Chapter 40: Bring The Light Back To The Surface 1/2

It's the final fight of the arc. Let's end it with a bang. Big chapter for you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Bleach. Shame, it would be great if I did.

Protector Of The Fairies

Bring The Light Back To The Surface

An orange haired man rushed through the trees, his suit in pieces. He was no longer as small as he had been before, now sporting large muscles and a height twice of what he was before.

This was his Power Perfume Spell at work. He had tried to use stealth originally, and he had done well with it to begin with. A third of their numbers had already been taken out before they noticed something was wrong.

And then it had all gone downhill. He wasn't a fighter like Natsu, which meant it was hard to deal with them, especially in such large numbers. He could increase his speed with Fleet Foot Perfume: Zero Distance Inhalation, which was a mouthful to say out loud, and he could dull his pain with Pain Relieving Perfume, but he only had so many Spells that worked in open combat. Paralyzing Perfume had been most effective with stealth, and now that they saw him using it they had become wary of his Spells. So they kept a distance slightly when not attacking and reacted when he tried to use it against them.

As much as he hadn't wanted to, he had been forced to use his Power Perfume. It was a special Spell that he had that caused his body's muscular structure to expand, increasing in size and becoming denser. If he had ever seen Laxus's incomplete Dragon Force, it could have been compared to that in the expansion that took place.

From that moment on, he had stormed through the remaining Mages. There had been some tricky ones, but they were all too weak to be able to handle more than one punch, sometimes multiple Mages getting taken out with the others. The moment he had been sure that they were all defeated, he had immediately begun heading towards Natsu's location.

Carla flew above him, unable to carry him as he was. The Spell's downside was that it took a while to wear off, and he was also glad of that in a way. He always felt completely exhausted when the Spell ended because he was using so much of his physical strength and Magic in it that he drained it all drastically.

But he could still keep up. Combining the speed he got from one Perfume with the form he was in meant he could move quite fast, keeping up with the cat in the sky above. Carla said that she had seen signs of fighting up ahead, and he had to be close now.

He charged through the trees, not bothering trying to be stealthy. That would take up time, and he already was afraid for Natsu. He had been forced to fight Brain alone, even if he did have a greater fighting chance, and that worried him. Because Brain was the leader of Oración Seis for a reason. He didn't want to arrive and see Natsu's fallen body.

His intention to help in the fight was unneeded, and he desperately wished it had been. Because there was no Brain here. Carla said she had seen a fight going on, and he could see the impact it had on the area around him, but then where were the two Mages? Where was Natsu?

"Over here!"

Ichiya turned towards the cry from Happy, rushing over. He was already reaching for a test tube when he reached Natsu's fallen body, bringing it up under the Mage's nose and letting the Dragon Slayer breathe it in."

He glanced over Natsu's body. He could see a flicker of flames around him on the grass but it was so very faint. Natsu himself was bruised all over, his arm bent at an unnatural angle. It would definitely be broken and he would need to get someone to look at it later on. The usefulness of his Perfume at healing was limited, and Wendy would be a far greater choice to fix Natsu up.

Natsu's eyes snapped open, locking onto his own. Ichiya stared back, seeing the desperation in the Dragon Slayer's eyes.

"Brain…" Natsu coughed harshly, Ichiya instantly there with his Magic to try and relieve Natsu of his pain.

"Rest now. It's okay."

"No! He's… He's still out there… Brain… Zero… Nirvana…"

Natsu's eyes closed once again, Ichiya realising Natsu had fallen unconscious once more from his wounds.

"What happened to him?" Ichiya asked softly, turning to Happy in concern. For Natsu to have forced his mind to awaken at his appearance just to pass on a few words meant a lot. Natsu's voice had had a trace of fear in it. Exactly what had happened to make him so worried? And who or what was Zero?

"He... He… He hurt Natsu…" Happy could barely stop his body from shaking, his eyes darting side to side as if something terrifying might appear. "Brain… He stabbed himself. Natsu thought… He thought Brain was trying to kill himself… But he wasn't!"

Ichiya placed a comforting hand on Happy's small shoulder. He wasn't sure how successful he was at calming down the small cat but he felt the shaking subsided somewhat. "What happened then?" he asked, making sure he spoke as calmly as he could. He didn't want to make Happy jumpy right now, especially as only Happy could tell him what was going on.

"Zero… He's the Master of Oración Seis."

"Zero?" So Zero was a person it seemed. But if Zero was the Guild Master, then that left only one question. "What about Brain?"

Happy shivered. "Brain… He changed. He became Zero."

"A split personality," muttered Ichiya. "I've heard of the condition, but Brain had it?" He froze, the gears clicking into place. The markings on Brain's face. The rumour of Organic Link Magic. "He sealed his personality away. And if he changed, it is likely that it could have been linked to all of Oración Seis and that they held Zero back."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because you're terrified. For that personality to have been sealed away means that even Brain was afraid of it. And yet he set it free." Ichiya turned his head towards Nirvana, feeling a sense of unease. "Where did Zero go?"

"To Nirvana." Happy looked down at Natsu. "He… He was gloating to Natsu. He beat him so easily, and Natsu was already beaten up from Brain. He couldn't stop him."

"I see." Ichiya reached down to Natsu and picked him up. "We need to return to the others. Hopefully no one is near Nirvana."

"He's going for Ichigo," muttered Happy. "He's going to try and capture him."

"Capture Ichigo?" Ichiya glanced back at Nirvana. "What is happening up there? I heard a howl from somewhere."

"That's Ichigo."

Ichiya took in the words, taking a deep breath. "I see. We're staying away from there then."

Carla glanced at Ichiya nervously. "Shouldn't we help-"

"How can we?" Ichiya looked back down at Natsu. "Natsu's beaten up this badly, and I'm not in the best condition to fight despite how I may look. And if Zero was as powerful as I think he was, it means that Ichigo must be a massive threat right now. I can't beat him. But someone else might."

"But who?"

Ichiya smiled. "We've still got Jura out there. He's completely fresh for combat. I believe in him. He won't fail us. I'm sure he'll save Ichigo. Now let's go. We've got to find the others. I saw Christina get destroyed but I'm sure they'll still out there somewhere. We just need to get back into the barrier and to find them."

Carla frowned. "But how? You don't want us to fly with Natsu so how can we get to the barrier's gate?"

Ichiya sighed, realising the flaw in his plan. He didn't have an answer for that. Luckily, someone else did.

"I'll handle that for you."

Protector Of The Fairies

Shinji stared at the body of Cobra's before the hand that had grabbed the Dark Mage's heart was pulled out of the man's body. Cobra fell to the ground lifeless, his eyes still open in shock from the sudden attack. The man's body had fallen by his snake friend, something he felt the man would be happy with, even if he was dead.

His attention shot back to the newcomer. He took in the claws and white skin, paying a lot of attention the hole in the person's chest and the white mask on the person's face. The horns were extremely menacing, likely capable of piecing something with ease.

"Ichigo…" He took a step forward before Ichigo sudden roared, his body bending slightly to have the points of the horns aimed toward him. Quicker than he ever thought possible, a massive Cero formed between the horns before blasting towards him. Shinji barely had time to react before the Cero was crashing into where he had been standing.

He had barely reappeared a distance away when he felt every instinct he had screaming at him. His blade came up on instinct, blocking an overhead strike from Ichigo. A clawed hand lunged at him but Shinji allowed it to shot past him, his own hand coming up and being placed against Ichigo's chest.

"Hadou Number 54: Haien."

A blast of purple energy exploded from Shinji's palm, transforming into flames as it connected against Ichigo after travelling the tiny distance between the two. Ichigo howled, retreating backwards and swinging his sword wildly. It gave Shinji some breathing room to think.

How was he going to deal with this? This was nothing he had ever had to deal with before. It kind of made him happy there hadn't been any massive problems like this when Ichigo first had to get his Hollow under control. This Hollow Form was monstrous in its strength. It still held Ichigo's Bankai blade which meant that it had all of Ichigo's power flowing through him too. And add the Hollow Magic on top of that and you had a lot of problems.

He could already see the flames of his attack being disposed of, Ichigo using his own blade to rip the skin off his body. It seemed there was some sense still there however it was more instinct than anything else. That and a desperate need to devour everything.

With the Instant Regeneration at work, Ichigo's torn flesh regrew in an instant, leaving not a single mark or singe. That had been a Level 54 Hadou Spell, something that should have been much more effective. The Spell itself was meant to burn its target horribly until they were wiped from existence. Until you managed to overpower it at least. The flames should have at least done more damage than they did.

Ichigo had taken a blast from Nirvana, and that had changed him. When he had fought Cobra earlier, he had felt his Inner Hollow trying to take control. Nirvana had been causing that, he was sure of it. So it was likely that the Magic had the ability to reverse something. Light and dark? It could explain why he had felt so much anger, even with his reasoning.

So if the mere presence of Nirvana had caused him to start losing control, could a full blast have tipped the scales completely? Before Ichigo had been a Shinigami with Hollow powers. But could the scales have tipped enough that he had become a Hollow with Shinigami powers?

If that was the case, it meant Ichigo would likely have a Hierro of some sorts. There could be any range of how strong it was but he would say it likely was only average right now. The attack had still done a fair amount of damage before Ichigo had healed from it, and he had heard the screams, well howls would be a proper description, as Ichigo had suffered from them.

Still, Ichigo's form indicated that he had to be a Vasto Lorde, and he certainly had the power to back it up. The weight against his blade had been nothing to laugh about. A good hit would be drastic.

What about his speed however? That would be the major factor in this battle. If Ichigo just acted as a berserker, he was sure he could contain him. But if Ichigo had any intelligence left at the moment, he'd-

His entire mind cut off any thoughts that interfered with his concentration, blocking the sudden strike that had come from behind him. Ichigo lunged forward, his sword slicing across Shinji's side as he tried to dodge. Shinji threw himself backwards, only needed a moment to summon his Hollow Mask to his face. His power jumped as he felt the additional energy flowing through his body. And so Ichigo's attack came slower to him as the same manoeuvre happened again.

His suspicions were definitely right on the increased Hollow factor. That was Sonido Ichigo was using. It made it far easier to bypass his senses, and he was forced to rely on everything he had to deal with it. Ichigo wasn't as fast as he remembered him being though. He slid under the blade as it swung over his head, stabbing his only sword forward against Ichigo and slashing down against his arm.

There was a fair amount of resistance but his blade wouldn't be stopped, not with his Hollow Mask on after all. The blade separated the arm in one swift motion, it falling limp to the ground as Ichigo's sword clattered against the ground. A familiar Kidou generated as he flung the orange tendril of energy at Ichigo, allowing it to wrap around Ichigo's other arm.

Ichigo had a lot of strength, but he also got strength from his Hollow powers. He swung the energy, throwing Ichigo against one of the nearby buildings and causing it to collapse down on his friend as the supports shattered.

Damn. He knew he was in trouble. That wouldn't keep Ichigo down. If this kept up, he'd be forced to use his Shikai once again. He didn't like to turn it against an ally, even if Ichigo was treating him as an enemy at the moment. It felt wrong. But he doubted he'd have a choice.

However he'd only be playing for time in the end. He wouldn't be able to deal a killing blow, the risk of taking Ichigo down permanently too much to even try. Things would have been so much easier when they first met, but he'd been with the guy for three years now. He was part of the only family he had, and he couldn't lose that. Not after losing all the others.

At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about that Phantom Step move. It had been developed with faster speed than he was seeing now, and the subconscious use of Sonido meant it was being favoured. If that got used for speed, the Phantom Step would lose the ability to lose trackers as the user moved.

A glint of red energy shone out from the rubble before it was all blasted away, a massive Cero tearing through it like paper. A clawed hand shot out of the massive hole that had been created and gripped the ground by it, pulling Ichigo to his feet. There were still no wounds, but then even if there had been they would have just been healed instantly. Ichigo's arm had already been regenerated as well. An enemy who could heal themselves was truly a terrifying opponent.

Ichigo glanced at his sword in the distance before he flicked his wrist, the sword flying from its position on the ground towards his hand. Shinji moved rapidly with Shunpo, trying to intercept Ichigo before his sword reached him.

The effort was in vain. Just as Shinji reached Ichigo was the sword there, both swinging wildly at one another. The force of the blows blew some of the rubble around them back, both trying to press the advantage.

Shinji knew he was running out of luck when a kick hit his stomach, Ichigo's knee sending him back as the sword flashed through the air. A faint hesitation in the blow was all that stopped the blade from bisecting him in half, instead merely slicing across the skin of his chest.

"Collapse: Sakanade!"

His blade changed and he wasted no time in getting his ability active, forcing Ichigo into the inverted world. It gave him more time to plan when Ichigo wasn't sure of which direction was correct to attack in.

Ichigo had hesitated. Why had he hesitated? Could Ichigo already be reaching for the surface?

No. That was impossible at the moment. The Hollow was too firmly in control for Ichigo to wrestle control back at the moment. He'd know it when Ichigo was fighting back. The movements of the Hollow Form would get slower. They'd be weaker as the power being channelled slowly got drawn back in. What Ichigo had done however was that he had hesitated in his attack. Why would a Hollow hesitate? What could make sure a creature try and show mercy?

Unless it wasn't only Ichigo fighting back. His Zanpakutou could be desperately trying to help out too, and that might be enough to keep him alive.

He saw Ichigo rapidly charging up a Cero attack, and he saw that his friend had managed to guess his location. It would happen when all other directions had been tried, the marks of a Cero present along each other path. He shot to the side, the blast singeing him as it passed. With a rapidly few bursts of Shunpo, he was at Ichigo, even with the attempts of Ichigo with Sonido to get the first move. Steel met steel as their blades clashed, Shinji aiming a finger forward with his free hand as he held out against Ichigo's strength.

"Hadou Number 4: Byakurai."

The concentrated burst of lighting pierced the Hierro and continued through the other side. Ichigo took a step backwards in pain and Shinji pressed his advantage, holding a clenched fist towards Ichigo. Red light gathered as quickly as it could in his palm, begging to escape as it trying to break out of his fist. So he let it.

His own Cero may not be as powerful, but it was nothing to laugh at. It hit Ichigo dead on, the areas stopped by Ichigo's blade not halting its process. That was why he liked using it widespread. It didn't matter if you cut part of its path to blow it because it wouldn't stop the rest of it.

The attack hit and he shot forward, swinging his sword at Ichigo. Even in the smoke from the attack, Ichigo still managed to react. It was too bad Sakanade was at work. He really loved his Zanpakutou sometimes. Ichigo's swipe was close, perhaps due to sheer luck, but it still missed without him having to even need to try and avoid the strike. His blade cut the flesh and he saw Ichigo react only for his blade to hit the complete wrong side.

He didn't expect Ichigo's next move however. Ichigo aimed at the ground and charged a Cero, firing it before Shinji could even react. The attack engulfed both of them, Shinji struggling out of the explosion of energy as quickly as he could. His mask was half destroyed, and a large array of burns covered his exposed skin. He glanced at his tattered shirt and sighed. It looked like he would need to get a new one after this was all over.

He saw Ichigo as the rest of the energy vanished, not even bothering to have moved. He knew the energy would have done nothing to Ichigo, and unfortunately it had done a fair amount to him. He had felt his reserves take a massive hit as his Magic had tried to protect him, and even then it still hadn't been enough. He couldn't fall for that trap again.

Still, to do an attack like that was a perfect counter for his ability. It didn't matter if he reversed all directions if all of them were hit anyway. Ichigo had learned that once when he had gotten angry enough and used a large Getsuga Tenshou. He was surprised the Hollow in control knew about it too. Or maybe it had been just luck and instinct.

Distance was the best course of action, especially with the damage he had just taken. He'd have to get a strong enough Bakudou to hold Ichigo, and it would require a good amount of what he had left. He just couldn't afford to get hit by enough of those Ceros again. They were far too dangerous. So long as he kept moving, he'd be okay.

Before he got the chance to move however, a deadly blast of Magic smashed against his back, forcing him to the ground. He tried to respond in time to the second attack but he had focused too much of his concentration of Ichigo and nothing else. He wasn't able to stop the elbow as it collided with his head, smashing him against the ground.

He did cry out a bit in pain however as a large blast of energy smashed against him. It seemed Ichigo hadn't let the attacker get away with interfering. However that resulted in a large Cero being blasted right at both of them, and the newcomer had dodged without bothering to pull him out of the way. His grip on his sword grew weak and it lay motionless at his side, its form changing back to that of its sealed appearance. His mask vanished and he felt his eyes getting heavily, dragging him into the land of unconsciousness.

He still trying to keep them open, using all the effort he had left to spot who the newcomer had been. He recognised the coat that Brain had been wearing, but the hair was styled differently, and the eyes were red now. His last thing he managed to think was how happy the man looked as he glanced around him at all the destruction that had been caused. And then his eyes shut and he knew no more.

Zero stepped over the body of the Shinigami, a wide smile on his face. For once he didn't care about the fact that someone still had a form that he hadn't destroyed yet. He couldn't help but stare at Ichigo, a mad look in his eyes.

"Yes! Look at you! Perfection!" He laughed. "I can't believe such a being like you exists in this world. You even went so far as to attack your own friends and allies. You are truly everything Brain believed you to be and more."

Ichigo tilted his head, his eyes scanning Zero. Zero could feel the hostile Magic, trying to see how much of a threat he would be. Trying to see if he was worth of fighting and destroying.

"We're a lot alike. I would love to destroy you, but I see what Brain wanted. You and I, together, side by side. We'll destroy the entire world. You can feast for an eternity on the destruction, and the fun will never end. Our desires can reach unimaginable heights. What do you say?"

Ichigo roared, the sound echoing around them and forcing Zero to take a sudden step back. His smile widened as he realised why he had done so. Fear. He had never felt it before. It was subtle, but he loved it. It was so incredible to feel.

He brought his arm up, a shield of energy appearing around his arm and blocked the sudden strike from Ichigo. So it seemed his generous offer had been refused. That was no problem. If anything, it was even better. He'd get to fight someone who loved destruction just as much as he did, and he would get an incredible thrill from doing so. Destroying Ichigo in the end would be so much more thrilling.

An annoying thought crossed his mind, originating from what made up Brain. So his other half wanted his pet alive did he? It wouldn't be as much fun, but he supposed it would be interesting to train Ichigo. The fun they could have once the beast listened to him would be wonderful.

With his other arm, he swung it round at Ichigo, a blast of energy firing from it. It was similar to what Brain could do with Dark Capriccio, but Brain wasn't him right now. His control and power was far greater. He swung the beam like a whip, smashing Ichigo away from him and drawing blood from the flesh of the skin it crashed against.

It seemed the supposed Hierro a Hollow had wasn't enough to stop his attack. But then what else could be expected from a piercing type of Magic. It was made to break through barriers. He had used it on the pesky barrier around Nirvana and had managed to create a small hole to slip through before it repaired itself. It had annoyed him that he couldn't destroy it but he'd get another chance later on.

A bright light appeared from where Ichigo had fallen, blasting the smoke away as the Magic gathered. The Cero rapidly formed between the horns and fired, Zero not showing an intention of moving even as the attack rocketed towards him. He simply raised a hand and clenched it. It took less than a second for the complex array to form on the Cero before it detonated, shattering the Cero before it even reached half way between the two of them.

Ichigo shot straight through the remains of the Cero, using Sonido to rapidly approach his enemy. Zero predicted the incoming attacks and blasted a quick burst of Magic from his feet, using it to rapidly move away from each swing of Ichigo's sword. He swung his hands down at Ichigo, orbs of darkness being sent flying at Ichigo with a few making contact and blasting the Hollow back.

Zero landed on the ground lightly, a barrier of energy appearing behind him to hold the blade back. This speed kept surprising him in how fast it was. He would have thought Ichigo would have been held back more going by the previous attack.

The shield cracked, and Zero rolled to the side Just as the barrier was smashed through. Ichigo's sword continued down, crashing into the ground and weakening the earth they were standing on.

Zero took his chance, bringing both hands up and smashing them against the weakened earth. Cracks spread out from the point of impact before it broke apart, the increased gravity from his Dark Gravity attack causing it to fall down below. He could already see it smashing through the next few floors before continuing down till it broke the base of Nirvana itself. Ichigo still stood there though, floating on the air.

He couldn't have that. Before Ichigo could attack, he summoned up two blasts of Dark Capriccio and used them as whips to smash against Ichigo from above. Combined with the remains of the Dark Gravity Spell meant that even the technique Ichigo was using to remain in the air couldn't stop his descent.

Zero launched himself after him, energy gathering around his fists. Ichigo turned in midair and prepared to swipe back at him but he quickly acted, smashing his fists against Ichigo's chest. The energy around his fists was released, the twin waves of darkness increasing the attack's force dramatically. He kept up with the attack even as they sped to the ground, smashing Ichigo against it with his attack. At the last moment he used an adapted version of his Dark Gravity Spell to lower his own gravity, just enough so that he wouldn't get hurt from the fall he had taken. It helped that he had used Ichigo as a shield to take the brunt of the damage.

He laughed once more. He couldn't help it. This was so much fun. He had released so much of his Magic and his opponent wasn't even dead yet. He could keep attacking and attacking and he wouldn't have to worry about Brain getting annoyed at his pet being destroyed.

A hand suddenly gripped his arm and he felt a burst of pain as claws ripped into his skin. The pain didn't matter much to him. If anything it gave him an even bigger thrill. But he couldn't afford to lose his arm. He still liked having it after all.

He pulled back, ignoring the additional pain as he forced the claws to rip out of his skin painfully as he made his escape. He slashed down with his other arm, focusing a large amount of power into the beam as he sliced across Ichigo. The beam ripped the Hollow's arm clean off and sliced away a good chunk of the flesh on Ichigo's chest.

Zero felt even more glee as he saw the wounds instantly start regenerating. Form that he could destroy forever and it would still return for him to do so again? Ichigo was truly incredible. He had to have him.