This War's Not Over: Chapter 16
No Time For Peace
I'm baack~!
Thank you for your patience and your wonderful reviews, and hoping you will enjoy this next chapter!
Ichigo gave another feverish splutter as both duplicates shivered from the wet clothes glued to their skin. Ichigo's teeth began to chatter as they sat there clinging to the final building like a couple of stranded castaways.
Silence hovered over the duo like an uneasy fog, both trying to figure out something to say.
"So," Ichigo said awkwardly, "How do you suggest we get out of this mess, Shiro?"
The orange-haired teen emphasized on the hollow's new name to get another laugh at the hollow's confused expression as the counterpart tried to get familiar with his new name.
Shiro scowled, not used to being the one laughed at, letting out a low warning hiss. Ichigo stood up, flailing his arms about as he tried to balance himself on the uneven edge of the gradually sinking building. The hollow didn't move, only watching in silent mockery as the teen plummeted into the crimson water after swaying too far to the left.
Ichigo's head broke the surface again, clambering back onto the building and shivered more than ever. The hollow gave out another exasperated hiss, turning his yellow eyes to stare at the cloudy sky above.
"Of course, I have to do everything around here," Shiro spat.
Drawing out his long white sword, Shiro slashed at the air, ripping the sky open like a Garganta would. Ichigo gapped at the opening as it rapidly sealed shut again, turning his head in confusion to stare at the hollow.
"What the hell was that?" Ichigo demanded.
Shiro's face split into a sour smile, tapping his sword impatiently against his shoulder. "What does it look like? You're ticket back over into sanity, what else?"
Ichigo stared blankly at the hollow. "So you are helping me?"
This earned Ichigo another scathing look. "As long as you don't repeat the previous crap. Otherwise I'll hack your fucking head off."
Ichigo gave another shiver, edging uneasily away from the hollow at the thought of being guillotined. "Sure…Yeah, sure thing."
Ichigo lifted his own sword up, examining it closely. "I never thought you could simulate a Garganta."
The hollow didn't answer as he could tell Ichigo was saying this mostly to himself. He would let the brainless teen figure the rest for himself.
Ichigo's mind flashed back to how many countless times he had seen an espada open a Garganta, and how often he had felt he could do it himself when he was in his espada form.
Pouring his reiatsu into the sword, Ichigo slashed tentatively at the air. It took a few tries before the getsugatenshos became small garganta holes, but to Ichigo's frustration, they resealed immediately after.
Shiro's voice sounded from behind Ichigo, making the teen jump. "That's why I told you that you couldn't go back. The garganta will close up as soon as it's been cut open."
Rukia could only stare as Ichigo mercilessly cut Grimmjow down. The espada crashed to the floor with a sickening thud, barely conscious as Ichigo pitilessly paced towards him.
The Oken had turned his attention to his friends, and practically on Aizen's command, had been ordered to dispose of them.
Rukia's whole body shook as she gave a quick glance at Nel, who was now helplessly lying in a pool of blood. The petite's eyes met with the third espada's pained yellow ones, before tearing themselves away once more.
The 0 espada had returned to his previous location, having completely ignored Rukia and was now sonidoing towards the entry to the Royal Dimension.
Ichigo's raised sword was immediately blocked by Isshin's broken one, the elder Kurosaki giving a grunt as he pushed the 0 espada away. Aizen only seemed to observe from a distance, like a spectator watching some sort of play unravel in front of his eyes.
"Ichigo, please stop!" Rukia called out to her friend frantically.
The Oken didn't seem to hear her. Ichigo only seemed to stare sightlessly at his father, who was having difficulty to remain standing. There was no denying it now. Ichigo couldn't hear her. Because you are only ice. Nothing more.
Rukia bowed her head, her zanpakuto rattling in her hand, her whole body shaking like a leaf.
"Dance," she called out in a broken voice. "Sodeno Shirayuki."
As Ichigo's blade crashed cruelly down upon Isshin to deal him the finishing blow, Rukia didn't know how she did it. She just moved.
Ichigo turned once more towards the sky, giving it some thought. There must be some way. But when the idea came to him, it was so simple that Ichigo mentally slapped himself for having not thought of it before.
He turned towards Shiro, his eyes lit with triumph. "We can make the garganta big enough by using both our reiatsus. You could to hold it open while I get through."
Shiro only gave Ichigo a bored look, remaining in his sitting postion. Ichigo gave an exasperated sigh.
"What? So you can't help me, is that it?" the teen resorted to taunting.
A sly smile split across Shiro's face. "Are you doubting your power, King?"
With a wide grin, the hollow stood up, giving a small frustrated hiss as he tried to balanced himself on the uneven building. Ichigo raised a brow. "Not laughing now are you?"
Shiro gave the teen a dirty look, finally managing to balance himself on the odd structure, his white blade leaning against his shoulder. "Fine. I'll help you this time. We'll learn how to fully control our resurreccion. But don't blame me for all the shit you'll see when you snap out of it."
Ichigo tensed, instantly alarmed by Shiro's suggestion that things were getting ugly out there.
"Let's hurry," Ichigo muttered, taking a small step forwards.
The orange-haired teen readied his zanpakuto, flooding it with his reiatsu, both swords synchronized as they slashed at the air, a small garganta making an appearance. But instead of sealing shut again, the garganta remained open, gradually growing wider as it was fueled by Ichigo and Shiro's reiatsu.
The duo's teeth gritted together in effort as they struggled with the garganta, which seemed hell bent on sealing itself shut. Sparks of their reiatsu crackled all over the opening as they raised their reiatsu to fight off the resistance.
Ichigo let out a grunt as he released all his reiatsu, giving it everything he had as both teens fought against their imprisonment. Ripples, then waves ran across the crimson water, whirlpools beginning to accumulate because of the build up of Shiro and Ichigo's reiatsu.
It came to the point when the garganta was finally big enough for Ichigo to fit in. Ichigo hesitated, remembering that only one could go through.
"Go," Shiro said, rolling his yellow eyes. "Go save your powerless friends and get yourself killed."
Ichigo again hesitated, touched by his hollow's words, looking back and forth in between his counterpart and the garganta.
"Hurry," Shiro muttered. "I'll keep it open from here."
Ichigo stared at his hollow, his eyes narrowing with surprising warmth.
"Thank you. Shiro."
The hollow blinked, before looking away. "No problem."
And just as Ichigo began to disappear into the garganta, the teen's hogyoku powers seemed to activate to Ichigo's will, a soft purple glow slowly healing Ichigo and Shiro's wound. Ichigo threw one last smile over his shoulder, catching Shiro's sardonic grin.
"Using the hogyoku to heal your wounds. Cheater."
Ichigo could feel himself float his way back into consciousness. It seemed strange, finally knowing how the hollow could take over the teen's body by using a garganta. He remembered using this way before, when he used it to wrench the mask off his face countless times to regain control. He just never remembered how he did it.
Ichigo was beginning to regain his senses now. As he tried to blink the blackness away, he could hear a distance voice screaming to him.
"Ichigo! Ichigo, I know you're still in there!"
It was so mournful and broken beyond recognition that it reminded Ichigo of nothing. He tried to strain towards the voice, going towards the source of it. But the voice he believed was far away was closer than he thought it was. It grew louder and louder.
Ichigo's eyes were blinded by light as his eyes finally opened to Hueco Mundo. The voice was so much closer than before. In fact, it was right underneath his nose. Someone was beating its fists on his chest, trying frantically to wake him up.
Ichigo tried to move his arms to shield himself from the light. But he couldn't. Both hands were firmly clamped on his sword.
And at that point, Ichigo gave a sickening shudder as he drew in a mortified breath, his eyes dropping down to who was at the end of his sword.
Ichigo began to shake, his eyes wide with terror at the girl who was leaning on him, his sword run through her body. Isshin was behind them, horror-struck.
"R-Rukia...?" Ichigo's voice cracked.
Ichigo pulled his sword out of the petite's body, catching her as she fell forwards into his arms. Her blood spattered all over the white sand, on his hands, and all over his white espada uniform.
"Rukia!" Ichigo screamed, shaking her.
A massive shudder wracked through her entire body. Her small hands tightening on his shihakusho signaled to him that she was still alive. "You…fool."
Ichigo's teeth grinded together, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. Agony jarred through him as it slowly began to sink in that he had just stabbed his friend while trying to kill his own father.
Ichigo dropped down from the sky, his head bowed, falling to his knees to lie Rukia down on the sand. He contemplated her deathly pale face for a while, which was interrupted by her stray bangs that covered a part of her right eye. When he looked at her, there was only rage in Ichigo's gaze.
His father's tentative hand immediately found its place on his shoulder, Ichigo instantly smacking it away. He turned to his father, the teen's voice still interlaced with Shiro's, his crimson eyes flashing murderously. "I'll tear his heart out."
Isshin withdrew once more, taking a step back as Ichigo stood over Rukia, his eyes flicking back and forth for the traitor who had made him do this. As his glare travelled across the battlefield, the sight of his wounded comrades only fuelled his rage.
When his eyes finally landed on Aizen, the teen charged. The traitor had been slightly put off by Ichigo's regain of control, but had regained his composure as he saw the raging teen blindly charge towards him.
Ichigo lopped off the arm of Aizen's copy illusion, letting out a frustrated hiss when he realized he hadn't reached the right one. Ichigo crouched down, his white sword at the ready as he glared at the copies of Aizen encircling him.
Isshin watched silently his son's struggle with Kyokasuigetsu's power, his hands lit with a green glow as he attempted to heal Rukia's wound.
"King."
Ichigo jumped a little by the voice in his head, before immediately relaxing again. "What?"
Ichigo could almost see a mental image of the hollow's sly smile. "Aizen can't hypnotize me—he can't hypnotize fear, pain, or hatred. Let me be your eyes and the rest of your senses this time."
Ichigo pushed away the distrust he felt, closing eyes and concentrating. "Fine."
When Ichigo's eyes opened, the black ink had covered his scleras and his pupils glowed scarlet red.
Ichigo blinked, his eyes not used to seeing through the eyes of his hollow, and also surprised that he was still the one in control. But he was relieved to see that there was no longer a circle of clones around him. The only one Aizen remained.
Ichigo's bitterness flared up again as he glanced down at Rukia and his injured friends below. Aizen will pay for this.
Ichigo decided to pretend that he was still under Kyokasuigetsu's hypnotic powers, turning his head from side to side to show Aizen his confusion. His grip tightened on his white blade. This time, I won't miss.
"Let's see what we can do with the hogyoku's power, shall we King?"Shiro smirked inside his head.
Ichigo nodded, trying to mask his confusion at the hollow's words. The hollow clearly sensed it, because he asked: "What? Haven't you used it plenty of times before? Like when you used it to defeat me in our fight for control—you had the hogyoku's glow in your eyes. Then you used it to heal us. Don't you know how to use it?"
Ichigo blinked. So that was what happened when he had almost killed Renji in the world of the living back when they had come to take away Rukia. But every single time he used that power, he never remembered how he did it. Hell, even when he healed Shiro and himself, his recollection of how it was done was rapidly fading away.
"Maybe I did it on instinct," Ichigo joked to his hollow.
He could practically see the hollow's eyes flashing with pride. "What do you know? Kingy might actually be right this time."
Ichigo frowned, surprised by his hollow's assent. "What? You think I'm right?"
There was no answer apart form an evil smile at the back of Ichigo's head.
Ichigo took his stance, taking a big breath. He didn't need an answer. He already knew what it was. The hogyoku's power had probably been summoned upon his will until now. If he willed to use it, Ichigo could do anything.
And Ichigo would defeat Aizen.
Ichigo raised his sword up with both hands, his eyes flashing blue for a moment. He pretended to take aim at the Royal Dimension again, to Aizen's glee, before turning blinding fast on Aizen, sonidoing to the traitor's back and throwing his reiatsu at Aizen.
The black and blue reiatsu smashed into the shocked traitor, the blast so strong that it caused even Ichigo himself to fly a few meters away. The wounded Grimmjow, who had foreseen the attack, blasted a hole into the sand, throwing himself and Nel in it to avoid being blown away.
Nel caught Isshin who was flying past with Rukia in one arm, before being wrenched down into cover.
Ichigo shielded himself with his arm to avoid sand getting in his eyes. The teen strained his senses towards the whirling and spitting sand, trying to sense the betrayer's reiatsu.
When the gales let out, Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he saw Aizen's heaving body lying on the ground.
Ichigo sank down from the sky to walk on the sandy floor beneath him, walking cautiously towards Aizen. But Ichigo's shoulders were relaxed, because he could tell, from Aizen's low lying reiatsu and the shock in his heart that the traitor's wasn't in any position to counterattack Ichigo.
Ichigo was only a meter away from Aizen, his narrowed gaze staring down at the traitor's own purple eyes. Ichigo's grip tightened on his sword, bringing it to Aizen throat.
"Guess it's the natural hogyoku who wins, huh?" Ichigo said flatly.
Aizen smiled, his eyes narrowing with newfound interest at Ichigo. "I see. So you've made peace within yourself then?"
Ichigo's crimson eyes narrowed as Aizen didn't answer his question, instead firing back with his own. Well, two could play at the game. But Ichigo wasn't in the mood for being cruel or anything. He was just…sad. Because he found that loneliness in the traitor's heart, just like in their last fight.
"Yes. Yes I have," Ichigo said quietly, looking away.
And after a silence, Ichigo spoke again, almost softly. "Have you?"
Aizen's eyes narrowed, a small smile playing on his lips. "Now that I have found the answer I've been seeking, I have."
Ichigo lowered his sword on Aizen's neck, sensing the presence of his friends behind him. The ink on his scleras retreated, and his ressureccion reverting back into his old espada form, only a single horn on the side of his head, his eyes flashing yellow.
Nel gave a huff of relief, while Grimmjow gave tutt and looked away. Ichigo gave a tentative smile in an effort to reconcile with his father, who was tending to Rukia's wound but had his head turned towards his son. His father grinned back, a small hint of pride on his face.
Ichigo walked towards the injured petite soul reaper. He flinched at the angry red liquid that was staining her shihakusho.
"How is she?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed in guilt.
Isshin shrugged. "It's up to her now."
Ichigo glanced once more back at the defeated traitor, reluctant to believe that Aizen was truly defeated.
"There's nothing to worry about," Isshin's reassuring voice made him jump. "If you used the hogyoku's powers, it should have destroyed his. The only reason why he isn't dead is thanks to the hogyoku he merged with, who probably granted him his final wish: to live. But the hogyoku is no more now—so you can rest easy."
Ichigo could indeed see that the hogyoku had disappeared from the center of Aizen's chest. The teen's eyes narrowed, his eyes never leaving the traitor. If you're so lonely, why would you wish to live? What answer were you seeking for? And to what?
Ichigo lay down in the sand, waiting patiently as his father slowly healed his wounds. Should he tell his father that he didn't need to be healed? That his hogyoku powers could heal the teen's body by itself?
He remained quiet. It was good to heal like a normal person for once. Besides, all of his friends' wounds had already been healed. Ichigo had refused to be tended to until everyone had been nursed back to full health. He only had a few cuts and bruises—what was the point?
Renji, Uryu and Chad had joined the group soon after, and Ichigo was relieved to hear that they had managed to get through the barrage of hollows and only escaped with minor injuries. They were sorry that they hadn't arrived in time to help.
Ichigo's head turned to look at Rukia, who was the only one of his friends who's fate still hanged in the balance. Guilt flushed through Ichigo once more, and at the same time resentment towards Aizen for making him stab her. He could understand Aizen—why couldn't Aizen understand him?
Ichigo closed his eyes, letting Rukia's faint breathing lull him into sleep.
"Kurosaki Ichigo!"
A voice snapped Ichigo awake.
The teen sat bolt upright, the movement sending his covers flying to the side. Ichigo blinked. Covers.
Ichigo shook his head vigorously from side to side to shake off the rest of his grogginess, still trying to get a grasp on where he was. He definitely wasn't in Hueco Mundo.
Ichigo's gaze travelled across the room, flying three feet into the air to find Toshiro and Byakuya staring down at him. Ichigo's hostility shot up, his muscles tensing for battle. Soul reapers!
He was immediately shocked by the way he called them because of how, once again, hollow-like it was.
"Look, I—" Ichigo started.
Toshiro made a step forwards, Ichigo just barely managing to stop himself from lunging at the captain, yet couldn't help letting a misgiving snarl rip through his throat and backing away into the corner of the room. The 10th division captain, seeing the teen's reaction, instantly took a step back. Ichigo was ashamed by how he was behaving like a wild animal. But these things were so instinctive to him now, he never thought twice about them.
After a long awkward silence of stares, Toshiro finally broke the silence.
"Truce," he said simply.
Ichigo said nothing, continuing to stare in misgiving at the captains. He didn't know what to say.
"For now," Byakuya added coldly.
Ichigo looked at both captains up and down, frowning. He felt like asking "Only a truce?" But kept his mouth firmly shut. Instead, another more pressing question pushed its way into his mind. "Why?"
Toshiro leaned on the side of the wall, slipping his hands into his sleeves. "Back when Rukongai was being attacked by the arrancars. There were many reports that reported you there too, Ichigo. At first we were suspicious, but when more reports came in that you and your friends were actually protecting the habitants, we knew that something wasn't right. If you had really joined Aizen, you wouldn't be doing that would you? When you defeated Aizen, it only verified our hopes."
Ichigo sat there quietly, his eyes showing nothing. So they had been watching him all along. They hadn't just disappeared.
"Looks like they used you again," he could hear his hollow snigger.
Ichigo stifled a hiss, because it would look odd in front of the captains when they hadn't said anything particularly wrong.
"Only a truce?" Ichigo asked glumly.
It was Byakuya who spoke this time, his voice sharp and cutting. "Yes. The fact that you are the 0 espada and the second hogyoku that we were trying to destroy; there is only a truce. Your fate still hangs in the balance based on the decision of the Head Captain Yamamoto."
Ichigo's eyes narrowed in unease. So they knew everything then. In that way, they were no better than Aizen after all.
"Where is everyone? My friends?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"They're safe," Toshiro said cautiously in order to not to attempt the rage of the teen. "They've scattered about the Seireitei, I think. They come clean of whatever Captain Yamamoto decides."
"So they're safe?" Ichigo verified.
"Yes," Toshiro said quietly.
Ichigo's shoulders relaxed slightly. Everything was all right. His friends wouldn't be persecuted for what he was.
"And Aizen?" Ichigo asked quietly.
He caught Byakuya's eyes flash suspiciously at the teen's questioning of the traitor's situation.
"He's been taken to the Maggot's Nest without further judging. He will continue to serve his 20,000 years of imprisonment down there," Byakuya said.
Ichigo turned his head to look down at his lap, his eyes narrowing. "Right."
Toshiro took his leave, and only Byakuya remained. The law-abiding captain seemed to be waiting for Ichigo to ask something, so Ichigo played his game.
"What about Rukia? Is she…okay too?" Ichigo said, his gaze flattened to the ground under Byakuya's freezing stare.
Of course the noble knew what happened—and he would never let Ichigo get away with it.
"Look I'm—" Ichigo was instantly interrupted.
"Rukia is fine. She is stable now, and she wishes to see you."
Ichigo lifted his head up in surprise, but dropped it again when he saw that the coldness in Byakuya's glare did not lessen.
"I do hope you will treat her properly from now on," Byakuya said darkly, his eyes flashing one more warning glance before he left.
Ichigo remained sat there, dumbfounded and shaking in his boots (sandals). Byakuya wasn't one to joke around—but it seemed like it was Byakuya's way of more or less forgiving him, even after he had stabbed Rukia, to let him see her again.
"Oooooh, looks like you just got grilled by the captain," a creepy voice made Ichigo jump another three feet into the air.
The teen whipped around, only to see Renji's red head peeping out from the double sliding doors.
"Don't creep up on me like that!" Ichigo screamed.
The red head raised his hands up submissively, then flicking his hands in a downward motion to tell him to lower his voice.
"What are you doing, spying on me?" Ichigo muttered.
Renji slipped into the room, beckoning for the teen to follow. Ichigo got up hesitantly, not sure if he was supposed to be detained here or was allowed to walk around. But perhaps Byakuya saying that Rukia wanted to see him was a hint that he was allowed to leave the room.
Ichigo followed Renji outside, where the red head leaped into a flash step. Ichigo made sure not to lose the lieutenant, glee gushing through him as he felt the wind stream into his shihakusho. He had returned to being a soul reaper again.
When they landed in Byakuya's mansion, confusion crossed Ichigo's face. "Isn't Rukia supposed to be in the 4th Division barracks?"
His question was immediately answered by someone's flying kick, which smashed into the side of his face. He didn't need to know who it was as he heard her say: "You fool!"
Ichigo crashed to the ground, holding his face as if he had no idea what hit him. Renji sat back and watched as Rukia began to stomp Ichigo's face into the ground, over and over again.
Renji smirked at Rukia. "You wished to see the hogyoku. Wish granted."
Ichigo managed to raised his head up indingnantly. "Hey! That's not funny!"
"Silence!" Rukia's foot smashed his head into the soil again.
When Rukia finally stopped, Ichigo's muffled voice asked something through the dirt. "Why are you here? I thought you were still in recovery!"
Ichigo lifted his face away from the ground, staring up at Rukia's wide angry violet eyes with a stupid expression on his face.
It was Byakuya's energy signal that alerted the orange haired teen that the 6th Division captain had slid open the door to watch Rukia stomp Ichigo.
"Rukia was stable. That was all I said. I never said she was still being nursed back to health."
Ichigo gapped at Byakuya.
"Of course I would never let what happened in Hueco Mundo go unpunished. I just figured Rukia would deal with your punishment instead."
Ichigo stared incredulously at Byakuya as the noble walked away. "Why you…!"
But something caught his attention again, lifting his gaze back up at the petite soul reaper. "I still don't get how you recuperated so quickly…with a wound that bad…"
Ichigo trailed off, avoiding Rukia's gaze. It was Renji who snapped him out of the uncomfortable situation he was in. "Don't you understand Ichigo? You've been out for three days already! Whatever power you used, it must have taken its toll on you."
Ichigo flexed his hand, blinking. He never realized he had slept for that long. The hogyoku's powers must have taken a lot out of him, like Renji said.
Renji gave an amused grin at Ichigo's lost expression, before he shielded his eyes from the sun and stared out into the horizon.
"Where to next? You have many people who wish to see you today Second Hogyoku. Many wishes to grant as far as I can see."
Ichigo gave Renji his dirtiest look, but the lieutenant easily ignored it.
"To Urahara then."
Ichigo sat sitting with a cup of tea in the 2nd Division barracks, Urahara sitting at the other end of the table. Yoruichi was outside attempting to calm down an enraged Soi-Fon for letting these "traitor scum" enter the 2nd Division barracks. Yoruichi and Urahara had come to Soul Society after hearing that Ichigo had been brought into the Seireitei.
Renji and Rukia sat at Ichigo's sides, everyone's faces grim.
"What is it you wanted to tell Ichigo, Urahara?" Rukia asked.
"Is it about Captain Yamamoto's decision on what to do with Ichigo?" Renji burst out.
Urahara flicked his fan open, hiding his uneasy smile. "Well, that, I'll tell you about later. For now, there is something else I wanted to ask you about Kurosaki-san."
Ichigo leaned forwards to hear, his happiness evaporating.
"You opened up the Royal Dimension, right?" Urahara murmured.
Ichigo instantly tensed, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow. "Yes."
Urahara leaned forwards even closer. "Listen up, Kurosaki-san. Don't think that Soul Society don't know about this. They do. Many skilled soul reapers have been posted to guard the gate—because they don't know how to close it, Kurosaki-san. Only you can."
Ichigo stiffened. "One of the ropes was cut. What am I supposed to do, mend it back together again? I'm not Ishida!"
"Yes, I know that. But you'll have to find a way, Kurosaki-san—because you are the Oken now. And if you don't close that gate, it won't go unnoticed by the Royal Guard that the dimension has been opened. That should never happen—I mean never—not every billionth year or so. Only Captain Yamamoto knows where the real Oken is. If the Royal Guard question Yamamoto of the reason why he opened the Royal Dimension and he denies that he did, all heads will turn to you. A second Oken is too dangerous to be allowed to live Kurosaki-san. There's simply no telling what they'll do," Urahara murmured darkly.
Ichigo flinched away, ceased in a moment of panic. What could he do? He couldn't even remember what he had done to even open the Royal Dimension. How could he close it?
"Kurosaki-san. You are the only hogyoku left, in between you and Aizen's, which you destroyed. Usually, when a hogyoku is being destroyed, it will create a huge explosion that is strong enough to wipe out three worlds at once. Only with another hogyoku however, you can avoid that. That was why the soul reapers held back and let you destroy Aizen's hogyoku by yourself. So the Royal Guard can't afford to kill you, Kurosaki-san."
Ichigo calmed down a few notches. But it instantly evaporated once again when he heard Urahara finish his warning.
"They'll probably come and take you away and lock themselves up with you in the Royal Dimension."
Ichigo hadn't slept the whole night. Peace had vanished for Ichigo in a matter of hours, and now he was once again waiting for something to leap out and attack him.
He was now pacing across the hallways of the 1rst Division barracks, making his way towards the captains' meetings where he would be judged. He had no other choice. All his friends were scattered all over the place. He couldn't afford to escape with their fate still hanging in the balance. Ichigo just hoped that his judgment wouldn't be that bad.
He arrived in front of the meetings room, the grand set of double doors creaking open to reveal the row of captains, with Yamamoto standing at the end. Ichigo was signaled to step forwards, and the teen uneasily made his way towards the Head Captain.
"You've come," Yamamoto uttered in his gruff voice. "Substitute Soul Reaper and 0 Espada, Kurosaki Ichigo."
Ichigo stood his ground, staring at the Head Captain right in the eyes.
"You have all been gathered here to witness the judgment of Kurosaki Ichigo, due to the absence of Central 46."
Yamamoto raised his head, his mouth opening to speak, but a messenger appeared in the doorway, bowing to the Head Captain. "A messenger from the Royal Guard has entered the Seireitei, sir!"
Shocked murmurs passed through the rows of captains, Yamamoto's eyes which appeared to be constantly closed, opening in surprise. Ichigo tensed, another bead of sweat rolling down his face. Already?
Ichigo could feel the shock of the Head Captain coming off him in waves. Ichigo had never seen the old man so caught off guard. Yamamoto lowered his head resolutely. "This captains' meeting is temporarily dismissed. I will notify you later of Kurosaki Ichigo's status."
He tapped his wooden cane on the ground, and with that the captains reluctantly dispersed and left the room, curious murmurs radiating from the crowds.
Only Ichigo remained, nailed to the spot. He stared down at the ground as Yamamoto passed him, pacing towards the messenger. Ichigo mechanically turned around, taken a slow step forwards towards the exit.
"What does he want to see me for?" Yamamoto raised a brow.
The messenger shuffled uncomfortably on the spot.
"He, um, doesn't want to see you, sir…" the messenger turned and pointed at Ichigo, "But him."
An enormously long chapter to compensate for my absence! XD
Again and always, please review! :D