White Rain

Chapter Eight: transformation

This is a Bleach fanfiction story that I am teaming up with Openmonded15 (from fanfiction.net) to write. We do not own anything associated with the Bleach series and/or its characters. However this story is an original idea as some of the characters may seem a bit OC as we have also thrown in some completely OCC characters for this story. Please leave your comments and reviews telling us what you think. Thank you!

Key guide: bold - hollow voice, italic - zanpakuto voice, *mental speech*, "regular speech", 'thinking', bold italics - attacks, (author notes/translations)

Chapter Eight: transformation

As Ichigo, Kensei, and Shinji got the information from Nemu about what Mayuri had created, Ichigo could feel a shift in the storm. Something was happening.

*King get away from here!* Shiro shouted out mentally. Ichigo looked at Nemu noticed as he noticed that Nemu's partial mask grew in size as it covered her face.

'Shit!' Ichigo thought to himself as he reacted quickly as he pushed both Shinji and Kensei out of harms way as he took on the full brunt of Nemu's attack.

"Ichigo!" shouted out both Shinji and Kensei in surprise. Ichigo and Shiro could feel it. The definite shift as it seemed that Hakurai was aware of their presence and now was sending every hollowfied soul after the vizards.

"Run! He is on to us!" Ichigo called out as he had pushed Nemu off of him. He could all ready feel Shiro healing his wounds. There was no way that they could deal with all of the hollowfied souls that were heading their way.

*King we are only going to one shot at this.* stated Shiro.

*I know. I am just trying not to kill everyone.* replied Ichigo as he quickly grabbed Zangetsu channeling his reishi into his zanpakuto. "Getsuga Tensho (moon fang heaven piercer)!" snapped out Ichigo unleashing a powerful blast of reishi. Quickly calling upon his bankai and equipping his hollow mask as he grabbed both Shinji and Kenshi running out of squad tweleve before the army of hollowfied souls could reach them. Ichigo poured on the speed as he flash stepped quickly trying to find a safe place to hide from the on coming army that was sought out to destroy them. The one place that he felt Hakurai couldn't find them. Ichigo headed back to the tower where Rukia was held up along with a hollowfied Renji and Toshiro.

Ichigo burst through the tower as he slammed and locked the door breathing rapidly. Rukia came running when she heard the door as she could see Ichigo who gently put Shinji and Kenshi down before he reached up to undo his hollow mask. Slowly his eyes began to roll into the back of his head as he slowly began to collapse. Shinji and Kenshi reacted quickly as they caught Ichigo before he fell.

"What the hell is going on?" Rukia asked as both the voices of hollowfied Renji and Toshiro grew louder.

"Like we know? It seems to be getting worse out there. I think Hakurai is aware of our presence. As it fears that we are going to stop it." replied Shinji

"Hakurai?" questioned Rukia.

"An experiment created by Mayuri Kurostuchi to better the fight with Hollows. But something went wrong as it escaped. It is the reason behind this weird white rain." stated Kenshi.

"I think somehow Ichigo was had become aware of what Hakurai was stepping up its game. Suddenly without warning every hollowfied soul came to attack us. Ichigo reacted quickly trying to get us to safety." added Shinji. This caused Rukia to let out a long sigh.

"Guess that would explain why those two have been acting crazier than normal." stated Rukia as the two vizards helped to bring Ichigo some place where he could rest. It seemed that his powers had gotten much stronger. It made them grateful that Ichigo was on their side.

Meanwhile up above the Seireitei, Hakurai's form began to change taking on a more dragonic form. He looked like a serpent dragon that was covered in white scales. A jet black underbelly ran down from its neck to the base of its tail as a light teal flame covered its end. Large white wings with its skin fabric that matched its tail turning black at the ends stretched out to its side. Its eyes changed as it now was pure teal with no visible irises and/or pupils. Gold designs lined its face as it held a still glowing gold light at the base of its neck. Long black horns ripped out of its head as it had fined fish-like ears in which its inner skin was jet black. Long ghostly like teal whiskers like seen on a Chinese dragon lined its face (see Yugioh card Number 68: Glacial Dragon). Hakurai flexed its new wings as the white rain began to tapper off a bit. Hakurai could feel its powers where not complete yet as it was still growing. Hakurai couldn't sense the presence of those who were here to stop him. But he knew that they haven't been taking care of yet.

"Find them my minions! I want their heads on a platter!" roared Hakurai.

"So, you're saying that all of this is Captain Mayuri's fault?" Rukia confirmed.

"Correct. We saw him back in Squad Twelve barracks. But unfortunately he was Hollowfied. We tried to capture him and bring him back here for answers but, he managed to escape." Kensei informed.

"Nemu was giving us some information but, then she fully hollowfied and attacked us before we could figure out how the hell to stop this weird rain." Shinji added.

"It sounds like we are at a dead end here." Rukia pondered over what to do while listening to Hollowfied Renji and Toshiro scream vulgarities. "What if we find Captain Mayuri and bring him back here? We may be able to get answers out of him if we interrogate him long enough." Rukia stated. Ichigo had regained consciousness while the three where talking but the three didn't notice.

'That plan just might work' Ichigo thought to himself.

*Did you forget about all of the Hollowfied Shinigami that are trying to hunt you down?* chirped up Shiro.

Just then, the door behind them started to pound. Again, and again the door would make a loud bang, and it would bend slightly. The crazies have found them. Shinji and Kensei rushed to the door, pushing against it to keep it closed.

"This door isn't going to hold!" Kensei shouted.

"Don't just stand there, Ichigo. Do something!" Shinji commented as he noticed Ichigo was finally awake.

'I can't let them in here. Rukia won't be able to get out, or else she'll be a hollowfied monster like everyone else,' Ichigo thought to himself. The only thing that comes to his mind is to distract the crazies, and lure them away.The door bends more and more at each pound. He has to act quickly if he wants Rukia to keep safe. There is a window high up on the wall. He flash stepped to its edge and opened it up.

"Just hold out for a little while longer guys! I'm going to lure them away from here!" Ichigo stated.

*Don't do this, King. It's too dangerous!* Shiro pleads.

*I have to, Shiro. If I don't, Rukia will become one of those blood-thirsty Hollows yet again. I won't be able to live with myself then.* Ichigo replies mentally. He opens the window, and the rain is pouring down hard and sideways. It feels like pebbles pelting his skin as he steps out. On the other side of the wall, there are tons of white, Hollowfied shinigamis trying to break down the door. They haven't noticed Ichigo yet. Ichigo unleashed a Getsuga Tensho at the crowd, quickly gaining all of their attention. They stopped battering the door. "Hey, ass holes!" Ichigo screamed. "If you're looking for me, I'm right here!" A collective gasp, followed by hissing and growls arose from the group. Then they all in unison, started to chase after Ichigo. He flash stepped as fast as he could, leading the group away from the tower. He didn't recognize anyone in the group. They must've all been low ranked subordinate shinigami.

*Your plan worked. Now what, King?* Shiro asked. He hadn't thought that far. How is he going to get out of this mess? He can't just attack them all. He can't take them on all at once, and even if he manages to come out on top, he would injure or even kill a large portion on the Shinigami's in the Soul Society. Then Ichigo remembers the large pits where Ichigo and Ganju crashed landed into the Seireitei to rescue Rukia from death.

'Lets hope that this works!' Ichigo thought to himself as he lead the hollowfied army to the pits.