The Awakening [Book 2] (Bleach: Ichiruki)

VII

Ichigo Kurosaki

If I still had my zanpakuto, I would have hollowfied at that moment and shred not only Arachne, but Tatsuo into pieces.

The second he sunk his disgusting teeth into Rukia, I lost it. All self control.

Which is probably why Urahara, noticing the shift in my reiatsu, pinned me down, preventing me from doing something I would regret in the future.

I guess there were some perks to being part hollow.

I turned in my bed, laying down on my stomach as I faced the wall. I hated losing; especially if it was to my zanpakuto. Especially if it meant losing the woman I loved.

I shut my eyes, trying to block out the chaos of today from corrupting my mind.

~

Ichigo..

My eyes snapped open. I propped myself up as I tried to focus on the surroundings around me.

Ichigo.

I turned around, seeing nothing but darkness. I was still on my bed, but no longer in my room.

I was dreaming.

I sat myself up, dragging myself to the edge of my bed. I stepped off, feeling nothing underneath me.

I was floating in darkness.

"Ichigo!"

I turned around, listening in the direction the voice came from.

Rukia's voice.

But I still could not see a thing;  the darkness around me seemed to grow thicker.

"Rukia!" I called out, my voice echoing.

A tap on my shoulder.

I turned my head, expecting to see her.

But instead it was the damned face of the hollow.

His jaw extended as he lunged at me, as I was too helpless to defend myself.

Before I could feel his teeth rip my face off, I suddenly found myself in white.

Everything around me was white.

Except for a cloaked figure.

I watched as she pulled her hood down, revealing raven black hair.

Rukia?

No. This woman was slightly taller.

Hisana.

She turned around slowly, her crystal eyes staring into my soul.

No. Arachne.

I walked towards her in rage, my pace speeding up as the seconds zoomed by.

Before I could reach her, it was like my feet were suddenly plastered to the ground.

"What the hell do you want?! Where's Rukia?!" I snapped.

"I don't have your precious Rukia." She said.

I frowned. "You took her from me."

She shut her eyes. "You, as everyone else, are mistaking me for someone else."

My frown deepened.

"What?"

She opened her eyes, holding a soft golden glow.

"It is true I took Rukia from you, along with your zanpakuto. I did it to prevent Clotho from taking her first."

What the hell? If this woman wasn't Arachne, then..