Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Forever yours ❯ Here With me ( Chapter 1 )

[ A - All Readers ]

Two figures were standing under dark sky, filled with stars, in a clearing surrounded with trees and cowered in snow which was steadily falling from the sky. Noises from the distant battles going between shinigamis and hollows could be heard in the clearing, sometimes a particularly strong flare of reiatsu could be felt. The other figure, an orange haired vizard who was wearing a hollow mask and holding a black long zanpakutoe for support as blood suddenly bursted from his left side. His mask shattered, leaving the boy gasping for breath as he collapsed on his knees. Other of the two was a shinigami wearing a long white coat, his right hand lightly holding to a bloody zanpakutoe which had taken the form of a long, white scimitar while his other hand held hoygyoku, which was pulsing lightly. Aizen Sosuke raised his eye brow as he observed the vizard short distance away from him.

"You should have known that seeing through my illusions wouldn't be enough boy." Aizen stated. "Your power may be enough to defeat my shikai but you will never reach the level to surpass my bankai, Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo gritted his teeth as he tried to fight against the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Seems like you don't have any strength left to fight." Aizen sayed while staring at the boy intently. Ichigo lifted his gaze to Aizen as he started calmly approaching him.

Dammit! I can't lose now, whole Karakura, my family, my friends, it all will be lost, if I lose now! Ichigo thought franticly as Aizen neared. I have to get up! I have to defeat him! I will protect them! His bleeding had slowed down and he shakily stood up. Aizen smirked and then shunpoed. Ichigo quickly raised his Zangetsu and managed to block Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu that would have beheaded him. Aizen then lifted his left hand still clutching hoygyoku and chanted.

"Blast spell ninety: Black sarcophagus!" And blackness surrounded Ichigo as countless blades pierced his body harming his organs and he was forced on his knees once more. Aizen quickly raised Kyoka Suigetsu and striked down. Ichigo closed his eyes only to open them again as blood was splattered around him, only it was not his blood. Grimmjow stood his back facing him, Aizen's zanpakuto buried deep in his shoulder.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo yelled, completely shocked. More blood splattered on the ground and he realized that Pantera had pierced Aizen's chest. The shinigami stood very still, blood trickled down from his mouth and he let out a strangled sound. Grimmjow pulled his blade out and Aizen collapsed, dropping hoygyoku and his now sealed zanpakutoe. As he hit the ground his body dissipated. Ichigo quickly stood up as Grimmjow slowly turned.

"Ichigo" he whispered as he faced the vizard who quickly catched him as Grimmjow collapsed against him. Ichigo lowered them both on their knees, holding on to Grimmjow's arms.

"Grimmjow" Ichigo called his name shakily as he felt Grimmjow's reiatsu franticly dropping "Why, Grimmjow?" he asked as he tried to prevent a sob escaping from his lips. Grimmjow chuckled weakly.

"Che, always wanted to finish that bastard. He had that long coming." Grimmjow answered, a small cocky grin on his face, but it was weak as was his voice. Ichigo felt fear clutch his heart and willed himself to believe what he knew in his heart was impossible.

"It's gonna be okay Grimmjow, just hang on...-" he started but Grimmjow interrupted him.

"Ichigo, will you do me a favor?" he asked whispering. Ichigo simply nodded, not being able to answer in other way. "Will you purify me?" Grimmjow asked looking straight into Ichigo's shocked eyes.

"But... No, Grimmjow, no you are gonna be okay, you are gonna get healed..." he now couldn't hold back his sobbing "You are going to live..." Grimmjow simply shook his head.

"Ichigo, please... I want it to be done by your blade. I want to..." Grimmjow had to stop to fight against dizziness "...I want to have a heart. Like you Ichigo. You made me remember... what it's like to care." Ichigo couldn't move his eyes from the intensity he saw in Grimmjow's blue eyes. Grimmjow then grabbed Ichigo's blade lying on the blood stained snow, and raised it's tip to point his heart.

"Grimmjow" Ichigo could only whisper as his hands holding Grimmjow trembled. Grimmjow smiled at him weakly.

"Thank you Ichigo... for making me... making me remember that." Grimmjow whispered as he tightened his hold of the blade. "I love you" were his last whispered words as he thrusted himself to Zangetsu. As the blade pierced him, his body dissipated.

Harsh wind blew coldly as Ichigo watched it all, feeling numb. He was now alone in the clearing breathing heavily. One tear fell to the snow.

The vizard slowly raised his gaze to where Aizen's body had fallen and saw hoygyoku lying on the ground. Ignoring the pain pulsing trough his body and the aching of his heart he slowly rose and walked to the small round stone. He then picked it up and watched in silence for a minute.

It was this small object that had caused so much suffering, had caused death. He would take it to the shinigami's main force. There Urahara would then destroy his awful invention. I want to get to the others... Am so tired... Want this nightmare to end... I want to go to Ren... Want this all to go away... he could feel the reaitsu of hollows and arrancars disappearing, as shinigamis defeated their few remaining opponents. He felt relieved and started to walk in the direction of his friends when he suddenly felt multiple quickly approaching reiatsu.

Ichigo turned shocked realizing with dread, that a swarm of countless hollows was approaching him from the opposite direction of shinigami army. He felt his heart beat quicken and his palms started sweating. So many of them! They must be after the hoygyoku, now that Aizen has died! He then heard rustling sounds from behind him and quickly turned his zanpakutoe ready.

"Kurosaki-kun!" shouted an orange haired girl who came running to the snow cowered clearing.

"Inoue!" Ichigo yelled. Inoue Orihime reached him out of breath and her eyes widened and she forgot all else as she saw all the blood and the countless wounds that cowered Ichigo's body.

"Kurosaki-kun, don't worry, I will heal these wounds!" she said and prepared to summon her faeries, but Ichigo interrupted him.

"No, Inoue there is no time. The hollows are approaching... we can't let them have hoygyoku Inoue." Ichigo stated looking the girl intently. Inoue nodded.

"Then let's get away from here, Kurosaki-kun. We need to run to the army, they can handle all these hollows, come on!" she sayed and grabbed his arm to pull him along with her and, if necessary, support him. But Ichigo pulled back and shook his head.

"No Inoue. I can't shunpo in my condition and these hollows are too close." He then layed hoygyoku on Inoue's palm keeping his gaze fixed on the girls eyes. "Inoue... You need to take hoygyoku." For a moment Inoue stood in silence of the falling snow as her mind refused to understand the meaning of his words. Kurosaki-kun can't mean... No!

"No, Kurosaki-kun..!-"

"Inoue please. This is the only way. This is the only way to protect others." Ichigo sayed and urged her "Hurry Inoue! They are close!" But who will protect you, Kurosaki-kun!? Inoue screamed in her head.

But she knew there was no choice as she kept her eyes locked a moment longer with Ichigo. That she had to go. Had to leave Ichigo. She gripped hoygyoku in her hand as she took the first few steps away from Ichigo. Ichigo watched her as she then turned to look back at him.

"Goodbye Kurosaki-kun... And thank you... Ichigo" she whispered, feeling her voice quivering as she stood before the man she had come to love a long time ago.

"Goodbye Orihime" Ichigo answered quietly. Orihime then turned and ran.
Orihime ran blindly in the dark forest, her unsteady breathing steaming in the cold air. She ran toward the reiatsu that belonged to shinigamis and her other friends. And away from his reiatsu. She tried to run so fast that she couldn't think, couln't feeel. She didnt't dodge the tree branches that whipped her face as she ran, she only lifted her legs high in the now thick blanket of snow. As she felt Ichigo's reiatsu rise she ran faster. Run... Don't think... He is counting on me... I can't fail him... I can't make his... He won't do this for nothing! I won't fail him!

Tears poured down her face. Don't think! She continued to run what felt like an eternity. Later as she tried she could not make herself remember anything from her run with hoygyoku except the snow that kept falling.

Finally she ran out of the forest and saw in a short the distance the mass of shinigamis. Some were slaying the few remaining hollows, some were healing their wounded comrades, but most were heading in her direction. However she then ran into her companions who were ahead of the other shihigamis, literally in Renji's case, who almost ran over her.

"Sorry Inoue, where is Ich... What's wrong Inoue!?" Renji asked panicking as she held on to the girl's arms. The tears were still making their way down her face and she clutched hoygyoku tightly. Rukia, Sado and Ishida had now also gathered around her, everyone feeling fear in them as they saw the girl cry. Inoue opened her mouth to speak when a feeling suddenly went washed through all of them.
Renji had felt frantic while slashing through hollows and arrancars. His lover had gone on ahead to stop Aizen as his other companions had stayed behind to take down arrancars. When Ichigo had left Renji had shouted after him You better come back in one piece Ichi, you hear me!? Ichigo had given him one last glance and had replied I will and had given him one of his smiles he only gave to Renji, smiles that Renji had come to love more than his own life, before turning and leaving.

Since then Renji had been fighting without a break trying to get through the mass to go and help Ichigo. At one point Orihime had managed to break free and had gone ahead to help Ichigo. Renji and the remaining companions had gathered shortly after this to fight Ulquiorra. Fight had been going in Ulquiorra's favor, and would have likely ended in his victory had they not then suddenly had felt Aizen's looming reiatsu to disappear. Ulquiorra had then frozen on his spot eyes widening and he let out a shocked yell "Grimmjow!". This had given Rukia the opportunity to pierce her zanpakutoe through Ulquiorra's chest and he had died shocked expression on his face.

The group then had fought against a horde of lesser hollows. Through the fights Renji had been trying to feel for his lover's reiatsu, but it had been impossible when he was among so many fighting shinigami and hollow. Finally the group broke free and had almost reached the forest where Aizen had gone to prepare hoygyoku, in order to wipe Karakura off from the face of the planet. This is when Inoue had then emerged from the forest and ran into Renji who had been leading the group.

"Sorry Inoue, where is Ich... What's wrong Inoue!?" Renji's throat suddenly felt very dry as his heart now pounded faster than during the fighting as she looked Inoue's tear filled eyes. Why would she be this upset!? Could... No! Renji shouted in his mind. He tried to feel for Ichigo's reiatsu and just then it rose and... vanished.
"Goodbye Orihime" Ichigo sayed quietly and watched as she turned and ran, disappearing among trees. Ichigo stared a moment after her. How badly he would have wanted to go with her! Go with Orihime to their friends, go to Renji. As Ichigo thought of him and saw his grin in his mind, he felt his eyes moisten and he forced himself to be strong as he turned to face the hollows he could now hear. For Grimmjow, his sacrifice wont be meaningless. For my family, I wont fail to protect my family never again. He concentrated his energy, calling it all to him. For my nakama, I won't have any one of them die anymore in this war. His wounds were still bleeding but he knew he could still hold on a bit longer. Long enough. Long enough for Inoue to reach others. Long enough. For you Ren... Thank you for being there for me.

He then saw the first line of hollows as they broke through the tree line. After that it was all a blur. He slashed, he dodged. Not letting a single hollow past him. He continued this for a long time until a hollow slipped through his defense and slashed it's claws deep into his left side. He let out a yell of pain, blood bursted from the wound and from his mouth as he lost his strenght, and released his grip on Zangetsu which fell in snow. The hollow drew back, and Ichigo fell down, a snowing, starry night sky filled his vision as his mind began to shut down.

Ichigo was lying on the ground in Urahara's hidden training grounds holding his stomach with laughter. Next to him lying in a similar condition was a red headed shinigami he had come to love and respect.

"That was so idiotic." Renji sayed still giggling, staring at the artificial sky of the training grounds.

"I know." Ichigo replied stabling his breathing. Renji suddenly rolled around and crawled the short space between them. Ichigo turned his gaze to the red head's dark eyes as he bent down over Ichigo and kissed him.

Hollow pierced it's long claw throuh Ichigo's chest, spilling even more blood to the red snow surrounding the shinigami, screaming in it's hunger for Ichigo's soul. But Ichigo felt no longer pain. Renji was there with him.

Ichigo wrapped his arms around his lover's neck and kissed him back. Renji pulled back and smiled as he stared into warm brown eyes and gently stroked Ichigo's cheek. Ichigo closed his eyes as leaned to the touch and kissed Renji's hand.

"I love you Ichi." Renji whispered looking lovingly in his hazel eyes. Ichigo smiled warmly at him.

"I am forever yours Ren."

Hollows were suddenly pushed back as the last of Ichigo's reiatsu flared, and his spiritual body dissipated taking the vizard's soul away from their reach.