This War's Not Over: Chapter 8

The 0 Espada

Sorry for the wait!

I was busy this whole week.

I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Slight Ichiruki ^^

"Shit!"

Ichigo would have felt a small twinge of surprise that Nel had just sworn if it wasn't for the fact that he had the number 0 on his chest. He tottered a few steps back, dizzy with shock, before slumping to the ground.

Shock wasn't exactly what Ichigo needed right now. As hungry as he was, any kind of mental or physical exertion would make him collapse. But he still couldn't believe it. Aizen had—

"When?" Grimmjow hissed, shaking his head. "How did Aizen capture you in the first place Ichigo?"

It took a few moments before Ichigo could regain his bearings and his thoughts and to recover from his shock.

"I was unconscious," Ichigo said, before adding defensively, "I was starved. Still am."

Grimmjow snorted. "Must have done it then."

Ichigo was surprised. The two espadas obviously didn't seem very happy about Ichigo's sudden marking. But Ichigo could easily understand why. After all this escape routine they had pulled, Ichigo was still in that prison, still under Aizen's controlling grasp.

"I'll never be free of him," Ichigo shuddered as he glanced at the 0.

He managed to dodge Nel as she attempted to bring him into a comforting hug. He didn't get to avoid the second one.

"Don't worry about it—all it means…well…" Nel trailed off, her eyes dropping to the sandy ground.

"You…you don't think that Aizen gave me any powers do you…?" Ichigo gave another shudder.

He was trying not to make his voice quake but he could tell he was failing terribly by both the concerned looks on their faces.

"We believe he already gave them to you the moment that syringe back there went into your flesh," Grimmjow spoke this time.

Ichigo was on his hands and knees, his head bent. He couldn't believe it. After every method he had tried to not be a hollow through all of his soul reaper years, all those efforts had been wasted. He was an Espada now.

He could tell Nel was fidgeting beside him, clearly uneasy of the situation.

She tried to change the subject. "You said you were starved?"

Ichigo immediately recoiled. "I'm not eating a soul."

Grimmjow crouched down to level his eyes with Ichigo's. "No worries. We got it all right here."

Grimmjow pulled a tiny gourd out of his pocket, and handed it to Ichigo.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked suspiciously.

"For your hunger."

"What is it?" Ichigo demanded again.

Nel smiled. "Well…we saw this soul reaper come by. We've never really met him before, but he seemed to know us. Said he was looking for you. He gave us this gourd and winked at us: 'in case he's hungry,' he said."

Ichigo looked up, hope fluttering like a trapped bird in his chest.

"Someone was…looking for me?"

"Just drink it, for crying out loud," Grimmjow snarled.

Ichigo could see the espada was losing his patience. Ichigo knew from his past experience that Grimmjow's patience wasn't his strong suit.

Ichigo hesitantly uncorked the gourd's lid, and took an uncertain sip. It tasted like heaven on Ichigo's tongue, but it could have been dirt and Ichigo would have still considered it as food.

Gradually, as he finished the gourd, Ichigo's hunger vanished. Immediately Nel and Grimmjow were assaulted by Ichigo's re-energized blast of reiatsu, which almost brought both of them flat on their faces. Ichigo gave them an apologetic glance.

He looked at the bottle with wonder, passing a tongue over his lips.

"What is this stuff?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Dunno. Just glad it wasn't poison or anything."

Ichigo cast Grimmjow an irritated glare. That was a good sign. Now that Ichigo didn't seem as hungry, his old traits seemed to be reappearing. The old Ichigo that Nel and Grimmjow once knew had come back.

Nel exchanged a relieved glance with Grimmjow. She stood up while Grimmjow gave Ichigo a hand and pulled him up.

"Where are we going?" Ichigo asked, confused.

He was subconsciously trying to hide the small 0 behind a few remaining strips of some of his espada clothing. He hated it and wished it wasn't there at all.

"We're going after that soul reaper of course. And your friends. Can't you sense their reiatsu?"

Relief sparked in Ichigo's body. They really are looking for me.

Nel nudged him forwards. "Can you sonido? We can't stay here long. Aizen will be after us soon."

Ichigo flinched at the word 'sonido', as he was so used to the word 'flash step' that his faceless and nameless friends used to tell him about.

"Yeah."

The trio immediately sonidoed away from the spot they had been seconds before, heading towards Ichigo's friends' reiatsu signal. Ichigo hoped he would remember them as easily as he had remembered Nel and Grimmjow.

Soifon stared from amidst the sand dunes, a few men from the punishment force behind her. She hadn't seen everything, but Ichigo's appearance was all she needed.

"It is clear that Ichigo Kurosaki has joined the Espada," she announced to her men.

She turned to one of them. "Tell the Head Captain."

Without a word, the subordinate disappeared in a couple of flash steps. Soifon stood up, her authoritarian gait pacing towards the remainder of her men.

"The rest of you are coming with me. Kill Ichigo and whoever helps him on sight."

Renji flinched.

"That huge reiatsu is back. Is it…Ichigo?" his voice was filled with doubt.

Ichigo's reiatsu had changed so much recently that Rukia and Renji had completely been thrown off the trail. The fact that Ichigo kept moving in and out of Las Noches was already confusing enough.

"He's coming towards us," Rukia said, her eyes glowing.

She shook her head slowly, a certain smile playing on her lips. "That Ichigo. Always making us worry."

"Rukia! What if it's not Ichigo?" Renji shook her.

Rukia frowned. "How could it not be?"

Renji was angry now. "Rukia, don't be stupid. Can't you see how...hollow-like Ichigo's reiatsu is?"

Rukia turned on Renji, her Kuchiki glare making Renji flinch.

"Do you have so little faith that Ichigo's in control?" she said coldly.

Rukia and Renji were having some many rows arguing about Ichigo's state and reiatsu. It made Renji resent Ichigo a little, and it made Rukia sad.

"We'll wait here. You'll see," Rukia said stubbornly, but Renji could see worry flickering through her dark blue orbs.

They didn't have to wait long. The dark smothering reiatsu was upon them now, and both had to use their swords to keep themselves up on their feet.

But the reiatsu had been so overwhelming that neither Renji nor Rukia had sensed other reiatsu signals coming towards them.

The punishment force's men encircled them, causing both to lift their swords up in sudden alarm. Rukia's head whipped back in forth, bewildered.

Her eyes landed on Soifon. "What is the meaning of this, Captain Soifon?"

Soifon's eyes were narrowed scathingly, and she barely seemed to acknowledge that these soul reapers were from the Gotei 13.

"'Kill or capture any who disobey orders.' Hence were the orders of the Head Captain. It is clear to me that you are waiting for the traitor Ichigo Kurosaki's arrival. It was specifically ordered that you should not aid him."

Rukia took a step forwards, her eyes wide. "Wait Captain Soifon! Ichigo did not betray Soul Society!"

"Ichigo Kurosaki is dead. He no longer stands for what he was. He has joined the espada," Soifon said robotically, her eyes narrowed.

Renji opened his mouth to support his friend, but he was immediately attacked by Soifon's blade.

"Rukia!" Renji called her name as she was attacked by multiple kicks from the punishment force.

But he closed his mouth again when all of the sudden the black garbs were replaced by crimson. Renji's eyes widened in horror as all the men who had attacked Rukia dropped to the floor. They were either seriously injured or dead.

Rukia took a step back, her eyes parted with terror, tripping backwards over one of the bodies and landing heavily on the sand.

Soifon was next. Someone's blade had obviously raked itself across her chest, and the shocked captain crumpled down to the ground.

Rukia and Renji's head spun round to look at the direction that the attack had come from.

The smile that Rukia had previously worn because of the familiar reiatsu signal had long gone.

Three espada stood on top of one of the highest sand dunes. The leader made Rukia shiver. The orange locks were so familiar to her…and yet—those gentle brown eyes she had the habit of staring into had disappeared. Instead, they were replaced with cold yellow ones.

And when he looked at her, his eyes were so dead and…empty.

The espada leaped down and slowly, almost hesitantly walked towards them.

She barely noticed that Renji had put himself in between her and the espada until it was too late.

The teen had slashed his sword into Renji's legs, making them fail to support his weight, before Renji keeled over and gave a stifled cry.

"Renji!" Rukia said as she tried to scramble to her feet.

But she was so crushed by the reiatsu coming towards her that her body wouldn't do as she said. It immediately took her back to when Aizen had wrenched the Hogyoku out of her. Those cold, detached eyes—never would she have guessed that they would soon be Ichigo's.

She sat there, helpless and unable to make a reach for her sword to defend herself. Still the espada walked mercilessly towards her, clearly oblivious to the fact that his reiatsu was crushing her soul.

But something was a little off about this 'espada' that she had pictured this teen to be. Behind those eyes that frightened her, there was this confusion and concentrated look. His eyes never left her. It even seemed the teen was desperately trying to figure something out.

Rukia's shoulders sagged, and her eyes narrowed in acceptance. She had long ago killed her former lieutenant, Kaien. It would only seem fair if someone like Ichigo, who resembled her lieutenant so much, killed her in return.

She only wished she had come sooner when the arrancars had come to take him away. She wished that she hadn't let him become a hollow. And yet—she had failed him terribly.

Rukia was unaware that the two other espada were hurrying after him, calling out his name.

Ichigo's calculating eyes were burning into hers now. He flicked the blood off his blade, barely missing Rukia's face as he did so.

Rukia gave a weak smile. "I'm so sorry, Ichigo."

At this, the teen blinked as if he had just woken up from sleep at the sound of his name. His yellow eyes stared at Rukia disbelievingly. Rukia sighed. Ichigo had never forgiven the soul reapers for what they did to him after all. This was really the end.

But she was wrong. The blade that had been raised to kill her had dropped back down to his side before being slid back into his cloth belt once more.

Rukia raised a questioning brow. "Ichigo?"

And that invisible wall that had been created between them instantly shattered when he spoke to her.

His warm yellow eyes glowed humorously. "Yo, Rukia."

Ichigo's bone-crushing reiatsu immediately receded, only slightly, but just enough for Rukia to be able to stand up and move around again.

At first Rukia wasn't sure how to feel. She felt relieved and warm. Ichigo had come back to them. Then she felt worried. What had happened to Ichigo? Then she felt guilty. Was Renji okay?

But one emotion blotted out most of her feelings.

Her foot connected with his face. "You moron!"

Ichigo took the kick like he always did, flying backwards into the sand at Nel's feet. He stared at her uncomprehendingly, rubbing the side of his face. "Rukia?"

She tried to get another kick in, which Ichigo dodged.

Ichigo had joined her anger now. He balled up his fist, his face red.

"What the hell was that for?"

"You almost killed me!"

"Did not!"

Nel slowly backed away, giving an uneasy giggle in a weak attempt to calm the duo down. Both Rukia and Ichigo's faces were inches away from each other now, their faces as red as tomatoes.

"It's not my fault you have the reflexes of a banana slug!" Ichigo screamed.

"Say that one more time!" Rukia snapped back, readying her fist.

"Um…Guys? We need to tend to Renji," Nel interrupted.

They both turned around to look stupidly at her, before guilt immediately spread all over Ichigo's face.

"I hurt Renji too?"

Renji gave an angry groan in response.

While Rukia used her healing kido on Renji, she was finding it hard to tear away from Ichigo's pained face.

"Don't you remember?" she said quietly.

Ichigo turned to look at her. "The…the soul reapers all looked the same until I heard you call me."

Rukia frowned. "You know every single soul reaper in the Gotei 13! How do they all look the same?"

Grimmjow was sitting in a sulking position a bit away from the others. "The miasma must be thinning for you to remember this easily. What is Aizen planning?"

Rukia was even more confused. "Miasma?"

So Nel went through the pleasure to explaining to the two soul reapers how Ichigo had lost bits of his memory because of the miasma that Aizen had placed in Hueco Mundo.

Renji gradually healed, but not fully because of Ichigo's vicious hollow reiatsu versus Rukia's basic healing kido. They would need someone who they called "Inoue Orihime" to heal him completely. Ichigo could not remember who she was. Hopefully his memory would return to him when he saw her face.

They decided to heal only slightly Soifon enough for her to have the strength to get away.

Then they left silently with a couple sonidos and flash steps.

Rukia couldn't help but feel sorry for Ichigo. He still had that pained look on his face for injuring Renji, Soifon and the punishment force. Every time Rukia caught his eye, Ichigo quickly looked away, in fear of having her physically injure him again.

"Where are we headed now?" Renji asked, as he struggled to keep up with the others on his weakened legs.

It seemed that Renji had forgiven Ichigo quickly.

"We are looking for a soul reaper whose energy signal should be around here," Nel said to them.

Rukia was frowning. I know that reiatsu from somewhere.

But there was another thing that particularly bothered Rukia. She hadn't missed the 0 that was marked on Ichigo's chest. There were so many things going on that Rukia couldn't keep up with. Her instincts screamed at her the answer, but she immediately denied them.

Ichigo seemed to be doing the same. He was constantly telling himself over and over that the 0 on his chest meant nothing. It must be some mistake.

"How long are you going to deny it?"

His hollow's voice made him jump. He hadn't heard it for a while now.

Anger instantly pulsed in Ichigo. Who's side was his hollow on anyway?

"What do you want?" Ichigo hissed.

But his hollow was ignoring his questions. "How long are you going to consider the soul reapers your friends?"

"As long as you're here!" Ichigo snapped.

Ichigo was not in the mood for this. Not again.

"Wake up King!" his hollow grinned. "This is War. In a war, there are no good or bad guys. It's just two opposite ways of thinking who are trying to win. That's all there is to it. The question is—do you think the same way of the side you're on now?"

Before Ichigo could answer, Ichigo's hand moved instinctively to reach for his zanpakuto and block someone's blade from digging into his flesh.

Ichigo moved only a couple inches backwards, his eyes cold, while his new opponent flew several meters away.

This was good. More soul reapers had arrived. The more he saw, the more he would remember. But what confused Ichigo was why these supposed 'friends' were attacking him. Did I do something wrong?

With one swing of his blade, Ichigo took care of five soul reaper subordinates. Renji and Rukia stood well back; still not used to Ichigo killing so easily soul reapers as if they were only annoying flies.

Ichigo's glare swiveled to the first soul reaper that had attacked him. Judging by his reiatsu signature, this soul reaper was a Captain.

Ichigo's eyes widened as the name of this captain came to him. "Toshiro!"

"I'm sorry for doing this, Ichigo," Toshiro said, his eyes torn.

The group of renegades was immediately encircled with captains.

Soifon appeared behind Rukia, a blade at her throat. Komamura was restraining Renji's sword arm and Nel and Grimmjow were encircled by most of the remaining captains. Ichigo was encased in between Byakuya and Toshiro.

Ichigo knew he had to act carefully. One wrong move and he knew that the captains could easily finish them by majority.

Ichigo's hollow impulses screamed at him to kill and slaughter. Ichigo resisted, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"I told you so," his hollow laughed.

Ichigo ignored him again. His hollow was always talking about useless crap…right?

Byakuya had flash stepped next to Ichigo, placing a hand on Ichigo's sword.

"I would act with caution if I were you," Byakuya said coldly.

Ichigo stared into Byakuya's eyes steadily. "I never had any means of betraying you. I don't understand why you're doing this."

Ichigo never got an answer.

"Bakudo 63. Sajo Sabaku." Byakuya said in a monotone voice.

Ichigo's arms were immediately bound by golden tendrils, which sent him crashing to the floor. Ichigo's hollow instincts immediately responded, flaring his reiatsu, causing the tendrils to snap.

"Bakudo 75, Gochutekkan!" Byakuya followed.

Tall pillars came crashing down on Ichigo's arms and legs. Ichigo felt so helpless. If he attacked, his friends could possibly get hurt.

Byakuya's blade was at Ichigo's throat.

"Say it. Say that you are a traitor to the Soul Society."

His hollow's words echoed in his head. The question is—do you think the same way of the side you're on now?

Ichigo hissed as his hollow's anger began to boil up inside of him. Taking my friends as hostages! The 0 Espada's reiatsu was getting higher and higher, and it never really seemed to have a lid to it. He ignored Nel's warning cry to the soul reapers to stop making Ichigo angrier.

Ichigo's fingers clawed at the sand, his body writhing and squirming.

"Say it," Byakuya repeated, as his blade made a small cut on Ichigo's neck.

The pillars pinning Ichigo crumpled to a thousand pieces, ceasing to exist under Ichigo's limitless reiatsu. Anger was blinding Ichigo now. He grabbed Byakuya's blade and used it to throw Byakuya several meters back.

Everyone was shocked as Ichigo drew himself up again. But Rukia noticed that his eyes had gone from being warm to dead again.

"I'll say it then."

Rukia gasped, trying to wriggle free from Soifon. "Ichigo!"

There was no denying it now.

"I am the 0 Espada."

The battlefield was now exploding with Ichigo's reiatsu, but what Rukia feared the most was actually happening. The dark, smothering reiatsu had completely overwhelmed Ichigo's own. When Ichigo looked up again, his scleras had been overcome by the blackness of his reiatsu.

Rukia shuddered as a sardonic smile creeped across Ichigo's face.

"Okay. No more owing."

That's a long one for you! ^^

Hope you enjoyed and please review!