Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. They belong to Tite Kubo and whoever else actually owns it and I make no money from writing this. This story however is mine and is not to be replicated, reposted, or copied in any way without my consent. Thank you.
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Masquerade In The Making
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Tatsuki had never been so relieved in her life when they all reached home after the grad festivities. It was early morning the next day and she had never been so thankful for her sneakers in her life, even if they hadn't gone the greatest with her dress. If she had had to wear those infuriating high heels any longer than the ceremony she would have killed someone. That didn't mean she didn't want to severely hurt some of them, especially Chizuru, for the way they were looking at her after seeing her in a dress. That was only a secondary emotion however, the main one was pride. Yes, she was a woman, and she
could show off that fact, but her key pride was taken in Ichigo's hellish glares to the guys that dared show interest in their eyes when looking at her.
She was
his, and he wasn't interested in sharing.
As amusing as this all was to her, the sight of him, the memory of him, the time of him getting shot through the chest with that familiar red beam, it chilled her to the depths of her bones. She could remember numerous times over the night shivering for no apparent reason while having to look around frantically for that shocking head of orange hair, just to make sure. She couldn't believe that she had almost lost him.
She couldn't believe that she had almost lost him
and she could do nothing about it. She had always thought Soul Reapers were invincible, their powers the things of the imagination; unimaginable even. Even if she hadn't taken into consideration the rookies or the fact that she herself had almost died while in her Soul Reaper body, to her it was the fact that it was
Ichigo who had almost met that end that had her reeling. He was stronger than anything she had ever known, anything she was sure
anything had ever known, and yet he too had been brought to the brink of death just as easily as anyone else, even if it was from a deceitful blow.
She was struck by the realization of just how fleeting life was, even for Soul Reapers. They lived extremely long naturally, and they held powers beyond the capabilities of human comprehension, and yet they too had an end after all was said and done. They too had limitations; a wound they couldn't heal; an illness they couldn't beat. They too ended and would never be seen again, by their loved ones or by the spirit realm.
They too…died.
But to her that was inconsequential. It didn't matter that they could die, to her it mattered that
Ichigo had almost died. For those few minutes that seemed like eternity, she had lived with the knowledge that he would never hold her again, never kiss her again, never make love to her again. Their marriage would be over before it had even begun and the other half of her soul would be dead forever. She knew what she would have done after she had taken vengeance, there was only one thing she
could do after taking her revenge. The past few weeks had been like living in a dream for her, and right then the happy, near-dreamlike reality had been shattered and her soul had lost its reason for living.
She had heard of lovebirds before, but never before had she understood so intimately why one soon died after its mate met its eternal fate. Ichigo was the other half of her soul, the reason the malice-incarnate residing within it had handed over control willingly. She wasn't dependant on him for everything, Tatsuki Arisawa would never allow herself to be weak in everyday life, but she knew deep in the core of her heart that he had become the reason behind everything she did on her own. She wanted to show him how strong she was, she wanted to show him how independent and great she could be, and yet even as she was doing these things he was always there, watching from the sidelines with that small, imperceptible smile on his face.
He was
hers, and he wasn't afraid to admit it.
And for that short-lived eternity, she had lived without him. She had lived only for the hatred and vengeance that cried out from every pore, screamed and fought for the grief of her lost love. She knew what was going to happen after those dark emotions ran their course and she was allowed to fully comprehend what had happened. He had died, and the same fate would have soon befallen her.
But it was a lie. He was alive; he came back to her. In front of her eyes he destroyed what had been thought to have destroyed him and held her in his arms like the husband he was after it was all done. To her the ceremony was a formality. They had already bonded their souls closer than any piece of paper could proclaim, and there was no way for them to regain their former individuality, nor did they want to. Like any normal person, they could live apart from each other, but they could
never live
without the other.
And just like so many times that previous night, Tatsuki found herself shivering at the thought of him gone from her life, even though he was still right by her side as they said goodbye to their friends, who were finally departing for home. She waved and smiled weakly at them as they left, but she couldn't hear what they said to her and barely perceived their waves back. She couldn't remember. For some reason she couldn't remember what he felt like, what he smelled like, what he tasted like. For some reason she couldn't remember the feeling of love he exuded every time they made love and every time his lips sought out hers.
And she hated it. She
wanted to remember, she wanted that again. She needed to know he was still alive. She needed to know he still loved her. She needed to know.
She
needed. He had barely closed the door before she had him against it, her lips forcefully over his as her hips ground wantonly against his. He tried to mutter something, clearly not ready for this assault, but the sight of her tears stopped him. She was crying as she kissed him, as she tasted the testosterone and uniqueness that was simply
his. She wanted to remember, she needed to remember; so when she stopped she simply rested her head against his chest to give them a brief moment to recover. The words came without conscious thought; turmoil of heart, body, mind, and soul all coalesced into desperate longing that forced the use of her vocal chords. At that moment she didn't care if she sounded weak, she didn't care if she sounded broken, she just needed him to understand.
"Please…please…I need to remember. I need to know you're alive…"
And Ichigo Kurosaki understood.
Unbidden tears never faltered in their descent, never slowed in their release, but it was almost like they were in relief when he suddenly pinned her to the nearest wall and lifted her up to his eye level. She was remembering his uninhibited passion, his boundless lust and love for her, and she was weeping in joy as her nerves perceived his hand's movements on her bare legs and thighs from under her dress. His family was all asleep as it was still in the early reaches of the morning, and she had enough sense about her to keep relatively quiet, but she couldn't totally restrain herself. She needed to remember how she cried his name as he stroked her to wetness; how his voice sounded low and guttural when he moaned her name into her ear as her panty-clad core rubbed against his throbbing manhood restrained by his pants, just as she was doing now. She needed to remember the feeling of his body with hers.
Her memories were returning with each gentle kiss, each rough caress, each contradictory motion that was Ichigo Kurosaki as he continued his ministrations over her body, clearly enjoying the dress on her body. No part of her body went ignored, from any seemingly non-erotic place to every lightning-soaked nerve ending, he kissed and caressed them all.
She couldn't recall how long he did that, content to make her cry out with his fingers and acts akin to one of her most cherished memories: the day in the alley. Her moans and sobs were without end as he pushed her over the edge again and again until the underwear covered by her dress was completely wet. She couldn't reciprocate, she didn't want to. She wanted him to show her what he was again, to show her what they made when they were joined. She could still feel the tears on her face, but her relief was almost a palpable entity as she soaked in his presence like a dried-out sponge and encouraged him for more with every movement he made.
Finally it became too much for him and he hiked her dress up around her hips before tearing away the soaked undergarment protecting her most sacred area. She moaned in approval of his actions and that was the last straw for him. With a simple flick of a button his pants were open and then they were joined, moaning in ecstasy and crying in joy at the most physical manifestation of their love finally completed.
Finally, finally, Tatsuki was safe to remember. She could remember everything, and allowed herself to revel in the new memories they were creating. He was just as she remembered, pulsing and throbbing within her, sometimes not even needing to move in order to set of the hypersensitive nerves of her sex. His heartbeat flowed into her body from where they were joined and she finally allowed herself to believe what she had doubted all of tonight. He was alive. He loved her. He wasn't going to leave her.
And dear God she was going to do the same.
Her cries and groans reached new heights even as they were muffled by his blazer or his shoulder as she tried to stop the sounds from coming. She had needed this, and just like her Ichigo, he had given her all that she needed and so much more. His thrusts pushed her up the wall before his withdrawals leaned her back down, only for the process to be repeated again while she begged for more. He responded enthusiastically, increasing the power behind each plunge with exponential force every time she commanded it. His hands were held solidly on her shapely hips as he made her body meet each of his thrusts with his own strength, and Tatsuki was nearly insane with pleasure as her body was met with wave after wave of eye-rolling bliss each time he forced her body down as his went up.
Eventually it came to the point when they could take no more and with one last, jerky thrust he emptied himself into her, just as her last orgasm ripped through her inner muscles to milk him for all that he was worth. They simultaneously moaned at their continued climaxes until they slumped against each other to rest against the wall they had just so vigorously made love on.
"Thank you," she whispered breathlessly into his ear from her head's place on his shoulder as his still supported them both.
"It was my pleasure."
She got a little chuckle out of that. "No, it was definitely mine. I love you so much." She could practically feel the warmth of his love radiating from the smile surely on his face as he held her closer and removed them from the wall before he made their way up to his room.
"And I you Tatsuki."
She managed to find an extra pair of underwear somewhere and she crawled into his small bed right beside him; as close as physically possible as she snuggled up into his chest and simply breathed in his masculine scent like the contented lover she was. She sighed happily. This was where she belonged, and she would never forget again.
…
The White King looked around curiously for his Queen somewhere in their amalgamated world. It was strange, usually she was always there to meet him the moment their worlds collided, but today she wasn't, in fact, she seemed…distant. Ogihci was never one to be afraid, and today was no different, but sadly anxiety didn't fit under fear's category and he felt that all too acutely. He had no need to be worried, for he soon had his answer, and it came in the form of the near-crippling amount of killing intent and sorrow radiating from a reiatsu he knew all too well. He had helped create it after all.
She flew at him with arm-blades swinging, and he had no choice but to retaliate otherwise he would soon fall victim to the incredible powers of her host's zanpakutou. She was relentless in her assault, screaming obscenities through a throat hoarse from crying and eyes swollen from tears. He blocked all her attacks easily, he wasn't the King for nothing, and their battle went on for some time before she finally collapsed in his arms and started crying again.
He knew Hollows could experience fear, he simply had no need of it. This, however, was new to him. These were genuine emotions being shown by the Hollow in front of him, and he was unused to it. He felt something strange in his chest; not the instinct prodding him to kill relentlessly, but the urge to soothe the female in front of him like was every male's primordial privilege to do. He didn't know why he was responding this way—he had always condemned his idiot host for the depressed way he usually acted—but today something different stirred within him and the only thing he found he could do was wrap his arms around her uncertainly.
"
You bastard! You selfish, damnable, idiotic prick!" she cried out through her tears.
"You almost left me alone! What am I supposed to do without you!" It would seem the Queen's instincts as a woman hadn't left her either, and she too was responding to them. In a relationship—no matter how strange theirs was—bonds are formed, emotions get involved, and eventually reactions become completely different than what they once were once that other being gets involved. Feminism aside, at the core of their being a female found strength and comfort from their chosen male, and those feelings were never usually one-sided unless in the case of a psychopathic sociopath.
Well...that might not be the best example, but the point was clear enough.
Ogihci's intelligent mind managed to figure that out in no time, while she kept calling him every name imaginable and some that were even new to
him, but she contrasted that by clutching him closer to her with each passing word. Unlike him, she had experienced fear on the largest possible scale.
She had become afraid of losing him.
"
Heh, you should know better than to think I'd be done in by something that pitiful!" he proclaimed cockily, but his eerie voice lacked the condemnation he would usually show his host. For some reason his instincts wouldn't allow it.
The crying female Hollow only clutched him closer, her zanpakutou gone and forgotten somewhere off to the side.
The white Ichigo stroked the ashen hair under his face with unsure gentility. He wasn't used to the instincts flowing through him now, but he wasn't one to fight them. Right now all they screamed was 'comfort.' His intelligent eyes found themselves softening with something akin to pity as he watched the object of his lust break down in his arms. However this time it wasn't lust guiding his instincts, and it was the single strangest thing he had ever known.
He tenderly raised her head and as the black-streaked face looked at him like no Hollow had ever looked before, he knew what he had to do. With brazen slowness he gently pushed his thin lips against hers and lowered them both to the grassy ground that lined their combined world with him supporting his weight above her. Her puffy black and yellow eyes closed contently as her King reminded her why their worlds were joined, and she wasn't in the least bit bothered when her clothes were removed from her body even though the kiss was not broken even once. She had never known him to be so careful or gentle in his handling of her before, but it didn't matter what way he did anything, as long as it was him who did it she had no qualms about it.
Usually he screwed her up a wall and made her scream out her bliss to high heaven, and she loved it when he did it, but today he was doing something new and paying specific attention to her beautifully pale body. She moaned and twined her fingers in his spiked white hair as his irregularly colored tongue snaked out and licked one of her creamy nipples, and before long both had been given the same treatment and were as hard as diamonds. He didn't stop there, and instead of giving it to her roughly from the start, he gradually increased his fervor on her body; gaining from light licks and suckles to gentle bites and teasing marks that he left carefully over every part of her body. Said body wasn't used to this treatment, and she was quickly overloaded from the sensations wracking every nerve ending. Once again her thought-dead King surprised her, and allowed her to fall off the edge of bliss many times without even caring that he had been all but completely ignored.
She didn't know what had caused her to act like she had, but it was rooted in her to the depths of her being, that was all she knew. The amount of pleasure she was going through couldn't be described and yet still her King didn't stop his journey over her body. Everything she had was being fondled and teased, but never before had she felt what he did next. Before her already overloaded mind could process the movement of his weight, his cold, death-like tongue was lapping at her glistening sex. Her entire body tensed and her world tunneled down to the space between her legs.
The contrast between her wet heat and his cold tongue instantly set her off again, but he didn't dare relinquish his hold. The first lick had been cautionary, like he didn't know what to expect, but that was all it took to become addicted to his Queen's taste. He wanted more and he wasn't afraid to take what he wanted. He had no inhibitions after all. She had locked her legs around his head and was screaming just as loud as when they were making love and he couldn't get enough of it. He was making sure she knew how much he needed her too, and for some reason…that reason was enough.
They were both Death incarnated, hatred personified, beings born from a soul lacking a heart, but for some reason these heartless beings were experiencing something completely alien to their kind. It was the urge to please, the urge to put the other above themselves. The instincts of those in
love.
The strangest thing he had ever known indeed.
Before she could whimper her displeasure when he removed himself from between her legs he had already positioned himself and entered her smoothly as he plundered her mouth greedily. He had had enough, he needed to be with her. He would do things his way, and right now those repressed urges were finally telling him to take her and make her scream his name just like he always made her do.
And he made sure she did.
Her screams of ecstasy were like connections giving him firsthand feeling of her pleasure and he reveled in them, eating them up like regular Hollows do Wholes. At last his own body was allowed the bliss he had been giving her and he couldn't stop his muscles from trembling in glee and roiling in tingling waves as her muscles contracted and massaged the most sensitive part of his anatomy. Her nails dug mercilessly into his back the harder he pushed and he loved it, not in the least bit afraid to give her the same kind of jolt of pain right back, often from his mouth. They were beings that thrived on extremes, and the pleasure mixed with the pain was sensation to the extreme, sending them both cascading off the edge of oblivion with little difficulty.
Even then, they didn't stop.
They needed more of each other, and they were going to take it like was in their personalities to do so.
"
You. Are. Mine!" he gritted out at last. The second coherent sentence he had said since he arrived.
She only answered with one thing.
"You. Are. Mine!" They needed no more confirmation than that.
They were two Hollows, impossibly in the one emotion they were never supposed to experience.
Love.
…
Ichigo couldn't believe what was happening. No, the world wasn't ending, or even in the slightest bit of danger, but it
would be if he had to listen to Rukia's excited explanations about what was going to happen at his wedding anymore. He stood in temperamental silence in the large space that was still being decorated by the few Soul Reapers that already had their gigais, in other words: the Shinigami Women's Association. It was pretty straightforward, but what had him on edge was the sheer number of folding chairs lining the space. There was no way to put it mildly; it was just absolutely ludicrous at the number of guests that would see him lawfully wed the love of his life.
"So let me get this straight, I'm wearing my white Bankai thing that Uryuu's whipping up and Tatsuki's wearing whatever she's wearing, but everyone else can dress however they want to?" he asked in irritation.
"That's right!" Rukia chirped happily. "Doesn't matter much, most of them will probably stay in a copy of their shihakushous just to give them one thing they know in this world."
"Just great," Ichigo groaned. "Our class will probably come dressed up and everyone else will be wearing kimonos. Not trying to make anything awkward at all eh?" he asked sarcastically.
Rukia gave him a pointed glare. "The invitations already warned them of that, idiot! They won't be coming in here without knowing what to expect!"
"Yeah right, who can expect something like a thousand dead people in fake bodies visiting the Living World for a Soul Reaper captain's wedding?" he muttered under his breath as he rolled his eyes.
Rukia hadn't heard him, but she gave him another glare anyway just to make him stop criticizing their work like she somehow knew he was doing. "
Anyways, if you look around, you'll see all the work we've put into the decorations! Not bad, huh?"
He wanted to refute her just for the hell of it, but even he couldn't put down the decorations. It wasn't cheap plastic or corny lights like he had thought they would do, but instead the decorations were mostly
natural. Pink Sakura petals from who-knows-where were scattered everywhere on the impossibly green grass, and intricate vines full of roses lined the trees that surrounded the large expanse of ground. The only kind of unnatural things there were were the metal braces the Association had used to mold more foliage and hang flowers on, and Ichigo had to admit the place looked like something out of a fairy tale.
Everything, from the metal braces to the chairs and tables were either pure white or a mixture of white and silver, but the one commonality between them all was the Thirteen Divisions' black diamond marked in the center of most of them. It seemed Soul Society was proud of their young captain and they wanted to make sure everyone knew his position and title among the dead.
"It's…" Rukia leaned forward in anticipation of his next words, and for once she wasn't disappointed. "…very beautiful, Rukia," he finished softly. She beamed with pride at his words.
"Damn straight!"
At the moment, Ichigo was seeing things for the first time by himself. Tatsuki was off somewhere getting fitted for whatever it was she would be wearing and were it not Uryuu doing it, Ichigo probably would've been right by her side glaring daggers at the nameless tailor holding the measuring tape. As it was, he had no problem letting Tatsuki go by herself. The Quincy held his pride and honor above everything else, and was he to slip up even once with his relationship with Orihime, the proud archer would be the first to admit it. The genius
did have certain redeeming points in Ichigo's mind, even if he
could be a completely arrogant asshole every now and then.
Come to think of it, so could he, so he figured that was probably the reason he put up with him.
As he brought himself back to the topic at hand after thinking of his fiancé for the millionth time that hour, he couldn't help noticing something missing from the decorations. "Ah, Rukia…" the young captain began confusedly, and Rukia looked at him curiously in response. "…I think you're missing something around here."
That wasn't what she wanted to hear, and the famous shouting matches between them started anew. "WHAD'YA MEAN SOMETHING'S MISSING! THIS IS PERFECT YOU IDIOT!""
Ichigo had never been one to have patience with the tiny Soul Reaper's temper. "YA LITTLE BRAT! SOMETHING
IS MISSING!" He yelled right back, and they glared at each other just like they always did when it came to their battles of superiority.
The rest of the Association had been instantly drawn to the scene and the contents thereof, so they were a bit curious—not to mention more than a little irritated—that all their hard work seemed to be getting mocked by saying they'd forgotten something. As such they were eavesdropping with more than a little interest.
"WE PLANNED EVERYTHING OUT PERFECTLY YOU MORON! YOU THINK WE'D FORGET SOMETHING FOR AN EVENT AS BIG AS THIS! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!" They heard the shorter woman scream indignantly. She had a point and they all knew it. After all, they were part of the planning sessions too so he wasn't just insulting one of them when he said something was missing.
"WELL THEN, IF YOU'RE SO HIGH AND MIGHTY WHERE THE HELL ARE ALL THE SUTRAS!" He yelled back just like he always did. Even with the volume and perfect pronunciation of all his words, it still took them longer than it should have to figure out what he meant. That was soon to be rectified however.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!"
The tendons in his neck were tensed and corded to the maximum extent, but instead of yelling back he held his breath until his face was blue and let out a huge exhale to try and calm himself. "What I mean is," the Vizard started seriously, and instantly all of their attention was right back on him. He had never done this over the entire history of their epic screaming matches. "We're having God-knows-how-many Soul Reapers at this wedding and regardless of their gigais, we're still gonna have one helluva lot of reiatsu flying around here, won't we? Why aren't there any sealing sutras or seals, or anything like that in place?"
They all froze on the spot.
Oh. They couldn't hear what he said next because he leaned down to whisper into Rukia's ear, but they guessed it was something more to do with the subject.
"I mean come on Rukia," Ichigo whispered. "You know I'm the King but I can't do jack squat when it comes to Huge Hollows and Menos' coming in response to high spirit power."
Rukia had calmed down a fair deal, but not enough for his explanation to completely calm her. "Why don't you just have Grimmjow and the other Espada stand guard so they can't come!" she hissed back angrily.
"Dammit Rukia, the Garganta can be opened from anywhere!" was his instant, angry response. "In order for them to stand guard they'd have to bust through too and tackle them back! What do
you think would happen if all the Soul Reapers here saw some of the Espada alive and well!"
Rukia paled.
"Finally!" He rejoiced quietly. "You understand!"
The silence was deafening for all of two seconds. Then, "We could help you with that if you invited us, Dickhead!" a voice shouted irately.
And then Ichigo was on the ground thanks to the sandal that had just been clobbered into the back of his head.
"Who the hell just did—oh shit…Hiyori…" the teen began angrily, and ended in an almost silent whisper
There stood the Vizard. Not just Hiyori, but
all of them. Naturally, after being in hiding for so long they had become experts at hiding their reiatsu and so there was nothing of the spiritual substance in the air to give away their identities. That, and their presence, otherwise Ichigo would've felt the sandal coming. Since he didn't, he too was as surprised as everyone else at seeing the blonde-haired girl and the rest of the mismatched group standing in front of him.
"Yo Ichigo, long time no see!" another of the blondes of the group, Shinji, greeted happily just like he usually was.
"It has been a while, Ichigo," Hachi said—slowly and lowly, just like always. The other Vizards all said their own little greeting to the orange-haired captain while pointedly ignoring all the other people littered around the large space.
Being ignored aside, all the Association was wondering the same thing.
Who the hell are these people! Hiyori regarded the people standing around with snide contempt. "Damn Shinigami. I gotta admit this looks pretty damn fancy, but it irks me that they're the ones that did it."
Shinji quickly tried to alleviate her hatred like he always did. "Come on Hiyori! We're here for Ichigo, not them remember? You
were the one that wanted to come weren't you!" And just like always, his attempts at making things better made things worse.
He was quickly reduced to a bleeding lump on the ground while Hiyori stood above him, sandal in hand, trying to hide the small blush on her cheeks. "I was not!"
Hachi looked contemplative for a few seconds. "Yes, I believe you were the one that wanted to come here first, Hiyori," he said innocently after his thinking was done, and he gulped at the death glare sent his way by her right after. The others were all whistling innocently and trying not to get involved.
"So, getting married Ichigo? I knew my porn came in handy for you!" Lisa exclaimed happily and was promptly faced with an exasperated Ichigo right in front of her.
"For the last time I didn't read your fricken porn! Damn you, you pervert!"
"I'm not perverted!" she defended snottily. "I'm just extremely interested in it!"
Yes, they were all the same as always.
All the women that had previously been decorating and had since been listening in, were all stumped at who the new arrivals were that Ichigo seemed so friendly with. The cloud of dust as Ichigo fought with them all individually like old friends further confirmed that.
"Hey Isane, you know who these guys are?" Rangiku asked tactlessly.
The silver-haired woman could only shrug. "Don't ask me."
Then as if in unison, they all spied the one item of commonality between all the new arrivals.
Their swords.
Assuming impending danger even with the friendly contact their favorite man was having with them, they all changed into their Shinigami forms instantly and regarded the new group warily as they kept one hand on their zanpakutous just in case.
The movement in the Vizards, including Ichigo, stopped immediately. Hiyori on the other hand turned to look at all the Soul Reapers in disgust. "You think you can take
us on?
I could beat you all by myself, so you stay the hell away if you want to live," Hiyori threatened in hate as her hand went to the zanpakutou on her back.
And Ichigo's Shinigami form was in front of her instantaneously.
Hiyori's wide eyes narrowed in hatred when she saw the white jacket on him. "So that's it eh?" she accused murderously. "You didn't invite us because you sold out to Soul Society."
"I didn't sell out to anybody!" Ichigo retorted angrily, and everyone in the vicinity was taken aback at his serious tone, including the Vizards. His glare was hard and pointed, freezing the short blonde woman to the spot. "Unlike you, I chose to stay and fight beside my friends for
everyone. To me it wasn't just one life that hung in the balance, it was everyone's! I'm still human you know, and I was looked down on just like you were when they found out about your techniques when Soul Society found out I became a Shinigami! Of course I was feared when they found out I had a Hollow inside me, but thanks to you I was able to use that too! I didn't run off with people like myself to hide because of prejudice, I fought that prejudice and made them see what I was worth! I
used the power that made me different and I made them all see I was still the same!"
Hiyori fell silent, and her eyes stayed hidden from behind her bangs until her reiatsu burst forth in malicious waves as her Hollow's mask appeared on the side of her head. She glared up at Ichigo with transformed eyes and a dark sneer written on her face.
Now the Association knew Ichigo's connection to the new group. They were the Arrancar's antithesis: Shinigami that used the power of Hollows. Just like Ichigo.
"
Tell me this then Ichigo, did they give you that jacket out of respect, or did they give it to you out of fear that you'd turn against them one day?" Ichigo didn't respond.
"See? They're afraid of your power just like they are of ours! The only reason they gave you that jacket is to keep you under their thumbs in case you become uncontrollable!" Ichigo sighed sadly. Hiyori didn't know what he knew. Hiyori hadn't gone through what he did. He had fought a captain of Soul Society and even used his transformation, but he never saw contempt of disgust on Byakuya's face, only a near awed sense of wonder. The Captain Commander of the Thirteen Divisions himself had inaugurated the jacket he was now wearing after watching the battle and the transformations and his words directly contradicted Hiyori's. He could still remember the old man's words.
.
"
We hope you will continue to conduct yourself like you have in the Past, even if it means following your heart instead of your head. This jacket will make sure you face no punishment should that ever happen…again."
.
He knew why he was given the jacket he was wearing. Even if the Captain Commander's words were lies, he would always be a Shinigami. He may not have his own squad, but he had a group of friends more powerful than any Soul Reaper and a resolve greater than the Captain Commander himself.
He wasn't about to disrespect Hiyori by facing her in this form though. In one clean movement his sword had been taken from his back and before it was even in front of him it had already changed into Tensa Zangetsu. He had always wondered what would happen when he changed into Bankai with his captain's jacket on, but there was only one difference. Now the Thirteen Squads' symbol was on the back of his long black coat, etched in white instead of its usual black to be seen on the dark surface. However this wasn't the form he wanted, and he continued on, going straight into his White Transformation right in front of the Vizards.
"
Of course they're afraid of my power," he began darkly, taking in the looks of shock from the individual Vizards.
"I've gone far beyond what they know, and if I ever felt like it I could destroy all of Soul Society in one fell strike. But now you tell me Hiyori, what makes us so different? You could be exactly like me if you had stayed and fought for the understanding of Soul Society, but instead you ran away with the only group you thought understood you. I've known fear Hiyori, I've known fear in its basest form, and even though I defeated Aizen I came back with more of a reason for them to kill me than they had before! You know the reason why they haven't? Because they know this transformation is a part of who I am! I stayed, I fought, I argued, I made Soul Society accept me! "
But beyond that, I also felt accepted as part of your group." Everyone's eyes widened in shock at the sudden turn of his lecture.
"I'd never known any other Soul Reapers that had my burden, and meeting you guys was one of the best things that ever happened to me." The hatred in Hiyori's eyes lessened slightly as she took in his whimsical look, seemingly reliving the past in his memories.
"But you still couldn't understand why I chose to keep on my shihakushou. I'll always be a Soul Reaper, even if I didn't have this jacket and was disowned by all of Soul Society, I would always be a Soul Reaper!" Once again, their eyes widened.
What's he getting at? First he tries to seem like he's our friend then he goes back to this? What's with him? "
You know why? Because my mother was killed by a Hollow. Because long ago a Soul Reaper with no reason to protect me almost died saving me from a Hollow. Even though Soul Reapers are supposed to always follow the law and cut off their emotions, she showed me that even they can put others above themselves! I'm not a superhero, I don't believe that I can save everyone in the world, but I'm not the kind of guy that can stand by and watch a blatant injustice. I'm as much a Shinigami as I am a Vizard, and I'm as much a Vizard as I am a Human. What good is hating one group going to accomplish? Honestly I don't know, but what I do know is that my power will always be used to protect the people I care about, be they any of those groups." There was a threat written between the lines of that last sentence, and everyone knew it. If the Soul Reapers tried to attack the Vizards, Ichigo would attack the Soul Reapers, and if the Vizards tried to attack the Soul Reapers, Ichigo would attack the Vizards.
Shinji walked up lackadaisically and tapped Hiyori's mask as he walked by her, which surprisingly shattered it instantly. She looked over at him angrily but he simply waved her off as he could do easily when he decided to get serious and smiled at the inverted Ichigo. "You've come a long way, haven't you Ichigo?"
Ichigo smiled and rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly as he went back to just his Bankai. "Well, fighting Aizen forced me to realize a few things. I can understand your hatred towards the Shinigami just like I can understand their fear of you, but I've realized nothing can come of hatred other than more hatred."
Shinji smiled. "Looks like your powers are in good hands." His tone implied he knew a lot more than he was letting on, and Ichigo easily caught on to this. He knew what had happened to the Hougyoku. "So, we invited or not? I'm sure we can all sit through one night with the Soul Reapers. After all, if one of our family can do it, why can't we? Besides, I'm sure Hachi's barrier abilities could come in handy for your little problem."
Ichigo was about to answer when he was cut off.
"Of course. Nice to meet you all by the way," a feminine voice said from behind them. They all started in surprise and turned around quickly to see Tatsuki standing beside Uryuu. They had obviously come in response to the reiatsu being radiated by Ichigo. It only occurred to them then that that may have been his true intention all along.
"Tatsuki!" Shinji greeted loudly. "What brings you here?"
BAM! Shinji was once more on the ground with unfocused eyes while Tatsuki stood above him smugly. "That's for coming to school and basically blackmailing Ichigo way back when!" She gave him an extra little kick to his side. "And that was for wondering what the bride's doing at her own wedding rehearsal, idiot."
Once again, all the Vizards looked shocked in surprise. Hiyori however, was quickly beginning to like the girl. She put up with Shinji the same way she did.
"So then…you're Ichigo's fiancé?" Kensei asked confusedly. He had expected a lot of things, but a human wasn't one of them.
"Tatsuki?" Shinji repeated in the same tone as his fellow Vizard. "But the reiatsu we felt with his felt nothing like yours…" a quick examination of the air and he realized his mistake, hastily finishing his sentence differently. "…
used to. I get it now, you changed too."
Her now red spirit ribbon dangling in front of her made that fact only too clear.
"
Another human Shinigami? Where do you guys keep coming from?"
And that was how the first fistfight between Tatsuki and Kensei started.
It was amusing to watch for the others. Watching their resident street-fighter get worked over by what they assumed to be any regular human Soul Reaper. What they hadn't taken into account was any Soul Reaper that was also a human was anything
but regular. Ichigo testified to that.
Needless to say Kensei was shocked by how much strength the young woman fighting him was able to put into her blows. She didn't look serious, in fact it looked like she was just playing with him.
"I hope you didn't mean my being human was a bad thing, right?" Tatsuki asked as she threw another punch-kick combo and smirked when the white-haired man was pushed back from the force of her unseen kick.
"Not at all," Kensei stated, but he didn't say the "now" that he was thinking after those words. He charged forward with his skills at the ready and waited for the surprise that would come over his opponent's face when she realized her foe's greater strength. To his surprise she kept up with him, and he was using speed that should have been invisible to any normal Soul Reaper; especially one in a human body.
"You're just going to let your fiancé get beat up by Kensei, Berry?" Mashiro asked innocently, and even she was offset by Ichigo's grin as he too watched the match unfold.
"You haven't seen anything yet," he answered ominously.
The fight continued, and Kensei was stunned over and over again how the girl he was fighting could fight him so easily. "Hey, you're a Vizard like Ichigo right? Why don't you use your mask?" he heard his opponent taunt.
"Like Hell!" He gritted back as yet another of his punches was caught by a small feminine hand. "You started this fight but I'm not gonna kill you!" He saw her playful eyes darken into a full-on glare.
"Fine."
And the next punch she threw at him hit him dead in the face and shot him back a good twenty feet.
Now all the Vizards were watching with rapt attention. "Hey Shinji, don't you think something's off about her reiatsu?" Hiyori asked quietly.
"Yeah, I get that feeling too, almost as if…" They were stunned when they saw Kensei's masked form come flying out of the dust of his fall with fist aimed straight and true to Tatsuki's head. "Kensei!" But the shock of their life awaited them.
"So, there are others just like Ichigo said. I'll introduce myself properly now," Tatsuki said happily as she caught Kensei's fist in one hand and his wide eyes from behind his mask spoke nothing of the true shock reeling inside him. That only worsened when he witnessed the black slowly ooze its way into her sclera as he looked at her, until when it was finally done, the glowing yellow eyes of a Vizard were looking back at him, except her mask was nowhere to be found. Raising her unoccupied hand, the tomboy quickly rectified that. Her eerily beautiful mask appeared at her call, and the deadly eyes behind it narrowed menacingly.
"
My name is Tatsuki Arisawa, soon to be Kurosaki. Nice to meet you!" And the punch that followed that sentence shot Kensei back like a bullet.
Tatsuki wasn't expecting what happened next though. Her former opponent picked himself off the ground as he dispelled his mask, and the face underneath it held nothing but pure joy. Looking around in confusion, she saw the same look on all the other Vizards' faces. When he walked back up to her he held out his hand, this time with a genuine smile.
"Nice to meet you too Tatsuki Arisawa, soon to be Kurosaki, my name is Kensei," the white-haired man greeted softly. "It's an honor to meet a new Vizard." Tatsuki took the hand put out to her proudly and she smiled over at Ichigo.
Hiyori leaned into Shinji just enough for him to feel it. After all, she wasn't about to let the others know the idiot had finally succeeded in making her fall for him. "It seems like our family just keeps on growing, doesn't it?" she said gently. Shinji gave her another one of his famous smiles and squeezed the hand put inconspicuously into his.
"Yeah, it does seem like that."
The other Vizards were all getting to know Tatsuki better and giving their own proper introductions, and it appeared like she had been accepted with no problems after witnessing her power. Oddly enough, it was like nothing had ever happened. Lisa was looking at the new Vizard with stars in her eyes and Ichigo could only imagine what she was thinking. Then again,
he didn't have to imagine it, he had seen it first hand.
Mashiro—being the childlike person she was—was quick to break the companionable air, something which Ichigo and Tatsuki would soon hate her for. "Heeeeeeeeeeey, how come we didn't get to see the fight to control her Hollow?"
Everything stopped.
"Now that she mentions it, she has a point. When
did you fight to control your Hollow, Tatsuki? And you Ichigo, you fought her all by yourself for the entire time?" Love asked as he scratched his head.
Shinji looked between the two people in question and raised an eyebrow at the way their faces seemed to be practically glowing red. Rukia and the others were quick to notice this too.
"I…didn't really fight it…per se…" Tatsuki explained lamely as she tried to look everywhere but the people who wanted her answer. This surprised them all.
"You mean you gained control of your Hollow without even fighting it! How long can you hold that form!" Hiyori blasted instantly.
"I've…never actually tested it. As long as I need to I guess," she continued just as lamely.
You bet! The King ordered it so you have it! You can have my power for as long as you want as long as you continue bringing him over! The inner Queen affirmed happily. The knowledge of what she meant by 'bringing
him over' had Tatsuki's skin burning. She wasn't about to let anyone know how she had gained control. Ichigo was the only one allowed to have that information.
"Great, another fricken Mashiro. Lucky moron, I had to fight over sixty-nine minutes to gain control of mine, and still I had to train to keep the form! Damn easy inner-battles, you don't deserve that much power for such an easy battle…" Hiyori muttered bitterly as she kicked a rock, only slightly comforted by Shinji's understanding squeeze to her shoulder.
"Let's just say she didn't gain control the…conventional…way," Ichigo finished for her, and the glare he added to punctuate it said in no uncertain terms, 'lay off the questions or I'll show you why my inner-battle was the longest.'
Hiyori still muttered bitter curses through the entire rehearsal but they were more a source of amusement to everyone than actual obscenities.
It was near the end of the rehearsal that the other disturbance happened. They were done practicing their vows and even the slow walk down the aisle courtesy her father, but right before Rukia could proclaim it done the telltale roar of a Hollow, a Menos to be precise, broke through the air.
Hiyori jumped to attention and looked around for the Hollow, but Shinji calmly put a hand on her shoulder. "Wait. I want to see how she handles this. I had a strange feeling before…she didn't call out her mask and yet she had our eyes before she did. Something's off." And surprise of surprises, Hiyori acquiesced to his request.
Tatsuki and Ichigo glared up at the huge but stupid Gillian Menos that had just broken through the Garganta. "Shall we?" he asked darkly.
"You don't even have to ask. I'm not about to let him destroy all the work the Association put into this field."
In two quick pats their Soul Reaper forms were free of their bodies and in their haste to destroy it, they tapped the full extent of their maskless powers. The audience stood shocked at the two white, deadly-looking beings as they smiled at each other before bounding up into the sky.
It couldn't even be called a battle with the two of them in those forms. Ichigo got off one Getsuga Tenshou and Tatsuki landed one punch with Kouki to the mask of the long-nosed Hollow. That was all it took to make the monster explode into a million spiritual pieces and stun the minds of everyone else present, her parents included.
"I think we know why she felt different now Shinji…"
He gulped and nodded. "A maskless inner Hollow."
They both knew the only way that was possible.
So other than the first major Vizard fistfight and an unwanted interruption by a Menos Grande, the rehearsal didn't have any more problems, and now more people had been added to the guest list.
Some would even say later that it was that day that sparked the reconciliation of the Vizards and Soul Society.
…
Author's Notes: Thanks for reading!
