AN: OK, chapter 2 of the 3-part update. I debated as to whether or not to make it a super chapter, or divide it into three…but, since I promised 3 updates, it was separated. Get ready, for here the new chapter comes!

As always, I do not own Stargate or Bleach.

Fading into Darkness

When Teal'c signaled Ichigo to come over to the tall lockers that held the padded sticks that were used for sparring, Ichigo didn't know what to do. The silent man was standing there, staring at him like he was one of Urahara's experiments. It didn't help that that may be exactly what the tall man was thinking, remembering back to what Ichigo's cover story was.

He was supposedly kidnapped and experimented on by one Souske Aizen. Upon discovery, Urahara took the poor, abused boy under his wing and taught him all he knew.

Heh, as if.

Still, Ichigo hesitated when he looked at the sticks. He was so used to sparring with an actual blade that he feared these fakes would throw him off. Shrugging away any anxiety, he found a "blade" that was approximately the right length and weight as Zangetsu. Upon seeing how the young man handled the padded staff, Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Ichigo Kurosaki, are you certain that you have handled a staff before?"

At the abrupt question, Ichigo let out a somewhat blinding smile. "Oh, hell no. I have never handled a staff in my life. However, at home I have a sword of my own that we—Urahara and I, and sometimes a friend of his named Yoruichi—spar with, edges and all. This is merely about the correct length for the sword, which is about as long as I am tall." He shrugged. "It may be unconventional, but then again, I am pretty unconventional myself."

Teal'c nodded sagely, and grabbed a staff for himself.

"Let us begin, then."

Daniel and Jack watched Jacob as they walked behind the Tok'ra. Any time they tried to ask what his problem was with the kid, he responded with either, "Selmac wants to see something first," or "All will be revealed in a moment." No answers. Nothing.

That was one thing that irritated Jack when dealing with other people in general. If they didn't want to tell you something, then it was usually unwise to punch them in the face like he probably would've done when he was younger. His irritation was reaching an all-time high when Teal'c called over Ichigo to the storage locker with the padded practice weapons. Upon hearing the names Urahara and Yoruichi uttered in the same sentence, Jacob's frown deepened.

"OK, seriously, what's eating at you? He's just a kid that has been through some hard times and knows how to fight. What's got your face all in a twist like this?"

Jacob's head bowed, and when he looked back up at Jack, it was Selmac looking through his eyes. "Tell me something, Colonel. How many people do you know that can wield a sword that is nearly the same length as a man is tall? How many young people can say they have matching scars on both hands from what looks like a blade, or a hole punctured in their chest and live? There is something…other about the boy. You can feel it, and I am most certain Daniel and Teal'c can, too, if only because of certain…circumstances. Think on that, and once this fight is over I will tell you and the General my thoughts, for at the moment they are many and not in any order." With that, he turned away as the opponents for the sparring ring walked out the side door and over to the ring made for this kind of thing.

They got close enough to hear what was being said between the two just as Ichigo asked, "So, what are the rules here?"

Teal's spun the staff around his hand once, then said, "If you step outside the ring, it is an automatic killpoint. For you, since you are used to wielding a sword, if you hit my heart, stomach, or head, the killpoint will be yours. For me, only if I hit your head or stomach."

Ichigo frowned. "That seems a bit unfair. Why don't we make it even. You hit me in my heart, the killpoint will be yours as well."

Teal'c nodded, conceding to the determination in the Shinigami's voice. "Very well. Otherwise, 10 hits in any other location makes a killpoint." Here, Teal'c looked over at the remainder of SG-1 and Jacob.

"I will keep score for Ichigo, and Jack can keep for you, Teal'c," Daniel said, taking a few steps from Jack so he wouldn't be distracted by the Colonel's commentary during the battle.

"It is settled, then. Do you have any questions, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo swung his "sword" around his hand. "No, I think I'm good. Let's get this party started." A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"Good. O'Neill, if you would, call the start."

They faced off from one another, and waited, their positions at the ready.

Jack stepped into the center of the ring between the two, holding an arm out. Suddenly, he shouted, "Start!" and dropped his arm swiftly, running out of the circle…

And they both just stood there, examining each other.

This lasted for a few more moments before, in a flurry of motion, Ichigo struck. It was then that Jack realized why the younger was wearing pants that looked like a skirt…it was very hard to make out the positions of his feet as they moved, and even harder to judge if a leg was bent to change directions or straight to take a blow. It was like he was gliding on water, and you couldn't tell where he was going to be next.

And the boy was quick! After the first strike to Teal'c's left shoulder, which the bigger man blocked, he redirected the energy from the block into a sweep around and aimed for the opposite side in a motion that would slice the bigger man in half if Ichigo's weapon were really a sword, and Teal'c less vigilant.

For the first full minute of the fight, Teal'c was on the defensive, surprising the growing crowd of spectators in the gym of the sparring arena. Finally, though, the Jaffa managed to shift Ichigo's balance to the wrong foot and pushed the boy away, almost outside of the circle painted on the mats. It was enough that the Big Guy could mount his own offensive, and struck with a see-saw maneuver to Ichigo's left shoulder and right hip. Grunting, Ichigo blocked all the blows in rapid succession, but when Teal'c changed his tempo, he managed to score a hit on Ichigo's left shoulder.

With a Japanese curse, Ichigo kicked out to put some distance between the Jaffa and himself so he could catch his breath. Sweat was already pouring out of every pore on his body, but his muscles (not to mention his Hollow) were screaming in the joy of a good, solid fight. It really had been too long since he faced a skilled opponent other than the other Visoreds and the Shoten people. Even his father refused to do more than hand-to-hand with him, stubborn bastard.

HEEHEEEHEEEEE! Keep it up, King! He's going to go for the left side next!

"Shut up, you stupid bastard," Ichigo muttered between breaths. All through the fight, Shiro was making himself known by adding comments every other maneuver.

Teal'c struck from the left with an uppercut using the butt-end of his staff. Ichigo blocked it, and responded with a swift cut from his left to the right. Teal'c dodged.

You should've gone with the left-swing-up-backward-c thing. Whatever Urahara calls that move.

Ichigo ignored his Hollow, focusing on putting Teal'c back on the defensive, which he achieved.

Hey, I'm talking to you!

"And I'm ignoring you, Hollow," Teal'c's expression became somewhat confused by the spoken Japanese.

Don't ignore me! That year you were recovering was quiet enough! Don't do it again!

The hollow's comment was enough to throw Ichigo for a loop, and made him just about miss an attack from Teal'c.

"You were lonely?" Ichigo quit speaking under his breath so much. He had forgotten, briefly, that they had attracted a crowd. With Ichigo's next two hits, he managed to score a mark on Teal'c's left arm.

…Don't make me sound so pitiful. I will take over again, and stop being the Horse if you do.

"Ha! As if. You haven't done that in…" Pain. Pain through his head, and over his left eye, the side that always transformed first when his hollow took over. Ichigo dropped, oddly enough in time to avoid a hit Teal'c aimed at his shoulder. The pain wasn't going away, and he knew that his left eye was black with a golden iris.

Then let me fight with you again, King. Let's beat this powerful human.

Power.

That was all Selmac felt as the being (for Human he wasn't, that was certain) fell to the ground, clutching the left side of his face. He started to speak aloud again, as he had been during the entire match, in his native tongue. Selmac was startled to realize that this last time, however, the words changed, and he remembered where he had heard it before. From a man who lay dieing in his arms, saying the true gods had finally come to take him to the stars, as his symbiote tried vainly to keep him alive. And then the last words out of his mouth were (after Jacob had found a translation,) "Ah, finally, take me away, Shinigami."

He was of Japanese origin, but the language was not that of modern Japanese.

"Ah, I was afraid this was going to happen."

Jacob jumped, but Selmac knew the man was standing beside him. Knew that he had run from the labs clear across the base as soon as the power from the boy started to flirt in order to come out of hiding.

The man standing beside them was soon identified by Jack. "Dr. Urahara. What's going on?"

"Wait a moment. I want to see how my student handles this."

Jack glowered after receiving the response. Another person telling him to wait before they gave the answer.

Teal'c had hesitated upon the rise of power, as if he could feel the suffocating energy that was about to drown them all. And yet, most of the others who had gathered around the ring acted as if nothing was wrong, only a handful looked around, alarmed.

What was going on?

Teal'c then decided that he had waited long enough, and struck with a downward swipe using the head of the staff in his right hand. It was blocked by Ichigo, who didn't even look up or rise from his crouched stance. When he looked up, his eyes appeared, if not normal, then just a bit brighter, just a bit more crazed than they had before. He looked Teal'c right in the eyes, and laughed.

That laugh wasn't right in the least. It held a duality, much like a Goa'uld possessed human did, and yet…was different.

In three strokes, he had pushed a very surprised Teal'c out of the ring, but it seemed like he didn't care. He kept attacking and attacking, until Urahara spoke up.

"Shiro. Stop."

Ichigo hesitated, then looked over his shoulder at the blonde. There was a manic grin spread across half his face, and the other was as somber as the usual Kurosaki. "Why should I, oh-exiled Captain? I was just havin' a bit a fun."

Urahara pulled a fan out from his sleeve, and spread it in front of his face. "Now is not the time. These people do not understand you, and nor would you want them to. They would kill you much like Soul Society tried to do to your brothers and sisters, as well as normal Hollows."

He seemed to think a moment, then spit off to the left. "Fine. When I let go, though, I'm takin' King with me. We need to have a little talk about…important thin's."

Urahara nodded, and suddenly Ichigo's eyes rolled up into his skull and he fell, passed out and unknowing of the commotion he had just caused.

AN2: I know, evil of me to leave it here…but the third update is still coming! (Be glad that I didn't get the chance to leave it at this cliffy, because knowing me, I wouldn't've had a chance to come back to the story for another month, lol.)