Chapter 8: How this all started, part I
The day Winter War ended, Top of Las Noches
It was over. Ichigo's battle with Ulquiorra had ended in a draw of sorts. Both he and Ulquiorra were spent as they dropped out of their forms. Ulquiorra from his Segunda Etapa back to his sealed form, and Ichigo from that monstrous hollow form back into Bankai. While the battle was an awesome spectacle to behold, it seemed that both men were both fighting and speaking to each other in the process. It seemed that something inside of Ichigo snapped and for brief spurts during their fight, moments of clarity consumed his mind. Their battle ended when they knew the other was done for in terms of power. They landed on the roof of Las Noches and dropped out of their forms in exhaustion, simply standing was a challenge for them. If it wasn't for Orihime rushing to them both to heal them properly, then the two would've fallen by now. Orihime had watched the entire fight and could tell the two were discussing something, and whatever it was caused the fourth espada to relent.
Once she was finished healing them, Uryu approached, still reeling from the hit he took from Ulquiorra earlier, but better after Orihime healed him.
"So, what now?"
Ichigo, now fully healed and with a certain gleam of intent in his eyes, turned to his friends.
"Now, we stop Aizen."
He turned towards Ulquiorra.
"All of us."
Ulquiorra, now fully healed himself, nodded without a moment's hesitation.
Orihime was with them both as she could tell an agreement had been reached between the two. Uryu was a little more hesitant than her, but still decided to join them in stopping the madman once and for all.
What happened next was almost a blur of sorts. Both Ichigo and Ulquiorra made short work of Yammy once they went down into Las Noches. Both Rukia and Renji were confused when seeing Ichigo and a dark blur team up in order to kill another espada they couldn't even handle. Chad saw this and saw the look Ichigo gave him. He nodded in understanding, knowing that whatever his friend was doing now was the right thing. Nel, Pesche and Dondochakka also saw the look Ichigo had and became inspired to help out in any way possible.
Before any captains could show up, Ulquiorra had already opened up a garganta and he and Ichigo entered before Rukia could even see what had happened. She had never seen Ichigo move that fast, and whoever that blur was, he was indeed also fast. She had also seen the look in Ichigo's eyes, and unlike the others that became inspired by it, she was terrified. His eyes were like that of a hollow, yellow irises inside a pool of black. Just what exactly happened to Ichigo in order for him to look like that? It was worrying, but for now it was time for them to leave this land of hollows and return to the true fight.
Ichigo and Ulquiorra walked along the path inside of the garganta with Ichigo in front. To his surprise, the bridge that had formed was straight and solid, almost like a true bridge. It was also very wide, the length of a street even. This surprised Ulquiorra the most as he remembered hearing that Ichigo had terrible control of his energy from Aizen. It seems that his power and control had increased because of their fight, or at the very least because of what Ichigo spoke of to him earlier.
The two reached the end of the garganta and broke through without any trouble. Aizen was standing proudly as he expected this, naturally, but what he didn't count on or even expect was Ulquiorra also coming out of the garganta as well.
"What?"
Aizen started as he saw the look in Ichigo's eyes. The seriousness and calm anger behind those dark and yellow orbs shook the man for a second before he regained his composure.
"It seems I've underestimated you, Ichigo Kurosaki."
He started after he smirked towards the teen. He then turned towards Ulquiorra.
"And what exactly do you think you're doing, Ulquiorra?"
The stoic espada simply stood there with a passive look on his face as he stared down at the man he once respected.
"Making a choice for myself."
Aizen narrowed his eyes, but kept calm, nonetheless.
"It seems I really have greatly overestimated you arrancar and your somewhat connection to a human trait."
He smirked.
"You all are no longer useful to me anyway, so I'll eliminate you as well Ulquiorra."
"Aizen."
Ichigo started for the first time now, surprising everyone there by just how different his voice sounded now. It was rougher than before yet sounded almost quiet to them.
"I'm going to end this now. All of it."
"Oh?"
Aizen raised a brow towards the teen as he smirked once more.
"And how do you intend to do that, Ichigo Kurosaki?"
"Easy."
With those words, Ichigo's new mask formed almost instantaneously, shocking everyone else there, Aizen included.
"I'm gonna crush you, with full force."
With those words said, both he and Ulquiorra rushed towards Aizen, forcing the man to go on the defensive. The two worked in perfect synch, surprising the captains, lieutenants and vizards there as they watched on, intrigued by just how fast the two were. The remaining arrancar that were still alive had heard what Aizen had said about them. Some even saw what that bastard did to Halibel. While they knew they weren't strong enough to challenge the man, they were easily rooting for the soul reaper with a hollow mask and the fourth espada.
Aizen was actually having a tough time with these two. Their coordination was impeccable as whenever one was finished attacking, the other would attack afterwards. He dodged a cero from Ulquiorra just as Ichigo fired a heavy getsuga tensho towards him that he narrowly avoided. After avoiding the cero, he had to quickly block Ichigo's blade once more as the two were now in a stalemate.
"You've grown quite strong Ichigo."
Aizen started as they stayed deadlocked.
"But tell me, why exactly are you fighting so hard in the first place?"
Ichigo raised a brow under his mask as the two broke apart and he stood at the ready with Ulquiorra.
"What are you saying now?"
Aizen smirked and lowered his defenses as he knew he had the boy now.
"Oh, all I'm saying is, why fight me, Ichigo?"
He saw the boy narrow his eyes to him.
"Have you ever stopped to think why exactly you're here trying to stop me, Ichigo?"
Ichigo said nothing as he stood at the ready still.
"Or have you ever given it any thought as to why you've been able to see spirits for as long as you have?"
That was it. Aizen saw Ichigo's eyes widen as his mask dissipated from his face. His eyes were still the same though. Interesting.
"Have you ever wondered why that is?"
Aizen continued.
"Don't you think it maybe has something to do with your-"
Before he could continue, every able-bodied captain and vizard stood in front of Ichigo and Ulquiorra, stopping the man from continuing his little speech. Ichigo could see a few of them sweating from what the man had started to say.
"That's enough, Aizen."
Shinji started as he gripped his zanpakuto tightly.
"Time to pay for your crimes against us all."
"Oh?"
Aizen started as he continued to smirk at them all.
"It seems my little story has made some of you agitated."
He continued to smirk at them all.
"Perhaps I should continue then."
Before he could do so, all of the captains and vizards, sans Komamura who was closest to Ichigo, rushed the mad man. Ichigo was about to move forward as well, but Komamura stopped him.
"No Ichigo."
He started as he looked to both the teen and the espada.
"We'll distract enough for you to land the final blow."
"What?"
Ichigo began to protest as he knew none of them were at 100 percent.
"You have not seen Aizen's shikai unlike the rest of us."
The wolf captain explained.
"You are our best hope at defeating him. You have to win, or else everything here will be in vain."
Ichigo didn't like this but nodded regardless. Komamura nodded back and began to rush in as well. Both Ichigo and Ulquiorra watched as the remaining soul reaper forces battled Aizen high in the sky, yet something caught Ulquiorra's attention. He looked down to the streets and could feel the familiar energies of a few espada's clinging on to life.
"Ichigo."
The stoic arrancar spoke, gaining Ichigo's attention.
"I have a suggestion to make."
"What is it Ulquiorra?"
Ichigo was slowly starting to figure out his new companion now and wondered just what he wanted to do.
"I sense a few of the espada still alive down there."
He pointed to a few areas on the battlefield.
"If you are sure about this, then we will need their help as well."
Ichigo looked down and felt the energies of two powerful arrancar. Looking to Ulquiorra, he nodded as the pale espada did the same and left in a burst of sonido. Ichigo stayed as he had a feeling that Ulquiorra knew some sort of way to help the two. Things were going to change now. Everything that has happened to Ichigo in the past few months has been an unfortunate eye opener for him. First learning about soul reapers then being attacked by a hollow. Taking Rukia's powers for about two and a half weeks, facing a Menos, nearly killing Grand Fisher to avenge his mother, losing to Byakuya and seeing Rukia taken away to be executed. Now all of the absolute nonsense involving others within the soul society and out of it. Kisuke using him and his friends not to save Rukia, but to ensure his precious Hogyoku didn't get in Aizen's hands, and the rest of the soul society only allowing he and his friends to live because Aizen was a bigger threat than they were. In all honesty, it made sense why Aizen would ask him that question. Aside from making sure his friends and family would survive, why was he fighting against the megalomaniac so hard? He was the soul reapers problem, not his. All of this was their problem, so why was everything now lying on his shoulders now? It was frustrating for the teen as he was essentially forced into this world when he met Rukia that night. It angered him that he could never live a normal life anymore. That his sisters' lives would forever be watched over for any signs of spiritual power and they would be denied the lives they should have.
While Ichigo was silently seething, he failed to notice that Toshiro had been tricked into stabbing another soul reaper girl in the back. He, along with the rest of the captains and vizards were cut down swiftly afterwards by Aizen. Yamamoto took the opportunity to use his power to stop the mad man and subsequently sacrifice everyone there in order to do so.
Ichigo was appalled by what he heard the old man say, thinking that he was no better than Aizen for sacrificing his fellow comrades. Before anything could happen, though, the flames died out and another creation of Aizen started to fight the old man. It was fairly one-sided but ended with the old man beaten once he had to stop an explosion from the remains of the arrancar. Aizen was about to deliver the death blow only for Yamamoto to use some technique that caught the rogue off guard. Ichigo sighed as he saw Aizen leave the large flame relatively unscathed and decided to go on the attack, thinking that it was either now or never.
"Getsuga,"
Aizen heard those words above him and saw at the last moment,
"TENSHOU!"
A large and heave wave of black and red energy made contact with the man and left a bed wound on his shoulder. Ichigo landed on a building and watched as the man landed opposite of him. He would have gone in for another attack, but he stopped as he saw the wound begin to pulse.
"So,"
Aizen started as he placed his hand on the wound and held a piece of Ichigo's energy on his fingertips.
"this is your energy firsthand?"
He smirked as he threw the energy away.
"I have to say, it has developed farther than I had anticipated."
"What did you say?"
Ichigo started as his mask dissipated once more.
Aizen smirked once more.
"I said your energy has developed further than I had anticipated."
He held his arm out to the confused teen.
"You have been a very interesting test subject, Ichigo Kurosaki."
"W-What the hell are you talking about?"
This was the first time Ichigo raised his voice since facing Ulquiorra just minutes before.
"I mean, that I've been monitoring and controlling the events of your entire life Ichigo."
Aizen started with that same smirk.
"Everything that has happened to you up to this point was all part of my plan to create a perfect being.
He slowly walked over to Ichigo as he could see the conflict on the boy's face.
"From the second you were born to this very moment,"
He continued."I've controlled everything in your life to suit my interest."
He stood in front of Ichigo.
"From your birth to your mother's death, to meeting Rukia and taking her powers, and everything else,"
He placed a hand on Ichigo's chest, causing the teen to look him in the eyes and causing his to turn back to normal.
"You have been an extraordinary experiment, Ichigo Kurosaki, but now you have become a nuisance to my plans."
Ichigo watched as the man simply smirked to him. Everything that he's ever done was all controlled by and orchestrated by this man? How? Why? What was the reason for this? Was Ichigo's existence simply just because some psycho was bored one day and decided to play God with his life? What was the point of Ichigo's life then? Was anything he ever did involving the spiritual world ever even his choice?
Aizen could see the boy's resolve shatter and knew he had no more fight left in him. He would have gloated a bit more and divulged another little secret, but that was when a sword came between him and Ichigo, forcing him to leap back. His grin fell at who he saw standing in front of the boy.
Ichigo didn't see the blade, but he could see the tall and familiar back of a figure in a soul reaper uniform. He straightened as he easily recognized the man in front of him, the last person he would have ever expected to see in this situation.
"You talk too much,"
The man stood tall to reveal Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father.
"Aizen."
Gonna split this up into two parts. The next will be more action oriented and take a very different turn than the original.
I also put on poll on my profile of which story ya'll would want me to update next Saturday. I'm gonna do this sometimes as I really have a hard time picking what to update sometimes and just want to hear what ya'll wanna see next. Poll will close next Friday, and the chapter voted the highest will be updated on Saturday. Hope I can make this a usual thing.
Stay awesome, and as always...
PEACE!