Chapter 10
The Silent Hornet and the Noble Hollow
A week had passed since his meeting with Ukitake.
In that time he had managed to regain his connection to Zangetsu by going to the Menos Forest and killing a few hollows with his sword, mentor, and friend.
Today, however, he had decided to visit the World of the Living to check up on his sisters.
He sensed five reiatsu; Kon was downstairs asleep on the couch, Nozomi was asleep in his room, his sisters asleep in theirs, and his father was awake in his room, out of his body sitting cross legged on his bed.
'Jinzen...' Ichigo thought.
He swiftly dropped his spiritual pressure to the almost absolute minimum, hinting he was there.
He then promptly shot it to maximum; holding it down that far was difficult.
The door opened and his father, in his gigai, stood in the doorway.
"Ichigo," Isshin started. "I've heard you've been...busy."
"Cut the crap, old man. I just wanted to check on Karin and Yuzu. Are they alright?"
Isshin nodded. "They're fine. Don't worry, Ichigo. I don't care what happens, I won't let anything happen to them. They're my own, after all."
"That's good to know."
Isshin frowned. "What's with the outfit?"
"It's a long story. I don't have much time; they're coming."
"Who, Ichigo?"
"Second Squad Captain Soi-Fon and some of the stealth force. I felt the Senkaimon open. Go back inside before they think you have something to do with my actions." Ichigo explained.
"Alright. Stay safe, Ichigo. And I hope you know what you're doing."
"So do I sometimes." Ichigo murmured before turning away.
Isshin went back inside and shut the door.
Then several blurs appeared around him; stealth force soldiers.
'But where's Soi-fon-!' He snapped around and caught the stinger-tipped arm about to strike him.
"Captain Soi-Fon."
"Ichigo Kurosaki."
"Are you here because Captain-Commander Yamamoto sent you, or are you here because of your own vendetta? It doesn't matter. I've been looking for a challenge. Then again, I haven't even found the second Vasto Lorde, so..."
"Second..." Soi-Fon narrowed her eyes. "What are you up to, Kurosaki?"
"Maybe I'll tell you, if you can defeat me in combat. Just one rule," Ichigo slid his hand down and crushed Suzumibachi's stinger. "We can't have you using your shikai. That takes all the fun out of it. And call off you soldiers; they wouldn't last a second against me. We need to reduce deaths."
"What?"
"If some new threat comes along, and I'm not there to hold Soul Society's hand, how will you manage, I wonder?"
"Arrogant BRAT!" Soi-Fon launched a kick that sent Ichigo flying sideways.
He stood up and clapped. "Impressive! You're still as tough as ever. This should be fun." Ichigo drew Zangetsu from the cloth around his waist.. then stuck him in the ground.
"Now, let me show you how it's done." He vanished in Sonido and delivered a chop to Soi-Fon's back.
She went tumbling away.
"I could have hit you in the neck with that. Then you'd be a dead woman." Ichigo crossed his arms. "You're not using all your strength. Use Shunko. Impress me."
She growled. "I don't have to impress you hollow!" She charged him and landed a kick to his stomach...with no effect.
Ichigo grabbed her ankle and held her upside down in the air.
"Release me you animal!"
"Now why should I do that?" Ichigo's voice took a darker tone and the "primary" voice in the mix was higher.
"What... You aren't Ichigo..."
"No. I'm his inner hollow. All I'm saying is you're a tough one. Ichigo got bored."
'That insolent...!' Soi-Fon fumed in her head.
"I have a question for you, Soi-Fon."
"That's Captain Soi-Fon to you, Hollow."
"You're in no position to bark orders. Now shut up and listen, woman. Ichigo here took this form and beat Aizen with it. Then he came back, helped with the Regai thing. What's so wrong with him? Is it because you're jealous he got to train with your precious 'Lady Yorouichi'?"
"Or is there more to it? He's a hollow? No, I'm a hollow. He's a Vizard. New question: If a fruit rots, is it still not the same fruit? When decay takes over, and the fruit loses its ripened form, is it a different fruit, or just the same one?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Soi-fon felt dizzy; the blood was rushing to her head.
Hollow Ichigo noticed this and rudely dropped the woman.
"Now maybe you can think straight. Well? What's the answer?"
"Is this a riddle?"
"Now yer' getting' it."
"I suppose a fruit is still the fruit if it becomes rotten. It's appearance...just..."
"There you go. Ichigo is still Ichigo, just looks different. We're working on that. Go back to Soul Society. Tell your colleagues that 'The White Strawberry will turn Black when he Courts the Princess who Rejects Reality.' We're leaving."
Hollow Ichigo tapped the air and a Gargantua opened. He used Chain to return Zangetsu and walked into the portal.
"Later."
Ichigo was given control when they returned to Hueco Mundo.
'Oi, king! Feel that? That's a Vasto Lorde!'
'Yeah. Should we go after them?'
'Why not? Soi-Fon was boring. I have a request: I want to fight it.'
'EH? Why would I let you do that?'
'Come on, I never get to have any fun! And you owe me for not giving me that 'alone time' with Felicia.'
'...Fine.' Ichigo thrust control to his Hollow.
Unfortunately during the swap time, they were hit by a Cero.
"Shit!" Hollow Ichigo rose and searched for his opponent.
Upon locating it, the crazed alter ego charged, laughing maniacally.
His hollow grinned as his fist met the jaw of a Vasto Lorde.
This one was male.
The Vasto Lorde was colored brown, and had brown fur over his chest, shoulders, and everywhere between his waist and knees.
He had twin wings that sprouted from his back, similar to a bat's.
His legs were triple- jointed like a horse's hind legs, ending in hooves.
His mask covered his head except for the back, where long, messy dirty blonde hair flowed from.
From its lower back sprouted a reptilian tail that split in two near the end.
He had two horns that shot back from the sides of his mask, which had no visible mouth and slanted eye holes.
His eyes weren't the normal hollow yellow; instead they were similar to a snake's.
The beast asked something in a foreign tongue, with a Jersey accent.
"Eh?"
'That's English, Hollow. Let me talk.'
'Che! Fine.'
Thankfully all those hours studying had given Ichigo decent enough English skills.
"Sorry... my friend here doesn't speak English. I can speak a bit, but try to keep it simple, okay?"
"I see..." the hollow said. "You seem a bit less...violent than the other one."
"The same applies to you. My name's Ichigo Kurosaki."
"I only know my surname from the 'legends' I've heard; it's Leeds"
"How do you know it was about you?"
"I was born this way. Not as in transformed, as in born; my mother and father were human."
"I'm not totally a hollow either. I was born a Human, but I got soul reaper and hollow powers later on. You know what an arrancar is, right?"
"A ran what?"
"They're hollows who take the form and powers of a soul reaper. Which reminds me, I'm getting a group together to mimic the Gotei 13 from the Vasto Lorde in Hueco Mundo. Are you interested?"
"The form of a soul reaper... That sounds wonderful."
"Maybe you can tell me about yourself on the way."
"Alright. I suppose I should start from the beginning..."
The year was 1735 if I remember right. I vaguely remember being born a normal, human child. Then I remember nothing for a few seconds. When I came back to a "conscious" state I felt an extreme hunger.
I looked around. There were many humans. I attacked the one on the bed first, killing her and devouring her soul. Then I cleared the room of the few other humans and smashed open a door. They all cowered.
Memories of the souls I had devoured began to come back to me; one recognized a man negatively, so I took his first before killing the rest in the room. As memories that were not my own flooded my mind,
I began to feel something strange. IT was sadness; the ones I had killed were my family. Horrified, I looked for escape, seeing a strange looking brick tunnel, I used my form to escape. For centuries I roamed that landscape.
I eventually made a name for myself; apparently humans could see me. Then the hunger came back. I began eating more and more humans as they hunted me down. Some for the kill, some for a flash from a strange
black box... it didn't matter. Eventually I made my way to Hueco Mundo and got a taste for hollows. It was then that I also made a vow never to eat a human again.
"That's odd. What's more odd is that normal humans could see you." Ichigo commented.
"Really? I'm from the place in the "United States" called "New Jersey". I have a nickname there," the hollow said.
"What's that?"
"The Jersey Devil."
Ichigo had heard rumors from Keigo, who insisted he was real.
The two then arrived at Los Noches.
Ichigo opened the door and did a small Reiatsu flare.
The Arrancar he had gathered arrived.
"Everyone," he said in Japanese, "This is Leeds. He's unique in a number of ways, first and foremost he can only speak English. I guess I'll have to get something to help him learn Japanese."
He turned back to Leeds. "Come with me," Ichigo commanded in English.
"Right."
"Aizen," Ichigo said upon arrival. "I heard rumors the Hogyoku grants the wishes of those around it. What if I wanted him to be able to speak Japanese when he becomes an Arrancar?"
"He doesn't already? That's possible. I just need to will it so." Aizen replied.
"Do it." Ichigo shoved Leeds onto his hands and knees. The Vasto Lorde was wrapped in bandages and the process began.
When it was finished, a male with messy shoulder length brown hair, red eyes that matched those of his pre-arrancar form, and Caucasian skin was in place of the monster that had been. His mask had been reduced to the lower right half of his face,and covered half his mouth.
Leeds ran his hands over his face slowly.
"This is..." He said in English.
"Can you understand me?" Ichigo asked in Japanese.
"Oddly... yes. I can." Leeds replied. He looked to Aizen. "Is this your doing?"
"Why yes it is. Are you satisfied with the results?"
"Very. Thank you." Leeds replied.
"Let's get you some clothes," Ichigo motioned to the door.
Leeds had decided upon a very western appearance, based on his last long trip there in 1909.
He wore a white trenchcoat and slacks, with black loafers.
"It's...different." Commented Ichigo.
"Yes, you "Japanese" certainly dress different than Americans do." His had a sword on his back, the strap for the sheathe looped over his torso.
"So do you have any kind of specialty? Something you're very good at?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes actually I do. I've evaded capture by the rest of the United states for almost three centuries. I have the ability to "melt" into shadows as well."
"Very well. You're Captain of Squad 2. Let me introduce you to everyone else." Ichigo motioned to the group of arrancar (and Orihime) in front of him.
Nel's old Fraccion had taken on their old forms, and now functioned under Ichigo as third and fourth seat, respectively.
"You've met Aizen, Captain of Squad Zero. I'm Captain-Commander and Captain of Squad 1. The one with the ram's horns on her mask is my Lieutenant, Neliel. The one with the cat ears is Felicia. Her aggressive personality puts her in charge of Squad Eleven. Ulquiorra is the one with the black hair. He's with Aizen in Squad Zero. Tia's the next one, the blonde in the..."exotic" outfit. She's also with Aizen's squad. The one in all white with the mask covering the lower half of his face is Pesche, my third seat. The one next to him is Dondochakka, my fourth seat. Lastly we have the only human here, and my friend, Orihime. Welcome to the 13 Kotei museihu."
"Imperial...Anarchy?"
"I'll explain later. Right now, I'll have Pesche show you to your quarters."
Ichigo then turned to Orihime. "Orihime, will you come with me? We need to talk. Alone."
She nodded and ran over to him.
After some walking, they arrived in the desert area of Los Noches. Ichigo looked up to the hole in the ceiling.
He picked up Orihime bridal style.
"Hold on." He vanished into sonido.
When the arrived on the roof, Ichigo set her down.
"I think the term for this is called 'coming full circle'." Ichigo mused.
"What do you mean?"
"It was here I took this form. It's here that I hope to lose it."
"What do you mean?" Orihime's heart skipped a beat; would Ichigo be able to go back to how he used to look?
"Orihime. Have you ever heard of events that change a person? Forcing them to grow up in a way?"
"Yes...What are you trying to say, Ichigo?"
"That's what happened to me. When you saw me out on that soccer field, I realized there were certain things I couldn't feel anymore. One of them was heartache." Ichigo paused, letting his words sink in. "I realiazed then that I had to discard my childish ignrance... my naievety. I had to grow up."
He walked over to the small dent in the ground where he had once had Ulquiorra pinned, memories that weren't his flooding his mind.
"I want to try something. If this doesn't work, I'll have to resort to plan B. Ulquiorra! Come out."
The Arrancar appeared from behind a pillar, in Segunda Etapa.
"I'm going to fight Ulquiorra again. This time, I'm going to have my intelligence. Orihime, where was I when I transformed?"
She reluctantly pointed to a spot on the ground, dried blood caking on it.
Ichigo walked over to it and motioned Orihime to follow.
"Sit where you were. We're going to reenact this entire scene if I had been in my right mind. Know you'll be in real danger; I've told Ulquiorra to shoot to kill so to speak. You being here won't affect his aim. Just play along." Ichigo said, removing the upper portion of his clothing.
"A-alright..."
Ichigo stood in the spot where he was. He'd never been a good actor, but he was going to do this.
He looked and noticed a nick in the ground. He tossed Zangetsu practically right next to it, embedding his blade in the ground.
"What's the word movie directors use? Action, right? Yeah. Action."
Ichigo let out a growl.
Ulquiorra circled. "You can't be alive. How have you taken that form? Who are you?"
Ichigo lowered his right hand and called for his blade.
"I can't say how I took this form," Ichigo started. "But I can tell you; I'm still Ichigo Kurosaki. I also said that it isn't that I want to beat you; I have to beat you."
He swung the blade down, generating a gust of wind that started to blow Orihime away...until Ichigo grabbed her wrist.
"Stay here, Orihime. It'll all be over soon."
He then let out a fearsome roar.
Ulquiorra raised his finger and charged a Cero Oscuras.
Ichigo lowered his horns and charged a full power Cero Gigante.
The two blasts fired and Ichigo's overpowered Ulquiorra's easily.
The ensuing explosion sent a wave of heat flowing over the roof and a cloud of smoke billowing into the air.
The two shot out of the smoke at once.
"This can't be. A mere Human cannot fire a Cero." Ulquiorra commented.
"Unfortunately, I'm not 'just' a mere human." Ichigo let out a low growl. "I'm a Vizard." He charged another Cero, which Ulquiorra managed to stop with his own.
The Arrancar managed to move away but lost Ichigo...who appeared behind him.
As he turned around, Ichigo grabbed his arm and sliced it clean off... before hitting the Espada over the head with it. "I figured I left you 'out on a limb' so I decided to 'lend you a hand'."
"King I know you're acting but that was HORRIBLE!" complained his hollow.
"...I have to agree with your hollow. That was truly an awful joke.'
Ichigo ignored them ,staying in character.
Ulquiorra looked own at his arm, willing it to regrow.
"My greatest attribute is not my offensive capabilities, but my regeneration."
"Perfect. That just means I'll have to chop you up until there's nothing left to regenerate." Ichigo said simply.
"You'll never beat me if you stop to stare after tearing off one arm." Ulquiorra stated.
He then drew his hands together. A ball of energy formed which extended into a spear as Ulquiorra pulled his hands outward.
"Lanza De Relampago."
"So your ultimate technique is a glow stick?"
"Stay away from me." Ulquiorra commanded. "I would prefer not to set this off near me."
He threw the spear.. and Ichigo sidestepped with Sonido.
"I missed. It truly is hard to control."
"You didn't miss. I dodged."
"Impossible. No Flash Step is that quick."
"What if I didn't use flash step?"
"A mere human cannot have possibly done what you are suggesting."
"You should stop calling me that."
Ulquiorra summoned another Lanza and prepared to throw it.. when Ichigo vanished in another Sonido, appearing behind Ulquiorra.
"Do you believe me now?"
Ichigo swung his blade vertically, which Ulquiorra blocked with his Lanza.
However, the Espada went sliding backwards.
Ichigo took to the skies using his Reiatsu to create a "platform" under his feet.
Ulquiorra got about halfway to him... before Ichigo disappeared again.
"Payback's a bitch." Ichigo said coldly as he grabbed Ulquiorra's neck and dragged him along the side of a massive pillar.
Ichigo then struck with his sword again, shattering the pillar and causing Ulquiorra to catch himself in the air.
"Give up while you still can." Ichigo said. "Or I'll destroy you."
"You claim you aren't human." Ulquiorra said. "Let's test that."
Ichigo watched as Ulquiorra threw his Lanza...Right at Orihime.
"Shit, ORIHIME!" Ichigo vanished in sonido, managing to throw himself over Orihime in time for the Lanza to impact his back.
He let out an uholy scream of agony as the attack detonated.
"You're a liar, Kurosaki Ichigo. You may look like a hollow. You may use Sonido. You may use Cero. But you are not a hollow. Only a mere human."
He wrapped his tail around Orihime's neck and lifted her off the ground.
"How shall I dispose of her now that I've dealt with you? Perhaps throw her over the edge? Crush her windpipe? Rip her apart in search of this useless 'heart' you humans speak of?"
Ichigo felt his rage rising. Ulquiorra had taken this too far. Ichigo felt it trying to take over.
'NO! This is my fight. I won't become some sort of animal!'
Ichigo slashed Ulquiorra's tail and Orihime fell to the ground.
"A heart isn't useless, Ulquiorra. A heart fuels emotions, which can, if applied, fuel adrenaline." Ichigo let the information sink in. "If a normal child can lift a car with this simple chemical, imagine what I can do."
Ichigo grabbed Ulquiorra's neck and squeezed before throwing him about 30 feet away. Ichigo then placed a foot on Ulquiorra's head. His Cero Gigante glowed red over Ulquiorra.
"No mercy. How very hollow-like."
I'm not a hollow either. I'm a Vizard. I want to kill you. I want to watch as you turn to ash. I want you to vanish and never, ever, come back. But," Ichigo said, "That's what a hollow would do. I have something called compassion. You're not a bad guy. You're just taking orders. You show potential. But I won't decide. Whether you live or die. It isn't my decision to make. If I make the wrong choice...Orihime might hate me. If I kill you, I will become a monster. Orihime?" Ichigo looked over at her... and noticed she was fozen in shock.
A look of horror was in her eyes and her breathing was fast.
"Orihime!" Ichigo stopped charging the Cero and instantly sonido'd over to her.
He remembered some of what he'd learned from his father.
He checked her pulse.
"Her pulse is faster than normal. I need to get her to a human doctor. Also, that was a good fight." Ichigo picked her up and opened a Gargantua..
Ichigo reappeared in his house, where his father had just returned from work.
"Ichigo? What's- What happened to her?" His father asked.
"Well- Help her first! I'll explain after!" Ichigo panicked.
Isshin hadn't seen him this paranoid in a long time.
"Easy. Set her on the couch."
Ishhin did some tests (what he could anyway) and had an idea of what was wrong.
"Ichigo... what happened?"
"I decided to try and see if I could change back by reenacting my fight with Ulquiorra. But then things got out of hand, and he attacked her. I attacked him, and then- Where's Kon?"
Isshin called him downstairs. Kon's spiritual pressure had revived enough to where it was when he was just a mod soul, so he could see Ichigo.
"Ichigo? What are you doing here?"
"Shut up and get on the floor." Ichigo shoved him over.
"Ow! What tha-!" He froze in fear as Ichigo put his foot on Kon's head and lowered his horns, instinctively charging a Cero.
"WAAHAH ICHIGO WHAT DID I DO?"
Ichigo noticed the Cero and quelled it. "Sorry. Instinct. Anyways, It was like this. Then I looked over and she was like she is now!"
"You must have done this when you transformed the first time. She's experiencing symptoms of PTSD."
"PTSD?"
"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's usually formed by soldiers after war, but other traumatic events can cause it as well. The only thing I can think of now is to sedate her, but I don't have any medicine."
"No need." Ichigo placed a hand over Orihime's face and she calmed, going unconscious.
"How did you do that? I didn't know you knew any Kido, Ichigo." Isshin said.
"That would require some explaining, some you might not like to hear." Ichigo said.
"Fine. I understand if you don't want to tell me. Anyways, I want her to stay here so I can see about giving her therapy."
"I don't know if that's safe for her." Ichigo said.
"...I understand that. But I'll keep her safe to the best of my abilities."
"Alright. I'm staying too though. Just to be safe."
"Fine fine. What about your...group... in...you know..."
"Yeah. Neliel knows what to do."
That night, Orihime had been temporarily moved to the clinic.
Ichigo decided to stay next to her, just in case.
He sat in a chair by her bed, thinking about his current mess of a situation.
"If you'd have JUST told her how you feel..."
'Shut your mouth.'
He looked over to Orihime.
"...Look. I don't know if your brain will register this. But I'm sorry. I did this. You always hold me in such high regard. You call me strong. And while I may be powerful, I'm not strong. There's a difference, you see. I'm weak. I can't even..."
He stopped himself to make sure nobody else was around and she was asleep.
"I haven't' told you yet. But... I've... I..Ugh... I..I've fallen in love with you." Ichigo managed.
Then he felt his Reiatsu stir.
His skin slowly peeled away, revealing his normal skin color. His claws shrank and turned back into normal nails. He shrunk in height a bit as well, his outfit adjusting and changing from white to black. The fur on his wrists, ankles, and collar seemed to "wither" away. Then his hollow hole filled up with energy formed from his old "skin". Lastly, his mask shattered, all but one part that had a horn attached; that somehow managed to stay attached to the upper left half of his head.
He slowly ran his fingers over his face.
It was his.
He almost cried in joy.
He was back... mostly.
Suddenly, he felt very tired and passed out, falling forward onto the foot of the mattress.
"The White Strawberry will turn Black when he Courts the Princess who Rejects Reality." his hollow murmered.
END CHAPTER 10
Ichigo's back to his old self...sort of.
The fragment of his mask is like the one Hollowfied Tensa Zangetsu had, for the record, except in normal colors.
His outfit is now Black-Red instead of White-Red as well.
I figured I'd go out on a limb and throw an interesting little what if in there; the Jersey Devil.
Now, if you're not from America look it up! It's New Jersey folklore. Cultural Enrichment and what not.
Anyways, so Ichigo finally got the courage to admit his feelings for Orihime, alhiet while she's asleep.
Also, to avoid reviews saying "OMG IZ ICHIGO AN ARRANCAR NOW?11eleven1"
NO! He's still a perfect Vizard. His Soul Reaper powers have taken priority, thus he looks more like a soul reaper than a hollow.
And the term Ichigo coined for his Hollow Gotei is something along the lines of "Thirteen Imperial Anarchy Squads".
Don't look at me, I can't speak Japanese; I use translators.
Next time:
The Protector and The Princess; Ichigo's new resolve!