Chapter 33:

Yagi searched the area. Ichigo was nowhere to be found. He had a feeling the Arrancar had taken him to a safe place and hidden him away. Veneno may have been an Arrancar, but he showed more intelligence than Yagi had given him credit for. Veneno wouldn't be foolish enough to leave Ichigo out in the open where he would be easily spotted. He would have hidden somewhere with cover. This narrowed Yagi's search down to areas with trees and tall grass. A village would have been another good hiding place but they wanted Ichigo to avoid populated areas so hiding him in a village would have been foolish.

"They're all fools." Yagi searched the area with his eyes before continuing his long march across the barren land. The area he was traveling had very little grass and what grew was yellow and straw-like. "They are protecting him for nothing. Ichigo will die one way or another. It's only a matter of time. I thought they would have realized that by now. What on earth are they fighting for?"

He had planned it all out perfectly so there would be no way for them to win. Especially if it involved saving Ichigo's life. That was impossible. If the Soul Reapers refused to put Ichigo out of his misery, the poison he was injected with would finish him off. It was only a matter of time. Ichigo didn't have long.

"What on earth are they fighting for?" he asked himself again. "Why protect him when he's going to die anyway? Do they really think their efforts will save him? How foolish. What good will caring for him do if he's going to die either way? It makes no sense. What are they fighting for? What? And why?"

Yagi paused, trying to sense Ichigo's whereabouts. He must have still been in his Soul Reaper form. As a Hollow, it was easier to sense where he was. His Spiritual Pressure was immense. Even as a Soul Reaper, he had quite a bit of Spiritual Pressure. Yagi started to wonder if Ichigo was already dead. It was sooner than expected but with Ichigo constantly fighting back against the transformation, it didn't come as too much of a surprise.

He sensed something. Someone was behind him. It wasn't Ichigo. He knew it was a Soul Reaper. The same female from before. He turned around to greet her.

"I am sick and tired of you interfering, girl. Enough already. Accept your loss and move on. There is nothing you can do."

Rukia held her sword high with confidence. She wasn't going to let him get away. She wasn't going to let him near Ichigo, wherever he was.

Yagi faced her with annoyance. "Accept it. You cannot win. Even if you do by some miracle manage to take me down, there is nothing you can do for Ichigo. He will die. Whether I get near him or not, his fate is sealed."

"Don't be so sure," Rukia said, trying to block out his words. She didn't want to believe for one second that he may have been speaking the truth. "It's not too late for Ichigo. He can still be saved."

"Foolish girl," Yagi said with a sneer. "He has one foot in the grave as we speak. You really think you can save him? He chose this path. Let him take it to the end."

"I can't accept that. I won't."

"Then you will also die."

Further away, the two Captains watched Rukia face off against Yagi along. So far they appeared to be just talking but they worried what would happen when they ran out of words. Neither of them were in any position to help her. They were injured and hadn't received proper medical attention. It was a sloppy patch-up at best. Rukia had done what she could for them but it seemed that they would not be able to see battle for a while.

"We have to help her," said Linnette. "Rukia can't do it alone. Yagi is too strong."

"I know that. But..." Shinji wanted to help but his body was aching too much. He feared going into battle in this state. He would surely lose. If he tried to help Rukia, he may only get in the way. He was worried that if he did attempt to help her, that he may need rescuing and that would cause Rukia more problems. Going in would cause more harm than good.

"It's going to be hard to take him on, no matter how many people we have," said Rojuro. "We have to keep him alive because he has information we need. It's much harder to fight someone you want to keep alive than fight someone who-"

"I don't care!" Linnette shouted. "It's not worth all this! You guys getting hurt and everything else."

"But he could have a cure," he told her. "Just in case he speaks the truth, we must hold back on the off chance-"

"But he doesn't!" Linnette shouted at him. "I'm with Veneno on this one. I don't think Yagi really has a cure. I think he's just saying that to save himself. And even if he did, he'll never give it to us. Yagi wants us all dead, even Ichigo. So why would he ever give us that kind of information if it goes against what he wants? He knows we're screwed either way so there's no way he's going to help us. If we get any information out of him at all, it's most likely going to be a lie. We can't trust him."

The Captains looked at each other. "She has a point. Even if we did torture this guy, it's unlikely that he'll give us the correct information. Giving us what we want will be counterproductive. He wants us dead. No negotiations, no compromises. He just wants us dead. Ichigo, especially. So there's no way this guy will work with us."

"So let's stop him," said Linnette.

"But what can we do? We're on our last legs as it is. Yagi has barely fought at all so he's still got a lot of strength in him."

"Rose is right. And we were still given orders not to kill Yagi. Even if we're pretty sure he's lying, we can't go against the orders we were given by the Head Captain."

"Yes, you can!" Linnette snapped. "I'll let you. That way it will all be on me. The Head Captain can't get mad at you if I'm the one who forced you to do it."

They exchanged looks of uncertainty. Neither was certain what to do. A part of them was saying to do one thing and another part was telling them to do another.

Finally, Linnette took it upon herself. She couldn't wait any longer, knowing that Ichigo was running out of time. Yagi was going to be their biggest hurdle. He had to be stopped so they wouldn't have to worry about him doing anything else; whether it be to them or to Ichigo. Linnette had made her decision.

"I order you to fight!"

They both stared at her.

"Don't let Yagi hurt Rukia. If you have an opening, if it's in your power to do so, then kill him!"

They looked at each other. She hadn't called upon their Hollows so they were still aware of their surroundings, but they knew their Hollows had heard her command. If that was what Linnette wanted, then they would do it.

"Looks like we don't have much of a choice again, Shinji. If we decide to do something else, our other selves are going to take over and make sure we do what she wants."

"It might be for the best," Shinji sighed. "I really want to kill this guy myself. Now I have an excuse. But..."

Looking down at his sore and battered body, Shinji wondered if they would be able to do it without dying in the process.

"And I order you not to die."

They both turned to Linnette.

She wasn't using them as tools. She really did care about them. She didn't want to see them die, even if it meant letting the enemy go. She wasn't willing to sacrifice them. Not even to win.

"Fight with me," she commanded. "Help me fight Yagi and protect Rukia and save Ichigo. Help me."

"Enough of this nonsense," said Yagi, raising a weapon. "You're wasting my time. One way or another you are all going to suffer and Ichigo will die. If this is the way you've chosen it to end..."

"It won't end for Ichigo," said Rukia.

"So you say. But I'm telling you that it is pointless to fight. You cannot save him."

"I'm not giving up, no matter what you say. There's still a way, even if you say there isn't. You're just trying to make us feel helpless."

"Only because you are. Now leave me in peace and-"

Yagi cut his speech short, seeing something come his way. It was a Kido. He jumped aside to avoid it. He glared in the direction of the two Captains.

Shinji readied another Kido. He was going to restrain Yagi. If he couldn't move, he couldn't fight or go after Ichigo. Once he was restrained, they would decide what to do with him next.

"You're fool enough to try using that technique on me? I dare you to do it again." Yagi pointed his weapon at them. "Try it."

Shinji knew he was being baited but didn't care. He used another Kido to restrain Yagi. To his amazement, Yagi knocked it aside with his hand. Shinji refused to believe that he was immune to Kido but it looked like Yagi could combat it somehow. He must have been using a technique Shinji was unfamiliar with. Shinji tried again, studying his movements carefully to see how he was doing it.

It looked like Yagi was using his bare wrist to swat the Kido aside as it approached his body. The leader of these Quincies possessed different abilities they were unprepared for. It was no wonder he was in a position of power. He was strong.

Shinji fired a different Kido and Yagi swatted it aside with his hand. Again and again. As he swatted the Kido, he took a step closer. He was inching his way over to them for an attack. Shinji knew he was going to try something and had to react.

Yagi reached forward with his hand to grab Shinji's wrist when suddenly, from out of nowhere, something happened. A powerful cero was released. Not one but two. Two different ones.

Yagi jumped aside but the hem of his coat was singed. He looked to his right to see what it could be. The Captains and Linnette looked to their left.

Veneno and Sharif were standing nearby, both poised and ready for an attack.

"You again," Yagi growled. "I should have known you would have been able to regenerate from those wounds but I left you there to die anyway. I thought your remaining human parts would take longer to heal, but I suppose your Hollow parts have corrupted the rest of your form, blending together until your own body can no longer tell them apart."

Sharif snarled at his former leader, hearing once more how he had tried to have him killed.

"You heard him, right?" asked Veneno. "He just admitted he tried to kill you. Again."

"Yeah, I heard."

"But you still missed."

"He moved."

"No. The path of your cero was off a little," said Veneno softly. "It's true he did move out of the way, but I saw its path. If he hadn't moved, it still wouldn't have reached him like mine."

Sharif swallowed.

"Don't fire a warning shot. Don't hesitate. He is not your leader anymore."

"I- I know that."

"Then why are you having doubts?" Veneno pressed.

Sharif was so certain this was what he wanted. He wanted revenge for what Yagi had done to him and to the innocent. He knew Yagi had tried to kill him not once but twice. No, more than that by now. Yagi openly admitted that he wanted him dead and did not care.

So why couldn't Sharif bring himself to do it?

He had fought with Yagi. Fought against him. Fought to kill him. All in this one day. He was still angry and he still wanted to tear into him, but couldn't do it. Though he was pieced together with Hollow parts, a part of him was still a Quincy and Quincy were loyal to their own.

He still respected Yagi far too much to kill him. His Quincy blood and mind were holding him back. He hadn't renounced that part of himself yet. He was still a proud Quincy. A Quincy who had always believed in Yagi and was loyal to him.

He had decided to help support Veneno in this fight, but he knew it wouldn't be easy. Not because Yagi was too difficult to beat, but because he was having doubts. Self-doubts. Sharif's heart and mind weren't fully in it. He was silently reprimanding himself for fighting alongside this Arrancar and for turning on his own kind. This was shameful. He knew he had good reasons for doing it. He knew that Yagi deserved it, but his feelings were too strong. His Quincy self was telling him that this wasn't right.

"Block it out," Veneno told him firmly. "He is not your boss anymore. You don't have to put up with his crap for one second more. Just forget it. Keep reminding yourself that he did this to you. That he tried to kill you many times. Keep telling yourself that. He doesn't deserve your pity."

Sharif swallowed again. He knew Veneno was right but he still couldn't do it. This was far harder than he thought. He just didn't have the will to go through with it.

"Sharif."

Hearing Yagi speak his name cause his heart to skip a beat.

All those years of loyalty. Of following Yagi around like a faithful pet. Blindly obeying his every wish and getting little in return except for a few kind words of praise or the satisfaction of doing the task given to him. Was he to throw that all away? Yagi wasn't so bad. He did have his reasons. Maybe even doing this to him was justified. He could forgive him for this. Of course he could. For his leader, he would do anything. A Quincy...

A Quincy.

He was doing it again. Bonding only with Quincy and never anything else. Loyal to his own kind and no one else. To forgive anything and everything they did and believing that it was acceptable simply because of their race. To him, a Quincy could do no wrong. A Quincy was perfect and that included his leader.

How could he not forgive his leader? He was a Quincy just as he was. Therefore, whatever he did was fine. Sure, they had a falling out, but he shouldn't be fighting against him. Least of all with this Arrancar. Or these Soul Reapers. What was he thinking? This was wrong. He should beg Yagi for forgiveness and go back to his side. That was where he belonged. Getting kicked and pushed around and ultimately killed. That was fine, right?

Sharif narrowed his eyes. He had to stop these thoughts. He couldn't take action because of these conflicting feelings. He no longer knew what was right. He thought he knew what to do. He thought his mind was made up. He thought he had come to a decision, but...

Yagi smirked at him. He could read him like a book. He knew Sharif well. He was very predictable character-wise. Him turning against him was the one and only thing that ever took Yagi by surprise. He knew what kind of man Sharif was. He knew what was in his heart. He knew Sharif didn't have it in him to fight against his own kind. It was wishful thinking on his part.

He couldn't do it.

This was pleasing news for Yagi. Not only would Sharif hold back in the fight but it also meant he would cause problems for the rest of the group. He was a liability. A hassle. Sharif would sooner turn on them than he would on Yagi.

It didn't matter what Yagi did to him. He knew no matter what he did, Sharif would always forgive him. Just like he would any Quincy. Anything his kind did was acceptable. Even this. He would always support a Quincy. No matter what.

"You can't do it, can you?" said Yagi. "How could you? We're blood. Not family but we are the same race. We are Quincies. Who else would you side with? Who else would understand you?"

Yagi spoke the truth. This was what Sharif always believed.

What was he thinking? A Quincy had his pride. Fighting alongside these Hollows and Soul Reapers to take down a Quincy was shameful. Sharif wasn't an asset. He was a hindrance. He would fail on purpose and then take them all down the first chance he got. Then he would go to Yagi and beg for forgiveness.

"You were only able to fight me that time because you let your rage control you," said Yagi. "You weren't thinking clearly. Now that you've had time to calm down and your blood has stopped boiling, you can see what things are once more. Now you can think and understand."

Sharif tried to block out what Yagi was saying but he listened anyway. He couldn't help himself. He knew Yagi was right. He was the fool. It was foolish of him to think he could fight.

"Your mind is a jumble. You think you should do one thing but your heart tells you another. I understand. You know I do. I'm the only one who can. I understand you because I am a Quincy as well."

Sharif lowered his Hollow arms, losing all will to fight.

"Why would you wish to fight against me, of all people? Forget that I am a Quincy like yourself. Have I not been good to you? Did I not pick you out to join me? Out of all the other Quincies I could have chosen, you made the cut. I singled you out and brought you here with me. I saw something in you. I knew you were strong. Is this how you want to repay me for putting my faith and trust in you?"

"Cut the crap!" Veneno snapped.

Sharif and Yagi both turned to him in surprise.

"You're just trying to talk your way out of this. You know what you did and you're trying to confuse him to make him think he's the one in the wrong. You're something else, you know that?" Veneno pointed a finger at Yagi's chest. "But you are telling the truth a little bit in what you just said."

"And what's that?" Yagi asked.

"That you understand him. But not because he's a Quincy. That has nothing to do with it." Veneno narrowed his eyes at Yagi. "Now I see it. I get it. An understanding. You can read people very well. You know their character and what sort of person they are so you can predict their moves. Most important, so you can pick ones most easy to manipulate. You select people of a certain character because you can see what's inside of them and can use it to your advantage. You didn't pick Sharif because you saw potential in him. You did it because you knew you could manipulate him. You know which buttons to push and what words to string together to make sure things go your way."

Sharif's anger was back. Veneno was right. Yagi knew exactly what to say to get him to do as he wished. There were plenty of strong Quincies he could have chosen but he picked him and three others. Not just for power but because he could control them and make them do what he wanted. He knew what to say and how to say it to make them come over to his side of thinking. Not only that, but to make them have doubt in themselves so the instant they started thinking of rebelling against him, they would start to feel that it was wrong of them and blindly follow whatever it was he said for them to do. Yagi was doing that right now. He was making Sharif think he was doing something wrong and tried to make him come over to his side once more, despite the things he had done. He was a manipulator.

"You speak as if I were cruel to him," said Yagi. He turned to Sharif. "Tell me, have I ever beaten you? Have I ever cursed you or done terrible things to you? Did I not feed you and take care of you? Give you a place to stay and kept you at my side through thick and thin? Did I not praise you when you did well? Was I really such a horrible person to you?"

"Uh..." Sharif couldn't answer that.

"You experimented on him against his will," said Veneno. "That's cruel enough."

"I saved his life by doing that."

"Not out of the goodness of your heart." Veneno looked him up and down. "That's the reason, isn't it?"

"What reason?"

"You have three reasons to do what you did to him. Don't you?"

Yagi frowned. "I'm certain I don't know what you're talking about."

"When you experimented on him. You expected to find him dead, didn't you? In that cell? Once you saw he was alive, you panicked. You were afraid of him coming after you."

Sharif's eyes widened. "Wha..?"

"Knowing how Sharif is, since you're so good at reading people, you knew there was a way out. You had to cover yourself. So that's just another reason you did what you did. First, to see if you could do it. You wanted to satisfy your curiosity. Secondly, you wanted to use him as a weapon. So you turned his body into something useful. But the other reason was so you could patch him up and tell him how you worked so hard to save him. That way, Sharif wouldn't have the urge or will to attack you. He wouldn't get mad if he knew you had saved his life and helped him get stronger. You knew he wouldn't turn on you then."

Sharif searched his feelings and knew that was exactly what had happened. To keep Sharif from coming after him, Yagi fixed his body and made him stronger. That way, Sharif would not have a reason to attack him. He would be grateful and forgive him for trying to have him killed.

Yagi really knew who to pick and what he could do to get them to stay on his side. Even when he messed up or did something that would cause them to turn on him, he knew exactly what to do to remedy that wrong and keep them as allies. Of course, he could have just killed Sharif then and there once he saw that he was alive and end it, but Yagi still needed a weapon. He used Sharif yet again. He made sure to keep him as an ally and turned him into a powerful weapon. Every action he took was carefully planned out.

Yagi looked at Veneno coldly. He knew Veneno's words were dangerous. It was enough to put doubt in Sharif's already conflicted mind. He had to shut him up.

"Enough." Yagi raised his Seele Schneider and pointed it at Veneno. "You dare to stand between a Quincy and his goal, you must be prepared to fight. Not run your mouth and spout such nonsense. It does not matter anyway. Quincies will always stick together. Most think we're extinct and many of us are gone because of Soul Reapers. Even more reason for us to stick together and fight. We should bond with each other and be as one formidable force."

"Then why discard one of your own if you feel that way?" asked Veneno. "Why would you try to kill one of your own kind if your goal is to join together? Together you can create an army but you can also relate to one another and as a rare race, you want to be together. I can understand your reasons for that. So why try to kill one of your own? That makes no sense to me."

Yagi frowned.

"You're lying, aren't you? You're just saying things others want to hear. You don't mean any of it."

"Actually, I do," confessed Yagi. "I do wish for Quincies to live together and for the continuation of our race and I wish for the Soul Reapers to parish. However... while I will see to it that my goals are not abandoned and that my feelings, personal or not, remain true, it is not worth my life. Therefore, I will not hesitate to sacrifice one of my own kind if it means I get to live."

He knew it.

"So you'll walk over those precious to you because your life is worth more?" asked Veneno.

"Of course. Quincy or not, I value my life. So even if I do care for my own kind and seek their longevity, I will use them as a shield if it keeps me alive."

Yagi turned and looked at Sharif who was still standing conflicted behind Veneno. Even now, he would not move.

"I saw fit to sacrifice him to Ichigo for two reasons. One, his other half annoyed me so and I considered that a real problem. It could hinder my goals. But mostly, I wanted to test Ichigo's willingness to kill. Of course, I could have used something else. Like an animal, for instance. But not for what I had in mind. I knew Ichigo had not only seen Sharif before, but he also knew he was a person. Killing an animal and a human being are two different things. I had to make sure Ichigo could kill a living person with flesh and blood and family and hopes and fears. So it was necessary. I had to see if he could murder. So Sharif was the best choice. I could get rid of his annoying half and see if Ichigo could kill someone he could recognize all at once. Two birds with one stone."

"And you just happened to kill one of your own because you thought it was necessary. So much for preserving Quincy life."

"Don't criticize me, Arrancar. I've already explained my reasoning."

"Yeah, but I still don't agree with it." Veneno gripped his sword tightly and dashed forward.

Sharif saw Veneno rush at Yagi and felt the impulse to stop him but his body would not move. Instead, he called out a warning. "Leader!"

Yagi blocked with his Seele Schneider. He forced Veneno back and turned his body away as Veneno came at him again. Yagi walked backwards as Veneno advanced.

"I'm surprised at you," Yagi said to Veneno. "After all the things the Soul Reapers have done to you and your kind, why on earth would you try to protect them? Why fight for them? It makes no sense."

Veneno slashed at Yagi but none of his attacks made contact with his body.

"After all the experiments and tortures they've put you through. And didn't Ichigo try to kill you?"

"Not all the Soul Reapers did that me to. It was a select few," said Veneno through his teeth. "And I gave Ichigo little choice. If anything, I made him do it."

"But you could have ended things in a different way. He didn't have to fight you."

"It would have meant abandoning his friends," said Veneno.

Yagi chuckled. "So what? If only he had done that, you two wouldn't have ended up fighting as you did and he wouldn't have tried to kill you. There would have been peace if he had abandoned them."

"Ichigo would never abandon his friends and that doesn't make him foolsih to chose such a thing. He didn't make the wrong choice! He wanted to save them! To protect them! And now I know why he did! I understand why he would choose to do such a thing and why he does the things that he does! I finally get it and I wouldn't have if he had done something you would have agreed with."

"You don't know that."

"I don't have to explain anything to you! You will never get it anyway and I know you're just trying to get into my head and manipulate me like you do with everyone else! My bond with Ichigo and the other Soul Reapers I've become friends with is too strong for you to sever!"

Veneno jumped back, bent down and launched himself at Yagi's legs, hoping to cut them from his body. Yagi flashed away and appeared to Veneno's right. Veneno jumped away and slashed at Yagi from above. Yagi blocked every move.

Shinji watched the fight and knew something had to be done. He couldn't let Veneno fight Yagi alone. He was still weak from his earlier battle. However, he and Rojuro were not in the best of shape. Shinji was doing a little better than his fellow Captain but he knew entering battle like this was going to be risky. He hoped his body would be able to handle what he had in mind.

"If I can just hold him in place..." Shinji raised his sore arm. It was shaky but his aim was good. He would not miss. "Bakudo 61 Rikujokoro!"

Yagi found himself trapped between five sheets of light, digging into his torso like thin, flat daggers. He couldn't move from this spot.

"Thanks, Shinji!" Veneno took a flying leap, raising his sword above his head. He was going to cut off Yagi's head. Unlike the rest of the Soul Reapers, Veneno never intended to keep Yagi alive. He was going to kill him.

Blood Spear would save him. Yagi could still use it.

He looked over to the left and saw Rukia watching them. If he used it now, he wouldn't have it later and she knew that. He couldn't use it, but if he didn't Veneno would kill him in this very moment. He had to think of something he could do quickly.

"Sharif!" he called in desperation.

It was his only chance. It was time to see just how devoted Sharif was to Yagi.

"Yaaah!" Veneno gave a battle-cry and brought his sword down.

There was a loud clang as his sword rang against hard flesh and bone. Sharif had stepped between them at the last moment and took the hit for his leader. Veneno's sword was wedged part way through Sharif's right hand which was raised up to shield Yagi.

He had acted on impulse. He didn't make the conscious decision to do this but something inside of him brought him between Yagi and the enemy.

The enemy? No, that wasn't right. Yagi was his enemy. No, he wasn't. He couldn't be. Not his leader and fellow Quincy. No, he was. He had to be. After everything he had admitted to and everything he had done. Of course Yagi was his enemy. Then why would he protect him?

"Thank you, Sharif."

Sharif turned. He was unable to speak but his mouth made small noises like a mouse caught in a trap.

"You did well." Yagi broke the Kido and freed himself. He aimed an arrow at Veneno's head.

On a new impulse, Sharif used his wounded arm to wrap around Veneno and carry him to safety. He set Veneno down far from Yagi's arrows.

"What the hell?!" Veneno snapped. "I had a clear shot! I had him! What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it." Sharif turned away. "I could help it..."

Veneno put a hand on Sharif's shoulder. "He is not your leader anymore," he said firmly. "Get that through your head. You owe no loyalty to a guy who tried to kill you."

He knew it, but changing what was embedded in him from an early age was not something he could easily get rid of.

"Just stay back." Veneno came at Yagi again. He swung wildly at his body and Yagi kept stepping back to avoid his swings.

Shinji bent down on one knee to keep himself steady. "Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

He left a trail of holes in the dirt where each attack missed its target. Yagi was just too fast. Shinji kept firing but it was pointless.

Yagi started to fire arrows at Veneno. Then he got the bright idea to fire at the people nearby. He fired at Shinji and at Rukia. Then he fired at Sharif who wasn't taking part in the fight at all.

Sharif started to lift up his arm to protect himself but he didn't have to. Veneno had thrown himself in the line of fire and deflected the arrow with his sword. He protected him.

"Stop attacking people who aren't fighting, you jerk!" Veneno yelled and charged back into battle.

Sharif watched Veneno quietly, wondering why he would try to protect him. It didn't make a lot of sense.

"Hado 33, S- Ahh!" Rukia was thrown backwards by Yagi's attack. He was taking on two people at once. Before she could recover, he kicked her in the stomach. Veneno took her place and slashed at Yagi's arms. Yagi ducked and kicked Veneno in the shin to get him off balance. As he fell, Rukia jumped in and slashed at Yagi from behind.

"It's pointless," Sharif said to himself. "They're not going to win. Leader is just too strong for them."

"Then why don't you take part in the fight?" asked a feminine voice.

Sharif knew who it was and shut his eyes in disgust. "You know damn well why I can't do that. The Arrancar was this close to causing leader serious injury and I stepped in and stopped him. I'll do it again."

"I guess you will always defend your leader, hm?"

"I guess so..." Sharif used to be proud to say such a thing but now it filled him with disappointment.

"That's the difference between you and me. I really don't care about leader. He never really treated me well."

"Can you blame the guy? I can't stand you either."

"Ah, but we're two peas in a pod, you and I. Fufufufufu..!"

"It's because of you he saw fit to get rid of me in the first place. If it weren't for you, none of this would be happening."

Sharif felt a hand on his chin and opened his eyes. His white reflection was staring back at him.

"Now, don't blame me for all this. He admitted himself that he had other reasons for doing what he did. He wanted to test Ichigo's killing ability so he had to sacrifice one of us in order to do it. It was nothing personal."

Sharif turned away. "I know, I know. But... This is so hard!"

"You're making it harder than it has to be."

"You don't get it," he said to his other half. "All my life I've been devoted to the Quincy race. And now..."

"Devotion can be a good thing but it can also be limiting. Who was it who only played with certain people as a child? Who was it who gave up on many wonderful things because it didn't involve Quincies? You limited yourself back then and you're still limiting yourself today. It has to stop at some point."

"It's not easy to break a habit. Especially one you've been doing since birth."

"It's not like I'm telling you to quit breathing."

"No, you're just telling me to switch sides."

"There isn't the Quincy side and the Soul Reaper side. There's right and wrong. Either race can commit either one."

Sharif looked up. Who would have thought his other personality could be so wise?

"Face facts. Yagi might have good intentions with certain things, but he's going about it in the wrong way. I'm all for living in peace but him killing us needlessly in order to do it is something I can't get behind. And even you're having issue with him sacrificing innocent people. All those poor souls being turned into Hollows just to make sure the serum will work on Ichi-cutie was just warped and unnecessary. It was cruel."

"I know that," said Sharif. "But..."

"No buts. How can you be loyal to a guy who doesn't think twice about killing you?"

"But he's part of my race. He's like me. We can understand each other."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes," said Sharif. "I know him. I don't know these Soul Reapers or that Arrancar."

"That Arrancar just took an arrow for you."

"He deflected it, there's a difference."

"But he did take the time to speak with you. He shared personal things with you. Has Yagi ever done that?"

Sharif hesitated. "I don't know." He growled. "But he's good to me."

"Oh, yes. How could I forget about him holding the door open for you when Ichigo-"

"Forget about that. It was just one thing. He's praised me for a job well done. He gave me a roof and food and all sorts of things. He's a good man. He understands me. He knows me."

"And as a Quincy, you two have a bond."

"That's right. We do. What more is there to know? Being a Quincy means you understand each other."

"Uh-huh. Does he know your favorite food?"

Sharif paused. "Huh?"

"Does he know your favorite food? Does he know your worst fear? Your favorite drink? Your last name?"

Sharif looked down.

"He doesn't does he? Do you know his? Do you know his favorite food and drink?"

"I don't know!"

"Exactly! You don't know. Face it, Sharif. You don't know anything about Yagi and he knows less than that about you. The only reason you like him so much and are loyal to him is because he's a Quincy. That's it!"

Sharif knew his other half was right. It was true. He didn't know anything about Yagi. He was only devoted to him because he was a Quincy. That was the one and only reason.

"If he weren't a Quincy, you would have never made it this far with him. You wouldn't be loyal to him at all if it weren't for that single reason."

Sharif looked down. "You're right... I don't know a thing about him... And he doesn't know me."

"He never took the time to get to know you. Never. I guess he doesn't care about you that much. He just sees you guys as pawns he can use then throw away. No attachment necessary. Face facts. He doesn't care about you or anyone other than himself. If he did, he would have known your favorite food was moose jerky and sweet things. He would know you hate miso soup. He would know you got a scar on your knee from when you fell off your bike when you were a child. He would have known your mother was a seamstress. He would know when your birthday was and that you like yellow cake over chocolate despite chocolate being a tad sweeter. He would have known you moved once in your childhood and would be able to name at least one of your friends. Or at the very least know which schools you went to. He would also have known that you slept with a stuffed giraffe until you were fourteen."

"No one knows that!"

"But you get my point. These are all basic things. He knows nothing about you. And you know nothing about him. Out of all the things I listed, do you know any of those things?"

Sharif looked down.

"I thought not."

"Look, I know he doesn't know really anything and that neither do I but..."

"But how can you have a bond and be loyal to a guy you know nothing about? Everything you've devoted yourself to is based solely on race. That's it! Don't you see how stupid that is?"

"Then what am I supposed to do? Bind myself to these Soul Reapers and that Arrancar? Do you know how stupid that sounds?"

"More stupid than devoting yourself to a person based solely on race and not character? Hm."

Sharif growled. "What do I know about these people other than them wanting to save Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"You spoke with that Arrancar. You know something about him at least."

"Yeah, but..."

"And you know these people aren't willing to walk over each other to achieve their goal. There's a plus."

These Soul Reapers were loyal to each other and weren't willing to abandon one another to attain something. The injured weren't discarded or used as a shield. They were being protected and healed. That was more than could be said about Yagi. He helped them to a point. If it meant risking his life, Yagi would not do it. He only helped them if he had something to gain.

Veneno had nothing to gain by protecting Sharif. Why would he put himself at risk of his sake?

"Come on," prompted his reflection. "You know the right path to choose. Why are you so hesitant?"

"I told you before, it's not that easy." Sharif sighed. "I thought I had made up my mind to fight Yagi but I couldn't do it. I ended up protecting him when they had a chance to stop him. I stood before him and knew what I should do. I thought I could do it, but I failed. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Even with that cero. I missed him on purpose. I just can't do it."

"Try."

"Don't you think I've been trying? I know what needs to be done but I just can't bring myself to go through with it. Something keeps holding me back. Every time I get close, something ends up pulling me away. Even with my mind made up, or so I think, there's another part of me telling me that it's wrong and I should still stay with Yagi and fight for his cause. I know it sounds stupid but that's how it is. I can't easily get rid of it. I just can't, no matter how hard I try."

"I guess Yagi was right to choose you when he needed followers. He only picked people he knew he could manipulate. Boy, has he got you brainwashed."

"I'm not brainwashed. I'm just conflicted." Sharif sighed. "If only there was a way to shut out that voice completely so I won't have doubts. So I won't be pulled in another direction from the one I've set my mind to. I know what needs to be done. Now if only I could get myself to do it. If only I could shut out the doubt. If only there was a way..."

Sharif hated this confusion. Knowing what had to be done but having doubts that it was the right thing to do. To make matters worse, he wasn't sure which part of him was causing certain doubt. Was it his mind or his heart? His Quincy self or his Hollow self? Was it emotion or reason? Logic or instinct? Was there a difference? Were both working simultaneously but both had their own bit of doubt in them? He was so conflicted. There was no stopping it.

"There is a way," said the female voice. "But you may not like it."

"What is it?" asked Sharif.

"Have Linnette do it."

Sharif's heart sank. "What?"

"Have her sing for you."

"Are you kidding me?" Sharif snapped. "After all the crap you gave me about Yagi manipulating me, you want me to be manipulated by someone else? Are you joking? Are you insane?" It was trading one evil for another as far as he was concerned.

"Not so much control, really. Since you're not really a Hollow, I doubt it will be her actually controlling you. To be honest, even I don't know what's going to happen. Everything about us is a mystery. What will happen, our relationship, her ability. Who knows? I was just suggesting something I thought might work. It did before."

Sharif had to think about this but there was little time. "But us being how we are... Who knows what could happen?"

"I know. It's a mystery."

"What will happen to us? It's unclear and therefore dangerous. With us... we're kind of jumbled together. Though I don't have a Hollow's mind, there are parts of me that are Hollow."

"Like myself."

"I know. But... So..." Sharif clenched his fists. "I don't know what's going to happen if I allow this. It could be very dangerous. It could be chaos."

"But it could help."

Sharif had to make up his mind quickly.

"So..." said the feminine voice. "What will you do?"

If he allowed Linnette to use her voice on him, it could calm the storm in his mind and body. It could unify him so he won't be so conflicted. It could make things better, but it could also make things worse. He wasn't sure what would happen so it was scary for Sharif to consider taking such a risk.

Sharif clenched his eyes tight and opened them. The battle with Yagi was still going on. Something had to be done.

He didn't want to fight his leader, but he had to. These conflicting feelings and thoughts were too much. He had to do something.

"Ow!" Shinji lowered his arm.

"Let me see," said Linnette. She looked at Shinji's burnt arm. Even using Kido was painful for him after a while. He needed to rest but he was still willing to fight. "I'm not sure what to do," she said to him.

"There's nothing you can do. I just need to heal." Shinji looked at the fight raging on in front of him. "But..."

"I can give it a go," said Rojuro. "I've been resting so I should be able to do something."

"You were in worse condition than I was, Rose. If you go in there before you're ready, you could end up getting yourself killed."

"So we should just leave it to them? I'll have no part of that. Come on, Shinji. We managed to take on Aizen and survive that. This is just one Quincy."

"But we lost that fight. Ichigo was the one who won it for us."

"Let's not go splitting hairs. We're stronger than we think. Let's get out there and prove it. To ourselves and to that Quincy."

"The spirit is willing, but the body is weak, Rose," Shinji sighed. "While I want to help and though I agree with you, I'm worried that our bodies will give out long before we can reach that goal. If you go out there, your body could give out on you and that will give Yagi a clear shot at you. Then instead of being helpful, you'll be in need of rescue. We need to think carefully about it."

"Every battle has risks, Shinji. I love that you're trying to look out for me, but really. Are you willing to hold back so much?"

"It's not that-"

"Girl."

The three stopped and faced Sharif.

"Me?" Linnette asked, pointing to herself.

"Yes. Linnette, right?"

"Mm-hm." She nodded.

"I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

Sharif's jaw went stiff. He took in a deep breath and said, "Use your voice on me."

"What?"

"Make me fight. Make me fight Yagi."

The Captains turned to each other. Having Sharif fight would be better since he wasn't in as bad of shape as they were. However, he seemed to be more of a liability.

"I'm so conflicted but I know I have to fight Yagi. But part of me keeps getting in the way. So I want you to help me out. Maybe hearing your voice will tune out the conflicting part of me that's still loyal to Yagi. I want to fight him but I can't with that part interfering. So I need help to block it out. Use your voice to help me out." Sharif had made up his mind. "Please."

Linnette was willing since he had asked. However, she wasn't sure what would happen since he was different from other Hollows. He wasn't quite a Vizard either, so she wasn't sure what would happen.

"Ok. I'll do it. But are you sure?"

"Just do it before I change my mind."

It was a request she was unprepared for. She wasn't sure what would happen to him. She had tried using her voice on him before but he reacted differently from other Hollows she had faced. His reaction was unpredictable. It seemed that his other half was not in control when she used her voice before. Maybe only part of it was. Sharif was in control and aware of what he was doing, whereas Vizards would no longer be conscious and their Hollow halves would take control of their body. Sharif seemed to be dominate even when she did use her voice.

Unsure whether or not it would work, Linnette tried anyway. Maybe if Sharif was willing to let something happen to him, things would be different this time. His willingness might be a factor.

Her voice washed over Sharif as he stood there and listened. Every note, every pause he could hear clear as day. She had a really pretty voice but nothing was happening. He didn't feel any different.

Maybe nothing would happen. Since he didn't have the mind of a Hollow, nothing would take place. Maybe this while thing was all for nothing.

Just as he was starting to lose hope, he felt something. It was very slight, but he felt it.

Peace.

For a brief moment, the turmoil inside him was gone. The storm raging inside of him disappeared and he felt at peace.

This tranquility was strange to him but he welcomed it.

He looked down at Linnette and watched her lips move. He didn't feel loyal to her in the slightest. There was no desire to call her his master or his new leader. There was no devotion. However, he felt a very slight connection. Nothing major. He just had no quarrel with this girl. He was indifferent. Yet there was a slight pull in another direction. It was very faint, but present. He liked her.

Still there was no overpowering feelings of love or a desire to do her bidding. Her voice wasn't working in the way he had hoped. He had hoped that she would help him fight Yagi but there was no desire to heed any command.

However, there was no conflict, either. He no longer viewed Yagi as his leader. Only as an enemy who needed to be destroyed. Not because of anything Linnette was telling him but because of what he already knew inside.

He could do it. He could fight now. He knew he could.

Not for her or for anyone, but for himself.

"Grah!" Veneno slammed his sword against Yagi's weapon, hoping to break it, but a Seele Schneider was much harder than he anticipated. He used his sword like a bat and kept swinging it down from his shoulder. Over and over again.

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

Yagi jumped aside. The blast just missed Veneno but he was undeterred. He rushed at Yagi with all his might and slashed at his chest. Yagi blocked and kicked Veneno in the stomach. Before he could be sent flying backward, Veneno grabbed Yagi's ankle to get him off balance. Yagi hopped two steps to keep from falling and that was when Rukia charged in from the side.

"I do not have time for this."

Yagi threw himself forward into Veneno to avoid Rukia's attack and knocked Veneno onto his back. He step on Veneno's stomach as he moved away. He fired a single arrow at Rukia and tried to leave, but Veneno had a hold of his boot and wouldn't let him go.

"Get your filthy hands off me, Arrancar." Yagi kicked Veneno in the face.

Then he sensed someone at his back. He quickly turned around and saw Sharif take a swing at him from the side. Yagi jumped away and started to retreat.

Now that Sharif was taking part in the fight, Yagi's odds were not good. There were too many people to consider. While many of them were injured, they were still able to put up a fight. His best chance was to attack those in a weakened state if he hoped to decrease their numbers. He wanted Ichigo to do that for him but at the rate things were going, that would not happen. If he didn't put an end to them now, they would keep coming after him. It looked like he would have little choice.

Sharif swung at him again but missed. Yagi knocked his arm aside with his weapon to keep him from taking another swing. Yagi then rushed to where the Captains stood with Linnette. They would be the easiest to get rid of.

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

Yagi dodged again. The main attack missed him but then his foot slid out from under him. Ice was paving his path to the Captains. It would not be easy to reach them with this in his way.

The ground started to freeze all around him. The ice was creeping up his foot and over his ankle. He had to move otherwise he would be frozen in place.

Now that he thought about it, taking out the stronger ones may have been a better way to go. They were a bigger threat, but they would not be so easily gotten rid of. Though they would be more of a challenge versus the injured and weak, they posed a greater danger to himself.

Though Veneno was injured and still recovering from his earlier battle with Mordere, he still had some fight in him. Sharif seemed to be trying to attack but Yagi didn't consider him to be too much of a threat. Rukia was the only one with the least amount of injuries and she wielded the ice preventing him from continuing. She would be the one he attacked first. Rukia was his best bet for now.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

Yagi ducked down and dashed to his right. Then he sprinted left and came straight at Rukia. Within no time at all, he was on top of her.

"Ah!"

Yagi's hand closed around her neck and he threw her to the ground. He kicked the sword from her hand and stood on top of her small body.

"Rukia!" Linnette screamed. Her body was already in motion. She was running to help her.

"Linnette, don't!" Shinji yelled, but she was already gone.

Rukia pressed her hand against Yagi's chest. "Hado 31-" His grip tightened around her throat, silencing her.

"I really wanted to have Ichigo be the one to kill you. I wanted to see the look on his face... if he ever returned." Yagi raised his weapon. "But you leave me little choice."

Taking a flying leap, Linnette threw herself on Yagi's back and pulled him away from Rukia.

"Ow!" Yagi felt her nails digging into his face and neck. "Get off me!"

"No!" Linnette pulled with everything she had. She grabbed a fistful of Yagi's black hair and pulled, causing his head to jerk backward. "Run away, Rukia!"

Yagi was still on top of her so Rukia couldn't leave that spot. Even if she could, she didn't want to leave Linnette. Not with her literally on top of Yagi. Though grateful, Rukia knew Linnette was in great danger being this close to the enemy. Even worse, Rukia couldn't attack without risking Linnette's life.

"Get off me now!" Yagi reached over his shoulder but couldn't pry her off. "Get off, you little brat!"

Linnette wrapped her legs around Yagi's torso and kept her arms wrapped around his neck. She wasn't going anywhere.

Rukia's mouth opened. The way Linnette hand him formed a perfect opening to end the fight. Yagi's chest was perfectly exposed. All she had to do was stab him and it would all be over. As long as she drove her sword in straight, Linnette would not be injured. Not as long as the sword didn't go all the way through his body.

While it was good news, it also posed a problem. Their orders were to keep Yagi alive. Though killing him would end the fight, it was against orders. They still didn't have a cure so Yagi was still of use to them. They couldn't kill him yet.

Although, Veneno did have a point. Keeping Yagi alive meant nothing if he wouldn't cooperate with them. Any information he gave them, if any, could have been a lie. There was no point in sparing his life if it held no benefits.

Even if it was against orders, Rukia had to do it. He was an enemy and that's all there was to it. Yagi would provide them nothing.

Rukia raised her sword and aimed carefully.

Suddenly, Yagi jerked to the side, trading places with Linnette. Rukia froze. Her sword was now pointed at Linnette's ribs. If Yagi didn't hold still, she couldn't get a clear shot.

Using her sword was too risky. A shorter blade would be much better for something like this. A dagger would provide more accuracy, but there were none around. Yagi's Seele Schneider was a bit shorter than a sword so perhaps that could work.

Yagi saw Rukia coming towards him with the sword in her hand. His life was in danger.

"Rah!" Yagi grabbed Rukia's wrist, still gripping her sword, and pulled her in close. He bent his body down and grabbed Linnette's dark hair and pulled. Her arms left his neck to grab her hair to pull it from his grip. Yagi quickly swung his body and threw them both down.

The girls landed beside each other and quickly got to their feet.

Yagi had a hold of Rukia's sword and his Seele Schneider. He spun his body with both weapons pointed outward.

Both girls raised their arms to protect themselves.

Yagi reached into his pocket and took out something small. He threw it on the ground and there was an instant explosion. Both girls were sent flying backwards from the blast.

"Ahh!"

Rukia landed on her shoulder and looked around for Linnette. She was tossed into the air and was caught by Shinji before she could hit the ground. He pressed her close to his chest, turning his back to the explosion, just in case anything else came their way.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I"m fine. Thanks."

"I don't know what Pharaoh was thinking."

It wasn't Shinji.

"Honestly. Letting you go running off into danger like that. What if something had happened? I can't let any harm come to you."

Suddenly, Shinji's tone changed.

"Oh, shut up! I was coming to get her, but you took control just as I started running, so don't give me any of that." Shinji had regained control of himself and was lecturing his Hollow. "Linnette, are you hurt?"

"I'm ok."

"She's fine, Rose. You can stop worrying."

"I was worried about both of you!"

Sharif sighed in defeat. It was clear that her voice had little effect on him. It might have calmed the storm brewing inside of him but hadn't done much more than that. If it had, he would have come running the instant Linnette's life was in danger, like Shinji had done. He hadn't taken a single step closer to where Linnette stood and never tried to shield her from harm.

Clearly her voice didn't work on him the way it was supposed to. It had so little effect, Sharif deemed that it wasn't effective at all. If it were, something else would have happened if Linnette's life were threatened. Apparently it only stopped him from harming her rather than compelling him to rush to her aid the second anything happened.

This wasn't what he had hoped for. Ending the conflict within himself was one thing, but how was he supposed to battle? Her voice hadn't given him the urge to fight and she couldn't command him. It had done nothing. He still couldn't fight Yagi.

"You're bleeding."

"Huh?"

"Your hand."

Linnette looked down. The palm of her left hand had been cut and was slowly oozing blood. She had never been hurt like this before. She had gotten minor cuts in the past while playing or during other activities but she had never gotten a cut this bad before. She hoped she wouldn't need stitches. There were no medics out here to help them.

"Here." Shinji tore off the frayed hem of his sleeve and wrapped it around Linnette's hand. "It doesn't look too bad but we need to keep it covered.

"Ouch!" she hissed inwardly. "It stings."

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry."

Sharif approached and looked at Linnette's hand. He could see the blood dripping down her arm as Shinji wrapped it. He tied it tight and she whimpered in pain. She was hurt.

His face started to twitch.

Rukia was injured as well, but she was well enough to come over to check on Linnette. After making sure Linnette wasn't going to bleed to death, she turned her attention to the half-breed standing nearby.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

Growling, Sharif bolted past Rukia and over to Yagi.

Yagi turned and saw him coming. Thinking he could still command him to some extent, he gave Sharif an order. "Stop."

Sharif kept coming.

"Stop."

He wasn't stopping.

Yagi's eyes widened and he took a step back, preparing for what was to come next.

"Ragh!" Sharif slammed his fist into the earth with such force, it caused the land to tremble. Yagi stumbled back and Sharif smacked him hard with his other fist. Yagi flew backwards and landed on his side. He scrambled to his feet, seeing Sharif come at him again. He was trying to kill him. He was serious this time.

"Sharif, stop it." Yagi couldn't reach him like before. This was different from the blind fury he had before. Sharif was furious, but something about him seemed unstable. "Stop it, Sharif!" While similar to the first attack, Yagi could tell that something was different. Sharif's reason, perhaps? "Sharif, stop!"

"And why should I listen to anything you have to say?" he asked in a snarling tone of voice. "Why should I ever, ever, ever listen to you ever, ever, ever again?"

Something had changed inside Sharif.

"Why? Why? Why? Why should I? Why? After you tried to kill me twice? Maybe more? I've lost count, but twice was plenty. After you turned me into a monster? Most of all..." Sharif stared straight into Yagi's eye with ones full of confidence and loathing. And insanity. "After you hurt Linnette? And made her bleed?"

Yagi backed away. Sharif really was unstable. Something had changed within him and it must have been her doing.

Her voice had an effect on him after all.

"I can't stand it. I can't, I can't, I cant. I can't stand seeing her in pain. I can't stand by and let you hurt her. I can't let you get away with making her bleed. Not her. No way. No way, no way, no way, no way."

"So you've finally lost it."

Sharif growled at him. "I've lost my sense of loyalty to you, if that's what you mean. Not that you ever deserved it to begin with. I don't know what I ever saw in you." Then Sharif's voice changed. "Fufufu! You never liked me anyway. Fufufufu!"

Sharif was speaking with two different voices. One was male and the other speaking style was unmistakeably feminine. It seemed his other personality had decided to join him. They were both operating the same body together. That much was obvious but Yagi was curious which one was more dominate. Were they both controlling the body at once or were they alternating? He couldn't tell.

This made reasoning, or rather manipulating Sharif, impossible. With Sharif, he knew which words to say to get through to him and how to do it. His female personality was not so easily controlled and never liked Yagi to begin with. He knew now that he would be unable to talk Sharif back over to his side. He would not be able to put doubt in his head and control him as he had done earlier. Now Sharif truly would try to kill him without hesitation.

Sharif swung his arm down from over his head and split the earth where Yagi had stood moments ago. Yagi fled backwards to avoid Sharif's arms but it was proving difficult. Rather than plan out his attacks, Sharif was using brute strength without any sort of pattern. He was just rampaging like a beast, only far more dangerous. There was no telling what his state of mind actually was. The way he spoke and the actions he was taking caused Yagi to believe Sharif had lost his sanity.

"Attacking a girl is one thing, but her? My sweet, sweet? You'll get nothing if you behave that way, Yagi. Must be a gentleman if you want someone to listen to you. To devote themselves to you. Not behaving like that, no way."

Yagi narrowly missed being struck with Sharif's arm. He was getting closer.

"Your sweet words and charm will only get you so far, Yagi. Fufufufu! Why should I listen to someone who hates me so? Just hates and hates and hates and hates. Might as well be loyal to someone who likes you back. Right, Yagi-sweetie? You don't deserve such a title. My mistake, mistake, mistake."

"Uh!" Yagi threw his arm over his head. His knees bent deep as he blocked Sharif's Hollow arm. He was able to hold it back with his bare arm but he could feel the damage being done inside his body. His bones ached and the pain spread throughout his body. He quickly threw Sharif off but was thrown into the air by his other arm.

"Not so fast!" Sharif jumped into the air and slapped Yagi straight down like spiking a volleyball. Yagi hit the ground hard and was pinned down by Sharif's foot. He bent over Yagi's body and roared like a beast.

Yagi glared into Sharif's furious eyes. This was truly what Sharif wanted. No longer thinking with a mind set on loyalty to his race alone, he was able to see what needed to be done. He wasn't abandoning his race. He was detaching himself from Yagi. He was the one who needed to be done away with.

There was such hate in his eyes. Hate which Yagi had never seen before. Sharif had never given him such a look. Not even when they were fighting the first time only hours ago. The eyes of someone who saw him as he truly was: an enemy.

He would not go down like this. Not by the hands of his former comrade and certainly not by the hands of a Hollow.

Yagi raised his arm and fired an arrow at close-range. It sank into Sharif's chest but didn't kill him. Yagi still couldn't tell where the human parts ended and the Hollow began. Sharif lurched back and Yagi somersaulted backwards and landed on his feet. As soon as he was standing, he started running.

"He's getting away!" Rukia shouted.

"I got him!" yelled Rojuro.

"Stay out of it! Out of it, out of it!" Sharif screamed. "He's mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!"

The Soul Reapers didn't stop because Sharif told them to. They were frightened of him. Sharif was very unstable and unpredictable. No one knew what he was capable of now. They were worried if they got close, they would become his next target.

Sharif sprinted after Yagi and took a flying leap with his arms held high. "Ruagh!"

Yagi turned at the last moment to face him. He pulled something out of his pocket and threw it at Sharif.

There was a massive explosion and both men disappeared from view. Yagi emerged from the smoke for a brief moment as he jumped up to kick Sharif in the face. Sharif was thrown backwards and landed in the dirt.

Yagi appeared a second time from the smoke and pointed his bow at Sharif's head. "A rabid dog needs to be put down," he declared and fired.

Veneno appeared between them and with his bare hand, knocked the arrow off course. As he turned to face Yagi, he saw the Quincy running off again.

"After him!" The Soul Reapers were up and running. They were all intent on hunting Yagi down and finishing him. They were not going to let him escape and retaliate. Not this time.

Veneno started to follow, then turned. Sharif was still on the ground. He went to his side and bent down. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Sharif's eyes rotated to look at him from the side. He let out a moan as his only response.

Veneno rolled Sharif over to take a look at his chest. He had taken some damage but it looked like he would be fine.

"You owe me nothing," said Sharif. "Why would you try to help me like that? Is it because you need me? You need me to help you take Yagi down?"

Sharif appeared more coherent now. It seemed whatever state he was in before had worn off.

"Of course we need you to help us fight, but that's not why I did it."

"Then why?"

Veneno's answer was very simple. "Don't you want to live?"

Sharif flinched. Such a simple question caused him so much doubt and worry. "I..." He tried to think. "I'm not sure."

"Not sure?"

Sharif paused, trying to sort his thoughts. "I always lived for them. And for Yagi. Not anymore, now, but..." Sharif looked at his ugly Hollow body. "Look at me. I'm a Hollow but not entirely. I'm a monster."

Veneno shrugged. "It's not so bad."

Sharif winced, a feeling a dread latching on tight to his heart. "I don't know if I want to live like this. I don't want to die, but what kind of life could I possibly have like this? The way I am now? I don't fit in with my kind anymore. If a Quincy saw me, whether or not they knew my story, they would shoot me dead on sight. My own kind would want to kill me. Even Yagi admitted that he would have killed me when this was all over."

His initial reaction to being brought back from the brink of death was gratitude. He was thankful that Yagi had saved his life. Now that he had time to think, he wasn't so sure that was the best thing in the world. Yagi's intentions had nothing to do with it. It was the dread of not knowing what life would be like now that he was different. He imagined it was similar to how a running champion would feel if he had both his legs amputated. He felt lost and scared and worried and confused and sad and uncertain.

"I can't be with Yagi anymore. My own kind will try to kill me. I have nowhere to go." Sharif wanted to cry, he was so full of sorrow. He had no one and nothing. He had nothing to go back to and nowhere to go from here. He imagined if he were to live through this, he would be wandering aimlessly until the day someone came along and ended his life.

"If you want to..." said Veneno. "You could come and live with me."

Sharif turned to Veneno in surprise. "What?" he said in disbelief.

"Why not? I have a place. It's not much but it's mine. There's lots of room and I wouldn't mind the company."

"Are you kidding me?" Sharif turned away in annoyance. "Live with an Arrancar? Me?"

"Why not?" asked Veneno. "You said you have nowhere to go. You're not all Quincy anymore now, are you? And you said it yourself that your own kind would not accept you as you are now. Your other part is Hollow, isn't it? So why not stay with me?"

"Such an invitation..."

"Hey, you said before that there was no one better to understand you than your own kind. Since you're part Hollow now, that means we can understand each other to some extent. Is living with me really the worst thing in the world? Take it from me, you don't want to be alone. It's a good way to get messed up."

"But with an Arrancar? Are you serious?"

"I'm friends with Soul Reapers. Come on, we've been through this already." Veneno smiled at him. "Like I said, I wouldn't mind the company. It's better than you wandering around alone. Isn't it?"

Sharif didn't know what to say.

"Out of everyone, this guy opened up to you the most and you know more about him than you do someone like Yagi," said a feminine voice in his head. "Why not go for it? Fufufu..!"

Sharif sighed. "I'm not sure."

"You don't have to decide now. But the offer's on the table if you want it."

Sharif sighed again. There were worse things, he could imagine. Veneno, though an Arrancar, was kind enough to offer him a place to stay. He was also decent enough to help protect him during the fight and he even stayed with him when he couldn't move. He even spoke to him and shared his personal feelings and thoughts. Veneno wasn't so bad. Just different.

Could he really get along with someone so different from himself? With another race?

Those Soul Reapers seemed to get along fine with him. Even the human girl and the two Vizard Captains. Such a thing was possible. Sharif didn't want to consider himself to be close-minded but he was for the most part. He wasn't opposed to change or to changing but it would be difficult.

He was still debating whether or not to kill his Arrancar when the battle was over. That was his intention when he agreed to work alongside him to take down Yagi. Now that thought was getting dimmer and dimmer as time passed. Maybe staying with him wouldn't be so bad. It was an option, at least.

Sharif started to get up. "First things first. We have to take down Yagi. Then we can think about other things."

Veneno nodded. "Sounds good to me." He stood up and helped Sharif to his feet. "You good? You ready?"

Sharif looked himself over. Aside from a few scratches and scrapes on his chest, he appeared to be fine. His healing ability was very useful and Sharif was pleased with it.

"Good to go?" Veneno asked.

Sharif clenched his fist, ready to fight. That's when he noticed the cut on his hand from when he had blocked Veneno's sword from reaching Yagi. It still hadn't healed. Though the bleeding had stopped, the cut remained.

"Yeah," said Sharif. "I'm good."

Thoughts?

Please review! ^-^