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Shades of Grey	By : SilverKytten Category: Bleach > Yaoi - Male/Male > Urahara/Ichigo Views: 3536 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All characters associated with the series are the property of Tite Kubo; I am simply borrowing them for my own amusement. No profit/money is gained from any of my writing.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
Chapter 10 – Maelstrom

For one horrible moment no one breathed, the shock paralyzing their world as her words rang in their ears. Matsumoto choked, swaying in place, her legs giving out as the last of her strength failed her. Hitsugaya shot forward but Ichigo was faster, catching her against him and sinking slowly to the ground. A trickle of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth, rolling dark over sickly pale skin. She coughed painfully, the blood coming faster. Shaky fingers rose to brush over Ichigo's cheek, smearing her life's essence warm across his flesh.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, lips and teeth stained with gore. "There was nothing I could do."

People were moving fast around the room and Ichigo dimly registered Hitsugaya dropping to his knees beside him, but he couldn't look away. He could never look away when they apologized like that, even though he wanted to. He hated it. He pressed his hand to her cooling fingers, still resting against his cheek, trying to comfort her the only way he could. Tears were rolling down her face, mixing with the blood and she choked again, a deep, gurgling sound.

"They locked down our division before they made the announcement." She was struggling hard on every word, but he'd learned long ago just to let them speak. "Ikkaku took the 11th against them to buy me some time; they're fighting in the streets. Gods…they're dying in the streets so that I could get away."

A sob racked her frame, the blood-soaked tears spreading through her hair, trickling down to pool on the floor. Tessai's hands were pressed into her side but she never even looked at him.

"Yumi was with me, but there were just so many. He stayed to hold them back…there was so much blood. He screamed at me to run and…gods, I left him there…I left him there to die…" Her hand pressed trembling to her lips, her eyes squeezing shut against the final glimpse of her bloodstained husband. "Gods, love, I'm so sorry…gods, please…please..."

Her eyes fluttered shut; her head lolling back as she finally succumbed to the darkness, slipping into unconsciousness. Ichigo stared down at her, the rage and pain a muted, dull swirl in the back of his numb mind. Hands slid onto his shoulders and he turned to find Urahara crouched behind him, looking grave.

"We have to go," he murmured softly, glancing down at Matsumoto. "They'll be here in minutes."

Ichigo nodded without argument, laying her gently against the floor. He'd been here far too many times, and every time it cut him deeper. He dug into his pocket, sliding the green pill between his lips as Hitsugaya did the same beside him. Kon gasped, taking a step back as his eyes tore around the room. His head snapped toward Ichigo, fists clenching at his sides.

"They're coming?"

Ichigo just nodded, feeling impossibly old.

"How long?" He demanded, eyes hardening fast.

"Minutes," Ichigo said softly, and Kon pivoted to sprint down the hall.

Ichigo's eyes fell on Karin, slouched dazedly against the wall, Yuzu's limp body clutched tight to her chest. He wondered distantly if she'd knocked her out herself, and felt grateful that someone had the presence of mind to do so. She looked scared and furious, her eyes burning dark, and he wished desperately for the words to make it all okay, but there were none. There was nothing to make this better. Kon reappeared at her side, tossing a long bag at her feet and crouching to lace a pair of heavy boots.

"I'm going with you," she said quietly, her voice oddly calm in the chaos of the room.

"No," Ichigo bit out, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You stay with Kon no matter what happens."

"Ichi-nii—" She began but he cut her off.

"Please, Karin." His brows drew painfully as he watched the tears swim in her eyes. Less than a day and he'd already failed to protect her. "Please promise me."

She shook her head miserably as her breath hitched in her throat, but he knew she would comply; he could see it breaking in her pain-filled eyes. Jinta knelt in front of her, murmuring something too soft to hear, slipping one of Yuzu's limp arms around his shoulders.

"Tessai, I'm leaving the children to you." Urahara's voice was hard, and the larger man nodded in solemn understanding. "Do whatever it takes to keep them safe."

"Can I move her?" Hitsugaya cut in, pressing his fingers to Matsumoto's pulse.

"There's no other option," Tessai sighed, moving to relieve Jinta of his burden. "You have to be careful, though, she's very unstable."

"They'll be after her, too." Hitsugaya's eyes found Urahara. "We'll only slow you down if you have to look out for us. I'll take her another way."

The former captain nodded, tossing him a dark cloak he'd retrieved as some point. "Wrap her in that, it'll mask her reiatsu."

"Thank you," Hitsugaya whispered, a thousand scattered dreams fading in his eyes.

There was nothing more to do, and no time left for miracles.

"We'll draw them," Urahara said softly, one hand settling back onto Ichigo's shoulder. "Get as far away as you can. We'll meet up when it's safe."

Ichigo gave them all one final look, lingering on Karin for a bittersweet eternity, and then he turned, using shunpo to carry him from their world, Urahara following one step behind. The buildings flew by in a hazy mosaic, wind tearing at his clothes as they pressed their reiatsu outward. All around they could feel the Shinigami, too many to count, coming from all directions. He felt them shift, catching the trail, moving to follow their obvious retreat. Ichigo poured on the speed, relief flooding through him as he led them away from the others. They were all that mattered. They had to be safe.

"You don't have to do this," he shouted wearily, shunpo synced perfectly with the man moving beside him.

"I know," Urahara replied, never breaking stride, "but someone has to keep an eye on you, and I happened to be free."

A sad smile rose to Ichigo's lips as his chest squeezed painfully. "I didn't want it to be like this."

"I know," Urahara said quietly, voice nearly lost on the wind.

Ichigo turned, angling away from town, heading toward the nearest open area he could remember. The less people around the better; he needed to focus on the task at hand.

"We need to do this with as little bloodshed as possible," Urahara said, his foot brushing across grass as they cleared a park. "We need to focus on escaping and regrouping. There's no turning back if the killing starts."

"There's no turning back anyway." Ichigo's voice was tired, the shadows playing on his face as they slipped through the trees. "They'll never let me go."

"We can still find a way." The words were a beautiful lie on Urahara's tongue.

Ichigo's eyes were a turbulent swirl, but he nodded once in silent promise. He would do what he could, for whatever it was worth, but if it came down to the end he would not go quietly.

The light from the low hanging sun stirred through knee-high grass as they broke into a clearing, Ichigo drawing up short at a sharp word from Urahara. In the midst of the space, surrounded by the roll of breeze stirred life, stood Byakuya, Senbonzakura unsheathed and resting at his side.

"Byakuya," Ichigo's eyes swept fast through the area, searching for a sign of impending threat. "How'd you get out? Did you hear about this bullshit the Shinigami are pulling?"

He started to move forward but fell back as Senbonzakura twitched in the air.

"I can't let you pass," Byakuya said quietly, the calm sounding forced in his almost stoic tone.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Ichigo shouted, confusion warring with anger in the sharp lines of his face. "We don't have time for this shit."

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki," he murmured, the cool mask slipping as his brows drew together.

Ichigo felt something inside him twist as he took a step forward, Zangetsu dipping an inch lower. "Byakuya?"

Urahara caught his shoulder as he moved again, pulling him back with a shake of his head.

"He's with them, Ichigo," he said softly, raising Benihime between them to cover the other man.

"Why?" Ichigo breathed, sounding more lost than he had in years. "You know I'm not losing control. What are you doing?"

Zangetsu came back up, but Urahara could feel the bitter hurt rolling through the younger man. Of all the Shinigami captains, Ichigo had been closest to Kuchiki Byakuya, having long since overcome their initial differences. They had worked closely together in the height of the war, running a series of missions during the worst of the fighting. They had ultimately succeeded, but at a terrible cost, barely returning alive when all was said and done. The brutal ordeal had forged a bond between them, an unspoken thing born of horrors and resolve. For him to stand here now was an ultimate betrayal, and Urahara felt his own rage starting to simmer beneath his skin.

"We cannot go to war for this." Byakuya's tone was pained. "There is fighting in the streets of Seireitei. It will tear our world apart."

"Some things are still worth fighting for." Urahara's voice was hard. "And I won't see him sacrificed for your mockery of peace."

"It won't be like that," Byakuya said sharply. "We can find another way, but you have to come with me before it's too late."

"There is nothing there but death, and we both know it," Urahara growled, his reiatsu coiling tight as his anger rose. "I won't allow it."

A flash of red and white forestalled any further argument; Renji appearing next to Byakuya as his captains' robes settled around him. He turned slowly, eyes darting between the three, torn indecision skating across his features. He was never the same after Rukia's death, his heart closing off as he drew back from the world. When he'd been offered a position as captain of the 5th, he'd accepted it willingly, burying himself in the title and his own self-blame. He had failed to protect the woman he loved, and he could never fully forgive himself for his perceived shortcomings. Ichigo had failed, too, in Renji's backward, tattered world, and the bitterness of it had torn a rift between them.

"What are we gonna do?" He muttered to Byakuya, tattooed brows pulling together in a frown.

"What we must," Byakuya replied, and Renji's frown deepened.

The others were starting to fall into place, closing in fast now that their prey was still. Soifon landed silently, flanking Byakuya, catching Urahara's gaze with a look of cold triumph. She had always hated him, always longed for him to fall, and as his bond with Ichigo strengthened her hatred had evolved to encompass them both. Kira and Hisagi slid in behind her, looking far less pleased with the whole situation. They'd sworn to do their duty when they'd taken the role of captain, but they'd never held ill feelings toward either of the men. Every seated officer seemed to be moving in to flank them, as well as the bulk of most of the squads. The clearing was fast becoming crowded, dotted throughout with rolling, trembling reiatsu.

"Nowhere to run," Soifon sneered, her smile cutting sharp with ugly satisfaction.

"Fuck off, you bitch," Ichigo snarled, knuckles going white against Zangetsu's hilt. "This is all your fault."

She started to lunge forward but Byakuya cut her off, giving her a hard look before turning to Ichigo.

"We don't want a fight," he tried again, the twitch in his jaw belying the calm in his tone. "Come with us now, and I'll speak on your behalf."

"It's not going to happen," Urahara said quietly, stepping between Ichigo and the army against them.

"It doesn't have to be this way." Byakuya's brows pulled softly.

"It does as long as you're on the wrong side," Urahara assured him, a sad smile lingering on his tired lips.

A dull boom rolled through the distance, snapping their attention to a rising column of smoke.

"Looks like we found your friends," Soifon said darkly, catching the horror whispering through Ichigo's eyes. "Did you think I'd just let them go?"

Ichigo felt a weight slam into his chest, crushing the air from his lungs. His sisters, the kids, he'd left them alone. They were alone with the Shinigami and no one to protect them.

"No," he whispered raggedly his reiatsu leaking through the air. "Leave them alone."

Soifon barked a sharp, hard laugh and Renji turned on her.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He hissed. "They're just kids."

"Dangerous kids," she spat, sparing him a disgusted look before turning on Ichigo with a nasty sneer. "Surrender and I might let them live."

"This isn't what we talked about," Renji snarled, but it was already too late.

Ichigo's reiatsu slammed into the clearing, sending the lesser forces sprawling to the ground. He raised Zangetsu slowly, his power shimmering in the air, leveling the sneering captain with a cold, expressionless stare.

"I'm going to kill you," he said softly—too softly—and even Urahara felt a chill roll up his spine.

Zangetsu slid up and Soifon crouched low, growling in anticipation of the attack that never came.

"My gods," Kira breathed, still staring into the distance, eyes going wide with awed disbelief.

A blue sun was rising from behind the trees, blinding and brilliant against the backdrop of the city. It hovered for an instant, a beautiful, glowing eternity and then it pulsed, shattering, racing toward the earth in a thousand shards of light.

"You won't catch Tessai twice, Soifon," Urahara's voice was like ice on glass. "He'll burn your men to the ground."

Her eyes flared wide, lips pulling back in a snarl of screaming rage. Ichigo stepped forward, thrumming with indecision and Urahara caught him, his lips brushing the back of his neck as he spoke.

"Stay with me, Ichigo." His voice was thick with tension. "You have to leave them to Tessai. There's no more time."

Ichigo's eyes snapped sharp as Soifon lunged, roaring her hatred, flying at them fast. The lips pressed briefly, one last fleeting kiss, and then the warmth vanished from his back, leaving Ichigo strangely empty. The hint of a breeze stirred through his hair and Soifon fell away, clutching a gash scored deep into her arm. Urahara landed between them, eyes glowing red under the crush of his reiatsu, Benihime singing for blood in his hand.

"I told you that's not going to happen." His voice dipped low, the power coiling around him and spreading through the air. "You can't have him."

Two heartbeats were all they had between the world they had known and the one that lay before them. Urahara caught Ichigo's gaze with burning, crimson eyes, a final, wistful smile pulling soft over his lips. Ichigo reached out but he was already gone and everything he knew exploded into chaos.

Urahara's first blast caught Soifon in the chest, sending her crashing into a group of officers. He didn't stop to watch, turning on Kira and Hisagi, praying that Renji and Byakuya would mean the least harm.

"Go," he shouted back, and then he was on them, dancing through the air with deadly grace. "Don't fight, just run."

Ichigo hesitated for the barest of instants before tearing across the clearing, trusting the captains to follow. He had no intention of running away, but he needed to put some space between himself and the other man. Behind him he felt the grating tear of Urahara's bankai sing to life, rubbing over his nerves like shards of broken glass. He'd never liked the feeling, and though he respected its power, he'd always secretly agreed when Shiro called it Demon.

All around him reiatsu was surging, rolling thick through the air like a smothering cloud. There were flashes of kidou, too many to count, spells raining down like a glittering storm. Ichigo slid though the chaos, dodging the worst of the barrage, deflecting the weaker spells with the pulse of his darker power. The lesser forces were maintaining their distance, staying out of range to act as support. A smart move, and a necessary one; they would have succumbed to the crush of his reiatsu alone, once the full weight of his power started to manifest. A cold shell settled over him as he released his bankai. They had planned this to the letter, knowing intimately how he fought, using all they'd learned as allies while he'd struggled to save their lives.

Byakuya was swinging left, trying to cut him off, and Renji was moving to flank, herding him toward the attack. Practiced execution—cold and controlled—way more familiar than it ever should have been. Ichigo stepped into shunpo, slipping through the tightening noose, turning on a group of officers who were trying to close off his retreat. He slammed into the forces as the captains flew in fast, scattering their ranks with more finesse than he owed the fight. He recognized these men, knew their faces, knew their lives. It felt wrong to cut them down and that mercy dulled his blade.

Ichigo spun as Byakuya fell on him, pushing him back and pivoting to catch Renji. They were bringing the fight close, much closer than their range required, and Ichigo frowned as he tried to find the logic. He lashed out fast, forcing Renji into shikai, Zabimaru whipping between them as the other man retreated. Byakuya shouted something and he turned to face the kidou, dragging his mask into place and catching the spell on the edge of his power. Byakuya was trying to bind him but it wouldn't be that easy, the spells had trouble sticking to his coiling, hybrid reiatsu. They'd learned that together when they'd fought side by side, and golden eyes burned deep with the bitterness of that memory.

The support kidou thinned as he clashed with the men, the forces wary of striking their captains. Ichigo used the reprieve as an opening, slipping beneath Zabimaru's arch, dancing away from Byakuya who had pressed in once again. He was up to something to be bringing the fight so close, but Ichigo couldn't find the reason for the unfamiliar tactic. He fired a cero at the dark-haired man, forcing him to release his zanpakutou to scatter the attack.

"Stop fighting, Ichigo," Renji shouted over the distance, his reiatsu flaring wildly as he released his massive bankai.

Ichigo didn't reply, because it wasn't worth the breath and no matter what he said it could never change their fate. Behind him, he felt Byakuya's second release, rolling away on instinct to avoid the influx of blades. He was on his feet in seconds, slipping through the arching swirls of metal, firing a cero at Zabimaru as the skeletal jaws struck down.

Across the clearing Urahara was moving, playing strike-and-retreat to avoid getting trapped. He'd lost his coat, his blade flashing bright, blood painting the air as he caught Kira off step. He was amazingly good, and his tactics were flawless, but he was fighting against odds that were taxing at best. Ichigo lunged forward, slicing through Byakuya's sleeve, missing his mark as the man leapt out of range. He pivoted sharply, spotting a kidou unit halfway across the clearing.

"Getsuga Tenshou," he growled, hurtling the blast across the distance. It slammed into the pack, their screams twisting in the air, opening Urahara's flank as the Shinigami scattered.

Zabimaru missed him by inches as Ichigo launched himself skyward, the impact shrouding his ascent in a plume of dirt and debris. He twisted in midair, landing briefly on the writhing coils, firing a blast into the heart of the beast before flinging himself to the side. He hit the ground running with Byakuya closing in fast, but a wave of crimson cut low between them as Urahara played his hand.

Ichigo darted away, skirting fast along the tree line, forcing the support troops to scatter. Across the way Urahara was doing the same, moving the battle to keep the enemy on guard. Fight for a few minutes, then a twenty degree shift, force your opponents off-balance while you pick off the flanks. It was an old school tactic, but effective all the same, and they'd danced these steps together more times than they could count.

Ichigo's world narrowed to a blur of clockwork ticks. Steel striking steel. Dance beneath the fire. Rinse and repeat the horrible cycle under the light of the nearly-gone sun. A blast of Kidou skimmed past his shoulder as he fired a cero into Senbonzakura's flow. The blades flew wild, messy in the air, biting into his skin as he darted through the hole. Blood rolled down his arm as he launched himself sideways, sending a group of officers flying with ease. A textbook execution down to the letter; a perfect diversion to cover their retreating friends.

"I came to help you," Byakuya shouted, matching his pace as he tore through the field. "We can still make this work, but you have to stop fighting."

"Don't lie to me," Ichigo snarled, lashing out sharply as he got too close. He caught Byakuya's cheek with the tip of his blade, crimson flowing vivid over porcelain skin. "If you really wanted to help me you'd be killing Soifon."

It had been awhile since he'd heard anything from the distance, and he could only pray that Tessai had broken the ranks. A little more time and he could shift his focus elsewhere; begin the process of escaping the fray. Retreat and regroup, that was the game, get them all to safety so they could formulate a plan.

He could feel Urahara wearing, the constant influx of damage starting to chip at his reserves. He was splashed in blood, but whose it was hard to tell, swiping sweat out of his eyes as he parried Hisagi. Ichigo dodged an attack from Renji and came face-to-face with Byakuya, the man lunging forward as through trying to grab him. He raised Zangetsu fast, driving him away, falling back a step as Senbonzakura came from the side. They were becoming more aggressive and Ichigo's fatigue was building, taxed by their push and his desire not to hurt them. He jumped back again, landing near a hill at the edge of the trees, spotting Soifon as she swung toward Urahara.

"Getsuga Tenshou," he hissed, flinging a wave of energy toward her, hoping to draw her attention from the overtaxed blond.

It was time to move this along before fatigue brought clumsy mistakes, while he still possessed the focus to create the necessary chaos. They would need a healthy diversion if they wanted a clean escape and his hold on his emotions was already starting to slip. He fired a series of ceros into several of the surrounding units, the explosions muffling their screams and bathing them in debris. Their ranks were breaking, the Shinigami running for cover, dragging their wounded brethren limp across the ground.

Ichigo spun on the balls of his feet, blasting off another Getsuga at the approaching captains. It clipped Byakuya in the shoulder, burning away his sleeve, and forced Renji off course in a stroke that was more luck than skill. He started to follow, but there was a surge of reiatsu behind him, some low level officer with something to prove. The enemy zanpakutou was already raised and slashing down before Ichigo could even turn. Clumsy fucking mistake. Ichigo growled at himself for the slip, hardening his reiatsu to fend off the blow.

"Blue Fire Crash Down!"

The force of the blast took the Shinigami off his feet, slamming him into the earth with a bone jarring finality. Ichigo's head snapped around and for a moment he was 15, staring up at Rukia as she rushed to his aid. His heart twisted cold, screaming that it was wrong. Rukia was dead. She couldn't save him now, he'd felt her life fading as her fingers slid from his. He shook his head and the ghosts fell away, a sick horror dawning as he met Karin's terrified gaze.

She was standing on the hill to the right of him, frozen in that moment of terrible awareness, palms still facing outward. The Shinigami was dead and she had killed him, her first life taken in the defense of another. It was done—in sickening clarity—the last piece of innocence stripped brutally away. And just like that her eyes snapped sharp, returning his stare as her resolve clamped down. She turned away, hair caught in the tempest of her rising reiatsu, lips already forming on their next incantation.

The Shinigami were adjusting, shearing off to intercept her, rushing toward the hill as she let loose a wave of fire. Ichigo felt a scream tear from his throat as he launched himself forward, catching the first officer with the edge of his blade. He leapt toward the second but the others slid past, one raising a zanpakutou that never came down.

Blood splattered wet across the ground as the Shinigami fell, final surprise fading from dying eyes. Kon slid forward, stepping over the body, not even looking as he crouched in front of Karin. He was wielding twin kodachi, already dark with blood, lips pulled back over a vicious, merciless snarl. Built for battle, steeped in war, easy smile washed from flint hard eyes. The final two Shinigami cried out their charge, but they never stood a chance. Kon had taken up the blades during the height of the war and had refined them to an art form, and extension of his being. He danced with them like wind over water; effortless, beautiful, and so very, very deadly.

"No," Ichigo shouted, watching Karin's reiatsu coil, lips tracing soundlessly as Kon cut down his target. "Get out of here!"

He lunged forward blindly, the battle falling away, his need to reach his sister the only focus in his world. Senbonzakura cut low and he batted it aside, blood flecking the air as his reiatsu started to soften. Zabimaru was diving in as he swung past Renji, missing him by inches through luck alone. He made it two steps before something caught him in the chest, taking him off his feet and sending pain searing through him. He landed rough, but rolled up fast, managing to avoid the bulk of Soifon's next blast. She flew at him hard, forcing him back into the fight.

"Kisuke," Ichigo shouted over the ringing of steel, trying to find the blond in the sea of Shinigami. "You have to get to Karin!"

He felt Urahara shift, trying to angle toward his battle, but an explosion rocked the air and the blond's reiatsu shuddered. Their enemy was everywhere; a violent, shrieking mass trying to tear them to pieces. He couldn't break free, cutting them down as they poured in endlessly. A Shinigami screamed and Ichigo kicked him away, the sound grating on his nerves and stirring his anger.

"Open the right, if you can." Urahara's shout was muted, thick with strain and the rough edge of power.

"Fuck," Ichigo snarled, blade sparking bright over Soifon's gauntlet, tripping back a step as Senbonzakura struck.

Another group of Shinigami were pushing toward Karin, recognizing her threat and her lesser degree of protection. Kon surged up, catching the first one unprepared, blades finding the second before the first could even scream. Karin's eyes closed as blood splashed her pale skin, raising shaking hands to face the coming tide.

"Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down!"

She staggered as the dual blasts released, slamming into the Shinigami and tearing them from the hillside. There was something unstable in bite of her reiatsu, a shiver in the kidou that twisted through the air. She was casting beyond her skill, burning through her power, commanding the spells to manifest through force of will alone. Wartime tactics, desperate, last-ditch measures. Ichigo would kill Tessai for teaching her such things.

"Get her out of here, Kon," Ichigo screamed through the battle, holding back Soifon through instinct alone.

In a detached sort of way he could see what Tessai meant, about the parallels between them in inherent, natural talent. He could feel her raw power, screaming to be free, crushing the air around her with rough, merciless ferocity. It reminded him of himself, all those years ago, when he still believed he was immortal and that nothing could stand in his way. He'd learned his lessons the hard way, that resolve wasn't always enough; not for him in untrained glory, or for his sister's screaming rage. She would fall, just as he had, except no one would be there to catch her. He had to be there. He'd promised he would be there.

The mod soul's eyes flicked up, but only for an instant, his focus darting back to the next victim of his blade. It was already too late, they'd drawn too much attention, they were being pressed too hard to find an opening for retreat.

Soifon lunged low, scoring a gash along Ichigo's side, painting a tattoo against his flesh and angling for another. He kicked out hard, catching her in the chest, sending her flying into a squad of approaching men. Zabimaru lunged in fast, pressing Ichigo deeper into the fray, forcing him to use his bankai speed to dance through Senbonzakura.

He was swarmed for a moment as Soifon's officers pressed in, zanpakutous glancing uselessly off his barely holding reiatsu. They were trying to overwhelm him with numbers and speed; a pathetic reflection of their captain's wanton arrogance. He hated them all; every sorry waste of breath. He caught some unknown blade against the palm of his hand, tearing it away and flinging it into the crowd. Another lunged forward and Ichigo lashed out with his fist, the wet crunch of bone drowned out by the cacophony of battle. Fresh blood panted his mask, blending with the markings like an evolving work or art. It felt familiar, like a mockery of home. He flexed his reiatsu, knocking them away, spinning to face Senbonzakura as Byakuya attacked from behind.

"Byakuya," he snarled, backhanding a charging officer. "You have to get her out of here. She hasn't done anything."

The captain's eyes flickered, torn with regrets, and he fell back a step, signaling to his men. Ichigo thought for a moment that he was going to comply, but he returned to the battle, flying at the younger man. Ichigo growled his rage, firing a Getsuga in his direction, turning on Soifon to release another. The reiatsu burned raw over his aching nerves, the first vestiges of strain at the worst possible time. He was over-taxing his power but there was no help for it now.

Renji pressed forward while the others fell back, and Ichigo leapt to the side, trying to skirt around his attack. The Shinigami were coming fast, a tide of faceless rage, pouring up the hill in pursuit of their target. A wave of crimson light slammed into the front of the charge, cutting them down with brutal precision. Urahara was covering the best he could, but he was still furiously engaged. He swung wide, Hisagi and Kira fast on his heels, looking for an angle that wouldn't cost him the fight.

Ichigo ducked left as the air stirred behind him, using shunpo to step again as Byakuya followed. There was something flickering in his hand and it didn't make sense, because Senbonzakura was released and he didn't need another weapon. He tried to get a better look but the captain slipped away, lost on the roll of battle swirling around them. Ichigo turned to tear into Renji.

Soifon had paused in her charge, shouting an order to some of her men, attention shifting to Urahara as she saw him leave an opening. Ichigo fired a cero, not even taking the time to aim, trying to pull her focus as he continued to clash with the others. She turned on him, teeth bared in a snarl, but had to lunge to the side to avoid a wave of kidou. She spun on her heel, zeroing in on Karin who was already beginning her next in incantation.

"No, don't!" Ichigo shouted, feeling the panic taking hold, "Karin, run!"

The enraged captain shifted, using shunpo to skip to the side, leaving Karin staring into space as she failed to track the motion. Ichigo tried to follow, but Senbonzakura tore through his leg, bringing him down to his knees as Zabimaru's jaws closed around him. He saw Soifon land as he slammed into the ground, saw the cold triumph dripping from her ugly, feral grin

She released a high level kidou; a wave of green light surging through the air. Karin turned, eyes gone wide with haunted surprise and Ichigo screamed but it was already too late. The blast rocked the earth, the tree line splintering under the onslaught of its fury, shooting a plume of debris high into the air. Ichigo stumbled to his feet, transfixed by the sight, a crack splintering his mask as his focus started to slip.

Time ticked by in agonizing heartbeats, earth raining from the sky in a slow-motion haze. It was done, his final failure, the last embers fading in his ever dying fire. And then, inexplicably, something stirred within the chaos.

A frigid blast shot from the heart of the smoke, laced with shards of glittering ice. Hitsugaya trembled as his shattering wings unfurled, fragments falling like diamonds to scatter at his feet. The haze was churning around him, caught in the swirl of his pulsing reiatsu, riding the currents of anger coursing thick in the air. In the circle of his arms, the dark-haired girl turned, wide eyes seeking Kon crouched low at their side. No time for words and Hitsugaya was gone, catching Soifon midair as she lunged to attack. Kon followed suit, bracing against a surge of Shinigami, protecting the girl standing frozen behind him.

Karin sank to her knees, meeting Ichigo's gaze from across the space between them. Her eyes were wide, vivid in a face drained fully of color, horrified and pleading. In that instant she looked all of her 13 years, lost in the tide of brutal death. Fear and agony; shock and uncertainty.

Ichigo no longer knew who he was fighting, his body moving on instinct as he struggled against the attacks. He tried to push forward, but they held him back, keeping him from reaching her and fuelling his rage. He lashed out wildly—black fire scoring the earth—burning a path screaming through the ranks. He didn't even see them as he surged desperately forward, eyes fixed solely on Karin. He felt Byakuya before he saw him, Zangetsu swinging up to catch Senbonzakura. Byakuya pressed hard, demanding his attention, blades filling the air as they clashed together.

Hitsugaya was fighting furiously against a vicious Soifon, blood flowing freely from a gash in his neck. His bankai had suffered from deflecting her blast, wings shuddering heavily as he blocked her team's kidou. He was losing ground slowly, but losing it all the same, facing down her squad and tied to his position.

Behind him Kon was tiring, drenched in foreign blood mixing sluggishly with his own. He was forced to one knee as a blade sunk into his thigh, grunting in pain as the wound tore further. He twisted free, his kodachi coming around to take off the offending arm. He struggled to his feet, falling back another step, moving to keep himself between Karin and the hoard. She still hadn't moved, slumped in the grass, head bowed over folded hands as her lips moved silently.

"On your feet, Karin," Kon shouted over his shoulder, trying to get through to her as he was forced back again. "You have to pull it together."

They weren't going to hold, their lines already breaking, and Ichigo redoubled his efforts against the bite of Byakuya's bankai. Their fury rolled together, three ticks of Ichigo's heart, before he finally found an opening and slid beneath Byakuya's defenses. Zabimaru slammed into him, punching him hard into the earth, throwing him into the path of an onslaught of kidou. He felt his mask slip further, chipping at the edges, as he cut an ugly trail through the battle ruined ground. They'd pushed him closer to Karin, but it didn't even matter because both captains were on him as soon as he regained his feet. It was going to shit and Ichigo couldn't stop it, unable to fully unleash for fear of his sister. They were going to lose if he didn't do something; they'd die in the grass like so many before them.

Karin's voice rang out, cutting across the battle, laced with regret and hardening resolve.

"I love you, Ichi-nii," she shouted her unwavering decree, and then rose to face the Shinigami who were nearly on top of her.

He screamed at her to run as he tried to push through, but Zabimaru caught him as he heard her shout again.

"Oh Orion, keeper of the keys, one who binds the hands of men -" Her voice chimed clear, echoing strangely throughout the clearing.

Ichigo slammed into the ground, firing a cero in Renji's direction, barely bringing Zangetsu up in time to block Byakuya.

"– Ten thousand fires dance in the heavens; sixteen gateways bound to the earth -" Karin's reiatsu was coiling, drawing in on itself, whipping her hair in a frenzy as her arms crossed over her chest.

Zangetsu swung wide, forcing Byakuya back, but Renji had recovered and Zabimaru joined the fray.

"-Sing your tale of ageless wandering. Cry your tears of things untold." Karin's voice was shaking, the power and fear trembling along her frame. She paused, reiatsu hitching wildly, raising her arms and eyes to the sky. "Specialist Hadou number 78: Celestial Starfall!"

The coil of her power released, rising toward the sky, and a blue sun rose brilliant over the battlefield. It shimmered, twisting in on itself, bathing the world in eerie, radiant light. The Shinigami paused transfixed for that instant and even Ichigo faltered half a step in his battle. It broke—shattering, screaming toward ground— scaring the world before her with shards of liquid fire. The Shinigami fell, screams cut brutally short, twisting in the inferno while their allies ran for cover.

Kon had leapt back as she finished the incantation, landing lightly beside her to watch the brilliant destruction. She swayed, even as the spell still rained, her reiatsu exhausted and her body not far behind. Kon caught her gently, laying her in the grass before turning once again to the scattering Shinigami. Their ranks had broken but it wouldn't be enough; he could already see them skirting the edges of the chaos.

A flash of red surged bright and Urahara was on them, blood streaking his face as he tore into the charge. He grabbed an officer by the throat, flinging him into another as a blood shield rose around him to catch the incoming kidou. He was covering their flank, trying to keep them from being overrun, but the position was far too open and Karin's fire wouldn't last forever. He pulled his reiatsu around him, sending a wave of energy outward, summoning a high level kidou without so much as a single word. He spun away from Kira but was too slow for Hisagi, blades tearing into his arm as he slid back out of range.

Ichigo dodged a blast from Zabimaru, jumping over its coil to slash at Byakuya. He saw Kon lunge forward; saw Hitsugaya go down as a green bolt slammed into his side. Zangetsu bit deep into Byakuya's arm, Ichigo's fingers sliding slick over a blood-soaked hilt as he drove the blade deeper. Byakuya pulled away and Ichigo turned on Renji, anticipating the attack that came like clockwork. They had fought together too many times in a world where things were right and loyalty still held sway.

He heard Karin scream and faltered in his movement, eyes swinging to find her without a conscious thought. Kon was tripping back, clutching a blade buried in his chest, bringing his kodachi up to tear through pliant flesh. He fell slowly, fingers loosing grip on his weapon as he went, landing in a graceless sprawl against the wreckage of the ground.

Ichigo barely avoided Renji's next attack as Karin staggered to her feet, lunging forward unsteadily to protect her fallen friend. A Shinigami officer stood over Kon's body, Zanpakuto already swinging as the girl crashed into him. Blood splattered the ground as the blade sliced through her side, dragging a different type of cry from her lips.

Ichigo's world went strangely mute, the battle around him lost to the pounding in his head. Half of his mask broke free as Renji slammed bodily into him, taking him to the ground in a tangle of limbs. The Shinigami had pulled his weapon free, painted dark with his sister's life. He was already swinging again with a blow that never fell; his sneer forever frozen as his head rolled from his shoulders. Hitsugaya crouched low over Karin's fallen form, blasting the next wave with shards of razor ice. Bloody fingers twisted in his once white coat and he reached to pull her up, shoving her behind him as he turned on Soifon.

Ichigo kicked Renji brutally away, fingers seeking Zangetsu where he'd fallen in the grass. He launched himself forward, slipping against the gore, his focus so fractured that he didn't register the click. Something cold closed around his neck, snapping into place, and his world exploded into pain. A ragged cry tore from his lips as he clawed at his throat, nails scrabbling useless against wicked, smooth metal. A suppression collar; a Shinigami prison tool, eating through his power as he struggled against it. It had been enhanced, modified for him; it had to have been to have this much effect. From somewhere in the distance he felt Urahara's reiatsu spike, raw rage boiling over as the man sensed his distress.

His bankai burned away as he fell to his knees, palms slamming deep into blood-soaked grass. Another scream tore from him, ripping through his veins and out of his stinging throat. He pulled on his hollow powers, but his control was too damaged and he couldn't find the balance to wield the dark reiatsu. The world was blurring at the edges as he turned his head, meeting Byakuya's tortured gaze towering above him. It made sense now, why he'd been trying to get so close, why he'd looked so guilty as he lied to his face. Something glittered in his hand, a spike carved deep with runes, and Ichigo felt the final betrayal settle into place.

"Soifon, NO!" Renji shouted from beside them, lunging forward suddenly to join the other fight.

Something in his tone pulled Ichigo back into focus, his head snapping up as his arms started to collapse. Soifon had released her bankai; the barrel of the weapon trained on Karin's swaying form. Everything slowed to an agonizing roll, each beat of his heart a terrible eternity as everything happened at once. Renji tore though the gore slicked grass, fingers outstretched toward the snarling captain. Hitsugaya caught Karin, turning her away, shielding her with his body as his tattered wings drew in. A crimson wave tore low across the clearing, Urahara's attack slamming into Soifon only a second too late. It was always too late. It was never enough.

Her blast split the air, rending the earth to ash as it streaked toward the ice captain with brutal precision. He wouldn't withstand it; there was no way he could, not against the full force of her bankai in his already weakened state. Ichigo felt something inside of him crack, the last remnants of his mask breaking free as the world around him ground to a halt.

He fell, landing on his shoulder, rolling onto his back to stare at Byakuya. The captain's face was turned, watching the scene unfold, lips parted and eyes widening in dawning horror. Wind-stirred hair blew across a bloodstained face, frozen in place for that eternal second. Something moved beside Ichigo and he turned his head slowly, meeting Shiro's unreadable gaze. The hollow crouched beside him, wearing his black and white face, a mirror image of Ichigo right down to the suppression collar.

"Looks like someone brought you a present," he murmured, reaching out to touch the metal circling Ichigo's throat. Golden eyes rose up, studying the spike in the frozen captain's hand. "Looks like he brought one for me, too."

"I can't save them," Ichigo choked, pain wracking his body as he tried to sit up. "Why can't I ever save them?"

Pale fingers splayed against his chest, holding him down with surprising gentleness. The hollow settled next to him stretched out in the grass, bringing them to eye level with an arm still draped across him.

"Fight's not over yet, King," he said with a strange sort of sadness. "There are still some moves left, but you're probably not going to like them."

Ichigo's hand curled over Shiro's arm as he turned to stare at the cloud streaked sky. The sun was beginning to set, dusting the world with shades of warmth and radiance. "What can you do?"

"These collars are meant to hold Shinigami." His fingers traced the metal again, dipping down to slide between the skin and the band. "It only suppresses Shinigami power."

Ichigo's eyes flicked to the spike and then back to the hollow who was studying it as well. Golden eyes traveled higher to Byakuya's face. "He wasn't fast enough."

"Can you save them?" Ichigo whispered, drawing that gaze as he struggled to clear his vision.

The hollow rose up, looking out over the scene, moving over the players like they were pieces on a board. He studied it all for a silent moment, eyes closed-off as though calculating the odds.

"Possibly," he replied, pale brows drawing together, "but it would be ugly and there would be substantial damage. You've wasted a lot of my power playing your little games."

"Please," Ichigo breathed, the pain settling deeper, tendrils of darkness creeping into his vision. "Please, Shiro."

The hollow chuckled faintly, an utterly humorless sound, his fingers falling idly to trace over Ichigo's chest.

"I've longed to hear you beg so many times." His eyes slid over Ichigo's face, lingering on the ones watching him in return. "If it were any other day, I might have taken pleasure, but this…"

His attention turned to the knot of people who would fight to the end as they waited to die; to Renji's moment of clarity and Soifon's hateful grin; and finally to Byakuya, hovering motionless above them. He sank back to the grass, draped half over Ichigo, face dipping down to the crook of his neck.

"I would have done this simply for the asking," he murmured, lips tickling soft over the curve of an ear.

Ichigo's breath hitched, a shudder wracking his frame and the hollow nuzzled closer, covering his body with his own.

"People will die for this; I hope you understand that, King." He pushed up on his elbows to stare at the man below. "There can't be any restrictions, or your precious taste of mercy."

"I know," Ichigo murmured, watching his face as his power uncoiled. "So long as you save them, I don't care what you do."

It was a lie and they both knew it, even as they understood the truth behind it. Ichigo would sacrifice anything to protect his friends; everything he'd worked for, and everything he believed. He would trade his soul for his sister's fading life.

"Kisuke," Ichigo whispered, pain seizing in his chest.

The hollow's form shuddered, his mirrored shell cracking as it started to fall away. Haunted eyes bored into Ichigo as pale brows pulled into a frown. "I can't force Demon away if he doesn't want to go."

"I know," Ichigo choked softly, a trembling hand raising to brush aside pale locks. "I just wish…"

His voice was growing softer, eyes pulling heavy under the call of exhaustion. Shiro settled deeper against him, his façade almost completely stripped away, golden gaze alive with a thousand unreadable things. Ichigo's lashes slid lower and he frowned, shaking his head, fighting the darkness that would inevitably take him. His hand rose sluggishly higher, weighed with the drag of his fading reiatsu, fingers tracing soft over Shiro's pale cheek.

"I didn't think it would end like this," he whispered faint into the stillness.

"We may make it yet," the hollow reminded him, though something in his eyes belied the hope of his words.

Ichigo tried to smile, but he couldn't find the strength, fingers faltering in their study of Shiro's rarely seen true face.

"You really are beautiful," he slurred, hand falling limp as his remaining strength failed him. "He was a fucking idiot."

Shiro caught his sliding fingers, holding them in place as he leaned into the touch. His pale brows pulled softly as he watched dilated eyes slide shut, fluttering for a moment before surrendering the fight.

"I'm sorry I never fucked you," Shiro murmured over his skin. "I would have liked to taste you at least once before the end."

"Incestuous fucker," Ichigo breathed, the ghost of a smile tugging vainly at his unresponsive mouth.

Shiro chuckled faintly— a painful, bittersweet sound— leaning down to frame them in a cascade of pale hair.

"More like advanced masturbation," he whispered across Ichigo's parted lips.

Ichigo choked a little, a final sobbing laugh. The darkness was weightless now, and there was so much left to say.

"Tell Kisuke…gods…tell him…" He couldn't find the words, his thoughts no longer carrying beyond his slowly stilling mind.

"Go to sleep, Ichigo. I'll make it okay." Shiro's lips brushed against his, carrying him gently over the edge. There was nothing left for him to do, and to save them all he had to let go. He felt the final wisps of light trail through his cooling mind, his final thoughts blurring between Shiro's tongue and the waiting darkness.

"Tell him I'm sorry."

.

.

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A/N: I actually got the chapter up before the end of the year! Merry Christmas! Truth be told, I got this chapter back from beta more than a week and a half ago, but life was not being friendly when it came to posting it. Between work, life and random emergencies I was really starting to worry that I wasn't going to get this up before Christmas. But I've succeeded, and that's that!

For those of you who read this and get the 'oh no!' face, I can offer you comfort in the knowledge that I've already written the next chapter, and all I need to do is some fine tuning. After that its off to beta and then straight into great tubes of the internet. Hopefully this process goes more smoothly than my posting attempts. Either way, you wont have to wait forever. On that note, I'd like to thank Shiz, my amazing beta for all the hard work she put into this chapter. Without her continuing efforts there would have been a whole lot more confusion, which is not fun for anyone. I'm going to get through this, both for myself and for the people still following the story. It's been a great adventure, and I'm really looking forward to completing the journey. See you all soon!
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Shades of Grey