The King's Death

Chapter 20:Ichigo's Inner World

"Welcome back Ichigo; are you prepared to do this?" Zangetsu says as Hichigo crossed his arms silently.

"I am as prepared as I'll ever be; I need to know how we're going to do this if Hichigo and I don't get along well enough right now how can I trust he won't turn on me?" I mutter giving him a glance.

"I'm right here Kingy plus you said so yourself this is to save Rukia and protect her, I love her as much as you do you fool." He mutters darkly turning his head so he can control himself.

"Hichigo understand that Ichigo has past experiences with you trying to take control plus he doesn't want his friends to get hurt if you take control. Ichigo you need to accept the fact that Hichigo is as much a part of yourself as I am. To achieve this you need to make this part of you an extension of yourself like I naturally am." Zangetsu says becoming the peace maker between Hichigo and me. We lock gazes and I stare at him.

His eyes bore into mine but they lack their usual blood lust and hold some kind of unwavering control and calmness and I'm taken back for a moment. They almost remind me of my mother's eyes when she was serious. His negative version of my hair falls across his forehead and his arms cross reminding me of how people portrayed me when they would make fun of me in middle school and high school. It didn't bug me until now, but this is a part of me that I never liked, a part of me that I wished never had surfaced until now. I realize swiftly that until Hichigo appeared I was weak maybe a Captain's level at the most and now I'm strong and I'm no longer weak and unable to protect the people I care about. I've thanked everyone but Hichigo and I guess that's one of the reasons he hates me. I've never given him credit for his share of our strength. It's now or never, I guess, what harm could it do?

"Hichigo, before we do any of this I want to thank you for what you've helped me with, the strength you've given me is something I should have thanked you for before any of this. I wasn't even close to a Captain's level until you came along and now I could defeat a Captain." His eyes widen in shock at my words and he nods his features softening the shortest bit.

"Well I take it you are both ready?" Zangetsu asks not looking at either of us. Hichigo nods at the same time I do and Zangetsu waves his hand bringing us all into the training room but only enough that I can see the two. Zangetsu disappears and reappears in my hand as a hollowfied version of me appears to battle against me. The Vizards look up shocked and I feel Hichigo beside me. The other Vizards begin to murmur to each other in shock at seeing Hichigo and my hollowfied self.

"Well kingy; are you going to attack or just stand there!" He barks shocking them into silence. I turn to him and glare.

"Shut up would you I'm getting there damn it?" I snap back at him. He frowns and goes to argue back and the hollow version of me attacks hitting me with his claws. I slam back into the wall followed by Hichigo who got the other set of claws.

"Damn that hurt!" He mutters falling to the ground beside me. We both stand and start to move thinking separately. I attack the front and Hichigo attacks from behind. His claws come up blocking my attack and sending me into a wall as his tail hits Hichigo sending him flying backwards into a rock.

"Damn it!" I shout darkly. I cough softly and blood splatters to the floor beside me.

"Get up you idiot!" Hichigo shouts glaring at me. The hollow runs at me at full speed and I dodge at just the right time so I'm behind him resting again Zangetsu. Hichigo stands beside me and punches me in the head. "Damn it quit being weak kingy, you'll get us both killed that way!"

"Shut the hell up Hichigo!" I return as the hollow charges at us. Curses leave our mouths before we dodge separate ways. Hichigo backs into a wall leaning on it for support.