter, leaving him with a slightly modifided version of his original hollow mask. His jacket tore to pieces as his muscles grew in size. He felt something grow out of his lower back and his feet changed into strange talons.

'What...'

"Yeah so I just downgraded to Adhudjas. That means you change too. You're still a Perfect Vizard, just not Vasto Lorde. If you don't like how you look now, change it."

'How?' Ichigo asked. He was even less human NOW than before.

"How do hollows evolve naturally Ichigo?"

'No way. I am not eating hollows. I bet they taste awful.'

"Ya sound like a little kid whining about eating his veggies Ichigo! It's the same principle; they both help you get big and strong!" his hollow laughed ecstatically.

Ichigo noticed his Reiatsu dropped a bit. 'That too?'

"Yeah so now that you're not fully evolved that hunger should kick in soon Kingy! Better get moving to Hueco Mundo! The Menos Forest is full of Adhudjas, I recommend going there. It shouldn't take too long seeing how fast our powers grow normally, maybe a week of constant eating."

'A WEEK?' Ichigo screamed into his mind.

"That is... unless you want ta risk eatin yer sisters?" The hollow smirked, knowing he had hit home.

'...I'll do it.' Ichigo said, defeated.

He opened a Gargantua and vanished into the Menos Forest, as per his Hollow's directions.

A week swiftly passed, and Ichigo had returned to full strength. The flavor of the hollows was... an acquired taste. By that, it means they were absolutely disgusting, as Ichigo had thought.

Ichigo returned to the World of the Living.

He felt a familiar Reiatsu; Toshiro Hitugaiya. He figured he'd go say hello, for old times' sake.

However as he traveled a new Reiatsu appeared; it was a hollow. He picked up the pace.

Karin and Toshiro stood looking at the hollow, who held an elderly woman in one hand. It raised its arm, prepared to strike at Karin... and then was halted by a similar being.

"Nobody.. hurts.. my... SISTER!" Ichigio shoved the fist back and released a soulless roar as he pounced the hollow.

"Kurosaki, wait!" Toshiro called out. He regretted calling Ichigo by name as he heard a gasp of shock from behind him.

"Ichi...go?" Karin's eyes were wide and she was shaking.

'Oh no...' Ichigo began to panic.

"King... don't forget you're still dealing with a hollow..."

Ichigo disengaged the hollow and sonido'd away, mortified at what he had just done.

'I'm sorry...' He knew he had terrified her... she would share this knowledge... and everything he knew would be torn asunder.

After the situation with the hollow was resolved, Toshiro approached Karin.

"I need to explain a few things to you. About your brother." he inhaled and did his best to explain the situation in layman's terms.

"In truth, he's only become a monster physically; he's still the same person he was before." Toshiro comforted. 'At least, we hope he is.'

The captain sighed at Karin's state. She refused to look up from the ground.

"Stay right here." Toshiro said as he sped off to find the Vizard.

Ichigo sat atop the tallest building in town.

His town was truly beautiful, even through his new eyes.

He felt his heart sink as he realized he wouldn't be able to stay here; the soul society would hunt him down.

He might have to even leave the country; perhaps the soul reapers only functioned in Japan. He never heard a mention of anywhere else.

Then again, everything trickled down to his home and to an extent, he himself.

Toshiro suddenly appeared behind him, prompting Ichigo to spring to his feet and draw his sword, his somewhat paranoid thoughts getting to him.

Instinctively Ichigo let out a low growl. "...this is your fault."

Hitsugaya was confused. "How is-?"

"If YOU hadn't gotten so 'chummy' with my sister, she never would have seen me like this!"

Ichigo felt his grip on his temper slipping, the feral thoughts he had on Los Noches screaming at him, clawing at the bonds he had created in tandem with his inner hollow; the truth was that these instincts were too primal to even be his hollow's. They were dangerous to both of them; shout they take over, both

inhabitants of Ichigo's soul would be thrust from control and the monster within would dominate.

It would unleash its unmatched rage.

It would destroy everything Ichigo held dear.

It would slaughter everyone he had ever known...

...Starting with the white haired boy in front of it.

The being let out a chilling roar and Toshiro readied his blade.

End Chapter 4

Sorry it was short this time.

Doesn't bode well for Captain Hitsugaya does it?

To clarify, the form Ichigo took as Perfect Vizard was created by Hollow Ichigo's Instincts and Ichigo's Emotions. Neither one of them was in control; Ichigo got lucky in this story and managed to take the reigns.

So in a nutshell, Instinct plus Emotion equals one crazy sonnovabitch.

The latter portion of this chapter borrows from the anime filler when Hitsugaya takes a day off, runs into Karin, and visits the old lady and the plus who wanted to see snow.

The form Ichigo took about midway, when he lost some power, was the first hollow form he took back when he fought the Vizard.

I'm using Vizard not Vizored because Vizored sounds dumb. So there.

Best of all, Kon is going to get his character developed a bit.

I've thought Kon good comic relief, and so I thought he'd make a good character to make more than that.

Next time:

Severed Bonds! The Beast Unleashed!