The Espada leave the throne room first, Nel's lingering eyes on Ichigo. He shakes his head at her, prompting her to leave. She does. Then Aizen and his fuckheads leave, giving those who are left room to breathe. It's just Ichigo and his fracción.
Rukia rushes over to the lone Ichigo. She engulfs him tightly, and he can feel her shaking. He hugs back, of course. He soothes her gently, ridding her fears as well as he can. She's so small. Sometimes he forget he grew, so he's not used to their size difference yet.
"Are you alright?" He asks softly.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. What about you?"
"Eh. I could be better."
Rukia chuckles into his robes. "Same."
A small groan catches Ichigo's attention. Mizuiro is on the floor, but at least he's sitting up still.
"Mizuiro?" Rukia asks.
"Hey," he croaks.
"Lemme see you again," Ichigo states, subconsciously bringing Rukia with him by the hand.
The ginger crouches down, meeting Mizuiro face to face. He studies the smaller teen, and notices his eyes haven't changed from their blue or teeth from their sharpness. He hums in wonder.
"Uryū," Ichigo beckons the Quincy closer. "What do you think?"
Uryū frowns in brief confusion. He comes over with a slight limp to inspect Mizuiro. The smaller teen groans in pain as he glances up. Uryū's eyebrows fly above his glasses.
"His eyes are blue."
"That's what I said. Mizuiro, show him your teeth."
"My what?"
"Come on, man. Humor me."
Mizuiro rolls his eyes, but opens his mouth, his wicked fangs baring. Uryū grows a little more stunned. He grabs his chin in thought while Mizuiro closes his mouth.
"Interesting. And this happened after Grimmjow attacked you?" The Quincy asks.
"He lunged at me, but he didn't actually hurt me," Mizuiro states.
Ichigo looks up at Uryū. "So?"
"Honestly? No clue. We should probably investigate the stomach aching first."
"Good idea."
"What's wrong?" Rukia crouches down next to Mizuiro. She feels his forehead, and he sighs in bliss. Ichigo ignores the slight pang of jealousy. "He's burning up."
"Do you think we could let Orihime look at him?" Tatsuki suggests.
"I don't know. If this is his power at work, we might not want to mess with it. I'm sorry, Orihime," Uryū says not unkindly.
"Unless..." Ichigo studies Inoue, and she flushes under his stare. "Does your power expand time? You've three different ways of using your power, and one is healing. Do you think you could use that side of your power to glimpse into his condition?"
Inoue blinks at the thought. "I'm not sure. I can ask my fairies, though."
She presses her pins, summoning out her fairies. Ichigo never really understood how her fairies worked. They have their own names, personalities, looks, yet they are born from blue hairpins. Maybe they're the different parts of Inoue's personality? That would explain why her defense fairy is puny compared to her healing fairies. Her shield is pretty good, too, now that Ichigo thinks about it, but her shield makes up of three of her fairies and she only has six.
Inoue's power sure is something special. To think he gave that power to her. Well, maybe that's not how it works. Not entirely, at least. Their powers seem to grow out of the assets that are strongest. Chad's are his strong arms, Tatsuki's is her tough skin, and Keigo's is his constant speed. What's Inoue's then? Her personality? It's definitely gentle like her healing, but her overall power isn't healing; time is. What is something that Inoue has that time hasn't touched? Not her personality. Time changes that in everyone. Then what? He replays his memories of Inoue in his head, and comes to a conclusion. Inoue's strongest asset is her imagination. It makes sense. She's so bubbly and alive.
This only brings up more questions, unfortunately. What's Mizuiro's strongest asset? And how much is Ichigo truly capable of? He just realized he's been fidgeting with his mother's cross.
"My fairies said I can look him over without doing anything," Inoue reveals, bringing Ichigo back to the present.
"Give it a shot."
They step away from Mizuiro, giving Inoue plenty of room to work her power. Instead of activating her healing pins, like they thought she would, she merely replaces Rukia's hand on Mizuiro's forehead. Inoue blinks, and her eyes are replaced by a gentle, orange glow. They gawk at the appearance of her power. Ichigo can't help thinking of Inoue. She really is something else, huh?
Rukia's hand finds his. Wow, she's colder than usual. Maybe it's because Sode no Shirayuki? That would explain why Mizuiro was so content when her hand touched his burning forehead. Ichigo holds her hand, bringing her closer to him. It's like she's made of ice, yet it brings him an odd sense of comfort.
Inoue hums in confusion, her head tilting. Tatsuki inches closer to the brunette girl, and Keigo has to be held back by Chad. Keigo is really worried for his best friend. Tatsuki - well, she just cares for Inoue.
"How's it looking, doc?" Ichigo jokes, trying to relieve some of the tension.
Inoue smiles at the nickname. "It's his power."
"Do you have an idea what it could be?" Uryū inquires.
"No, but there is something else here. Something that's not supposed to be," she states.
"Like?" Mizuiro croaks.
She removes her hand, and her eyes return to normal. "I found traces of Grimmjow in your blood stream."
"What?"
"What do you mean, traces of Grimmjow?" Tatsuki asks softly.
"I, uh, I don't really know how to explain it. I just know it's Grimmjow's DNA in Mizuiro's blood," Inoue stutters.
"What a minute," Ichigo cuts in. "Grimmjow - he's got blue eyes and sharp teeth, right?"
"Yeah?" Uryū quirks an eyebrow.
Ichigo mulls over the information. The characteristics, the physical contact, the pain. The pain. Mizuiro said his stomach hurts. He's hugging himself, trying to comfort the ache he feels.
"Mizuiro, lift up your shirt."
"What," Mizuiro stares.
"Do you want the pain to stop or not?" Ichigo prompts.
The dark brunet grumbles under his breath, but he lifts his shirt up nonetheless. There, in the middle of his stomach, is a gaping hole.
"What the fuck!" Mizuiro panics.
Ichigo is immediately right there to comfort him. "Hey, hey. It's okay."
"The hell it is!"
"You're not a Hollow or anything. You just copied Grimmjow's characteristics."
Mizuiro frowns in confusion. Uryū, however, lights up in understanding.
"Your power is to copy other's abilities," he proclaims.
"Are we sure that's what's happening?" Rukia questions.
"Let's find out. Mizuiro, follow my instructions carefully," Ichigo orders.
After a brief conversation, Mizuiro is taught how to use a bala - a cero with less power. Ichigo has never used one personally, but the voice in his ear is enough to help him explain what it is.
"Are you sure?" Is all Chad asks.
"Yeah, man, he's in pain," Keigo adds.
"We need to understand his power so we can help stop the pain."
"Let's just get this over with," Mizuiro groans.
He huffs at the aching in his stomach - or the lack thereof - and shifts to his knees. He lifts up a fist parallel to the ground, and away from his friends, just like he was told. He closes his eyes to visualize power swarming at his fist. His eyes snap open, and he gives the command.
"Bala!"
A red ball of energy materializes and shoots across the room. It hits the wall, leaving smoke where it landed. The smoke clears, and it shows a large hole in the wall. The group slowly turns back to Mizuiro.
"Whoa," is all Keigo can offer.
"Okay," Mizuiro starts, "that was badass."
"So he can copy abilities," Ichigo confirms for Uryū.
But how is that his strongest asset? Mizuiro doesn't copy people. And copying wouldn't explain the eyes, teeth, and Hollow hole. So his power is more complicated than that.
"Mizuiro, this is going to be really random," Ichigo chuckles nervously.
"Oh my god - what now?" Mizuiro says half jokingly.
"What do you think is your strongest asset?"
"What?"
"Your strongest asset. Chad has his arms, Inoue has her imagination. Keigo, his speed, and Tatsuki, her tough skin. So what's your's?"
Mizuiro furrows his eyebrows in thought. "My strongest asset?"
"It has to relate to your copying ability."
Mizuiro seems to have an idea because he gives a bitter chuckle. "Probably my spite."
"Your spite?" Rukia says in misunderstanding.
"Your mother," Keigo nods, knowing of Mizuiro's relationship with his only parent the best.
"What does she have to do with your spite?" Chad asks gently.
"She told me I'm going to be just like my father," Mizuiro growls. "That I'm going to get some girl pregnant and then leave. That I'm going to be a liar and a cheat."
The room gets uncomfortable. Ichigo knew Mizuiro's mother was horrible to the smaller teenager, but he never thought she would go that far.
"Oh."
"How does she make you spiteful?" Inoue asks sympathetically.
"Because of her bullshit, I decided I can be whatever I want to - whoever I want. I can change," Mizuiro snarls.
"So you're a shapeshifter," Ichigo states.
Everyone looks at the ginger, thankful for releasing some more of the tension. Mizuiro grins at the thought, making everyone else grin in return.
"Yeah. I'm a shapeshifter."
"You should be able to change back to normal then right?"
"I guess. I don't know how, though."
"Here, try this."
Ichigo gives him a second set of instructions. They're very specific, and the ginger can tell Mizuiro appreciates it. It's a trial and error kind of process, and it takes him a while to figure it out. The group refuses to move him until he can figure it out in fear of worsening the aching. So, they sit there, on the throne room floor, watching Mizuiro struggle and understand his power. Eventually, he gets it. He goes back to normal in a blink.
"Thank god. I've no clue how you can deal with the Hollow hole, Ichigo," Mizuiro comments, resting a hand on the phantom pains.
Ichigo subconsciously reaches for his chest. He can feel the relief in his kimono top of his uniform. His mother's cross bounces against his wrist, and his zanpakuto shifts on his back. Three constant reminders of his inhuman nature.
"Yeah," he replies softly, eyes hazed, mind lost in thought.
"Hey," Rukia says.
Her small, cold hand nudges his other, bigger hand. The ginger links pinkies with her without thought.
"Sometimes it's cold, lingering. Other times it's loud, persistent. And other times it's like being eaten alive. The emptiness is never the same for long. It's like the void, formless and forever. There is no escape from the loneliness that carves out your heart," he rambles. "The pain I felt when Aizen turned me. It was like being ripped apart and put back together over and over and over again. I thought I was going to die. And when my body got back up, it wasn't me. It wasn't me. It was the monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. MonsterrrrRRrRrrRrrr..."
He grips the side of his head. He can't breathe. How is he supposed to breathe? Oh, his head hurts. He feels dizzy. He needs to lay down or something. The voice in his head comes back, offering kind words to the empty teen. He comes out of his panic slowly, and when he does, he gives an embarrassed look to his horrified fracción.
"Sorry," he mumbles sheepishly.
"Are you okay?" Mizuiro asks.
"Never," he responds.
"Do you want to talk about it some more?" Tatsuki inquires.
"God, no. I didn't even know I was saying that until it was too late."
"That doesn't make it any better, Ichigo," Chad states somberly.
"Noted. I'm going to see Syazel. Anyone want to come with?"
"Duh," Rukia smiles.
A smile pulls at Ichigo's lips. At least she's here for him.