Chapter 15 : Blood of the Wolf, Tears of the Phoenix

The execution grounds remained silent. The winds and snows had receeded some time ago. Kalinda sobbed, no knowing what to do. "No..." she whispered, placing a her forehead on Jonouchi's chest. "You can't die... Not now..." She looked around, trying to spot help. Her eyes moved over to Kaze Akurei, who also was unconscious. This was all too much for her. She heard the faint dripping of water, remembered the shattered ice that was scattered around her. The ice was instantly melting, hitting the ground with a splash. She could feel that his reiatsu was fading. She inspected the wound that Aizen delivered, wondering what she should do. It was very deep, and the blood just wouldn't stop.

Kalinda removed her Shinigami Robe, leaving only her under armor. She tied them around the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. She shivered as her bare arms and legs were exposed to the cold air. She sat him up, leaning him against her. She ran her fingers through his blonde hair, crying on his shoulder. "Jou-kun... I need you... Don't leave me..."

"I'm sorry..." Jonouchi said, opening his eyes. He winced in pain as he regained conciousness. Kalinda gasped as she heard him speak.

"Jono-"

"Kalinda. I'm sorry for everything." he frowned, staring at the ground. "I don't have long. My spirit's fading fast."

"I know..." her voice cracked as she sobbed.

"Why... Kalinda... Why did you come back for me when I was on that cross?"

"I couldn't just leave you there." she cried.

"If you would have just left me there, you wouldn't be hurt right now."

"Yes, I would. My heart couldn't take it, Jou... I love you." Kalinda cried, tightening her grip. Jonouchi winced and smiled. He couldn't pick up his head, he was growing too weak.

"I love you too, Kalinda. Always have, since that day." he said, grinning. "A few weeks after my fight with Zaraki, when I was let out of the infirmary. Remember?" Kalinda smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"How could I forget?" she sobbed. "You were sitting under that tree while I was in it, and I got curious. I never thought we would end up like this."

"I'm sorry for not telling you about what went on in Karakura."

"No, it's not your fault. You were just trying to protect them the only way you knew how. I should have listened to you."

"No, I should have trusted you." Jonouchi lifted a hand and slowly ran it through her hair. "This is farewell." he smiled, a tear falling to the dry ground.

"No..." she whispered. "Don't say that. You can fight it, I know you can."

"I love you, Kalinda. More than you know." Jonouchi whispered, his eyes closing. His arm fell from her hair, hitting the ground.

"No..." she whimpered. "Please, no..." She held his body close, trying to keep back her tears. She remained silent, listening for a heartbeat. She let out her tears when she realized that this really was farewell.

"CAPTAIN!" came a shreik as Koukeisha flashed onto the execution grounds with the 4th Squad Captain Unohana behind her. "Kalinda, what happened!?" she asked, worriedly.

"He's gone..." Kalinda sobbed. Unohana knelt down to Jonouchi's level, and placed a palm on his cheek.

"His face is still warm." she said, but shook her head. "But he's lost too much blood. His Soul Chain and Soul Sleep are completely torn. There's nothing we can do for him."

"He's in so much pain..."Kalinda whispered.

"Right now, I have to take care of you, Miss Yochi." Unohana said, noticing the large gash across her chest.

"I'm fine... Do what you can for Jou-kun... Please... You have to save him."

"There's nothing I can do to save him." Unohana sighed.

Koukeisha had remained silent for the time being, staring at the dying body of her Captain. "I..." she began, but stopped. Unohana and Kalinda looked over to her. She looked them in the eyes, but remained silent for a moment. "I... I should be able to save him." she whispered, eyes moving over the body. There was a look of hope in Kalindas eyes. "It's very risky. I don't know what will happen to him. And it will be very painful. He won't be the same." Koukeisha said, lowering her eyes. Kalinda remained silent. She didn't know what to say.

"What do you mean by 'won't be the same'?" Kalinda asked. Deep in her mind she knew she didn't want to know.

"It's just as I said." Koukeisha replied. "But you have to make the choice now, before it's too late." Kalinda paused. She wanted him to be with her, and she wanted to be with him. But was it worth it? How much pain could they take?

"Do it..." she whispered. Koukeisha nodded.

"Stand back, and lay his body down." she said, standing up. Kalinda did as she was told, and backed up, Unohana following. Koukeisha elegantly drew her Zanpakuto, and held it over Jonouchi's heart, blade facing down. "Bankai." she whispered, so she couldn't be heard. She dropped the blade, and Kalinda screamed. The blade pierced Jonouchi's heart, emitting a black glow. Koukeisha held out her arm, blocking Kalinda. "I said stay back." They watched his body glow, watching for any change. "It's all up to him now, whether or not he lives or dies."

There was a blur of a black sky, with white clouds floating directly overhead. His eyes remained open, taking in his surroundings. He seemed at home here. He looked around at the snow capped mountains, and the snow-covered pines. There was a slight powder covering the grounds, and more continued to fall from the air. Jonouchi Uchiki got to his feet slowly, and smiled as he sensed a presence. He looked over his shoulder, and sitting there was a large gray wolf. It's tail swished back and forth as it stared at Jonouchi.

"O'kamitoku..." he smiled, walking over to it.

"Long time no see, Jono." it said. By the sound of it's voice, one could tell it was a female. It paused, and spoke. "What happened today..." she started. "...will change your life forever, that is if you survive."

"I know." Jonouchi frowned.

"There's a change taking place in you, Jono. I don't know what it is, but you can't let it gain control. If it does, both you and I will perish."

"What kind of change?" Jonouchi asked, bewildered.

"There's someone else here." She said, looking into the forest. The colors of their surroundings were slowly becoming inverted, whites changing to black, blacks to white. "Someone is trespassing in your territory. Somewhere in the back of your mind, someone is waiting."

Jonouchi started for the forest, and O'kamitoku followed. "Do you know anything about them?" he asked, looking back.

"No. They have just appeared. They have never been here until now." They continued onward for what seemed like an eternity, Jonouchi quickly getting worn out.

"Damn it..." he cursed, trying to catch his breath.

"Can you feel it?"

"Yeah..." he replied, looking ahead. There was a white figure, about the same height as Jonouchi. "It's feeding off of my Reiatsu." The figure turned and faced Jonouchi, and smirked. Jonouchi froze. There was an erie feeling about the figure. A voice echoed in the distance.

"Captain." Jonouchi looked around, trying to pin-point the location of the voice. Suddenly, a new figure stood in front of him, one he knew very well.

"Koukeisha." Jonouchi spoke, surprised by this meeting. "What are you doing here?"

"Do you want to live, Captain?" she asked him, glaring. Jonouchi was startled by the question.

"Of course." he answered. He was watching over her shoulder, the figure was grinning, as if staring right through Koukeisha, its bright yellow eyes meeting with his. "What is that?" he asked her. Koukeisha's eyes remained on Jonouchi.

"You mean, you can't feel it's Spiritual Energy?" she questioned him. "Take a good look at it, and tell me what you feel." Jonouchi stared it in the eyes, feeling a sort of attachment to it. Like it was a part of him. A part of himself that he resented and hated. But it's energy felt different from his own. It had a negative feeling to it. Jonouchi's eyes widened when he realized it.

"A Hollow." he said. "But here? Why?" he asked.

"The only way to save you was to give you a bit of my own power. The regeneration power of a Hollow is extraordinary." she said, turning away from him. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to kill it. If you don't, it will take over your body, and I will kill you." Jonouchi was in shock.

"What are you?" he asked. As she stopped walking away from him, raising one hand to her face. She turned around, and Jonouchi's eyes widened. She held up to her face, the mask of a Hollow. Her eyes glowed a bright yellow, but the serious frown never faded from her face. Jonouchi inspected the mask from his distance. There was a large, thin horn at the top of each side. The eyes were narrow slits, and the evil smile of the mouth sent chills up his spine.

"I am what becomes of a Shinigami that has crossed into the realms of the Hollow. I am a living nightmare." she growled. Her appearance became blurry, and her form dissipated from appearance. Koukeisha was gone.

Jonouchi's mind was racing, he had no idea what was going on. He looked around, and noticed his partner had gone missing. "O'kamitoku!" he shouted, looking in various directions, hoping for a reply. The only sound he got in return was an echoing laugh. He looked up, the white figure was now very clear. The devilish grin on its face scared him, so much that he took a step back. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I don't have a name." it chuckled in reply. It extended its palm outward, toward Jonouchi. A deep redish-black glow was emitted from its palm in the shape of a ball. Jonouchi jumped out of the way, just in time to miss the attack. The energy was shot at him, he narrowly escaped.

"Cero..." Jonouchi gasped. Normal Hollows shouldn't be capable of such a powerful attack, he didn't know what was going on. He instinctively reached for his waist, and felt something. His Zanpakuto was at his side. He drew his blade, just as the figure launched another Cero. Jonouchi easily deflected it, and ran towards it. He made a swing, but missed, the figure pulled back. Jonouchi quickly recovered, bringing the blade down diagonally across the figures chest, cutting it in half. It wasn't until he was so close to it that he could see its appearance clearly. It was a mirror image of himself. His eyes widened with horror as the Hollow grinned.

"I'll see you around." it laughed. "That's a promise." The figure dissipated, and Jonouchi fell to his knees.

The wounds bubbled a white liquid, hardening over. The white liquid flowed from his chest, eyes, and mouth. Jonouchi rose to his knees, screaming in pain. Koukeisha had backed away from him, placing her hands out. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Binding Art number 9! Strike!" As she chanted the spell, Jonouchi's body began to glow a bright red, and he screamed louder. He fell to the ground, face first, arms clawing at the ground to pull himself up.

"Stop!" Kalinda cried, trying to break Captain Unohana's grasp on her. Koukeisha didn't avert her attention from Jonouchi.

"Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end.

Binding Art : number 75! Quintet of One Kan Iron Pillars!" she chanted. This time, five giant pillars fell from the sky, landing on both of Jonouchi's legs and arms, and one on his back, between his shoulders. He growled, the white liquid continuing to flow. He roared, and the pillars shook. He was attempting to stand and fight what it was that was holding him down.

"You're going to kill him!" Kalinda shouted. "Stop hurting him!"

"It's almost over." Koukeisha said, as her Zanpakuto reformed at her side. She drew her Zanpakuto, and held it at her side, examining the blade. The liquid had stopped flowing, and Jonouchi was struggling under the weight of the pillars. Without any warning, the pillars shattered, and He got to his feet. Koukeisha got into a fighting stance as he began to face them. The white liquid had hardened around his wounds, closing them. Kalinda gasped when she looked him in the face. His eyes were glowing a bright yellow, and a mask had formed over his face from the white liquid. The eyes were narrow, and its mouth was grinning devilishly. Its teeth were sharp, the front fangs stained with blood. Closer to the bottom of the mask, on each side, was what resembled two tufts of hardened fur, the tips stained blood red.

The execution grounds had grown silent, Koukeisha not moving from her stance. Jonouchi hand slowly began to raise up to his face, and he grasped the mask. He tore it off with one quick movement, tossing it to the ground, and smashing it under his foot. He looked to Kalinda and smiled. "You ok?" he asked, grinning stupidly.

"You..." she sobbed, breaking free from Unohanas grasp. She ran to him, and stood before him, clenching her fists. She threw her arms up, beating him in the shoulders. He stood there smiling, just watching her. Her arms fell to her sides, unable to move. She closed her eyes as more tears fell when she sobbed. She felt something press against her lips, and instantly her eyes opened. She smiled when she realized she was face to face with him. She passionately returned the kiss, but continued crying. She slowly closed her eyes, and he broke the kiss. She threw her arms around him, crying into his chest.

"Everything will be okay now." Jonouchi whispered. He glanced at Koukeisha. She was standing there, a sad smile on her face. She looked at him, slowly shaking her head.

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Chapter 15 done! Haha... And I'm not ending soon! I still have many plans for Jou! So, if you liked, review. Please... I NEED REVIEWS!!!... Hope you enjoyed it! I'll get more out ASAP!