City of Emptiness Chapter 9

[madimpossibledreamer]

the continuing count is good but also nerve-wracking argh #RL

Main Points:
Bleach AU
Chapter Summary: Ichigo gets some answers.
Word Count: 770
Rating: Gen? (some swearing)

           When they leave, King’s step is purposeful.  He’s not bothering to use shunpo, not yet, but it doesn’t feel like anyone’s approaching.  “What did you mean about your world?”
           Of course.  Shiro bites back a curse, the urge to try to draw on his mask, given the fact that he really can’t, the urge to attack.  It’d be largely counterproductive anyway.  “You ain’t my King anymore.  You can’t order me around.”
           “You said that was my body,” he presses on, ignorant of the danger, because of course he is.  “Before, you wouldn’t have cared about my friends, but you care now.  You said life outside my head wasn’t what you imagined.”
           Still nothing, other than a few empty civilians that smile vacantly as they pass.  Why can’t they be attacked already?
           “You finally got what you wanted, only it changed you, too.”  At the silence, he presses on.  “It’s not a weakness.  I’m only as strong as I am because I’m fighting for my friends.”
           “Didn’t do you any good, though, did it?” Shiro snarls, longing for the peace back when he didn’t know anythi—back when he didn’t know anything.
           There’s something there.  He’s sure King’s seen his change in expression, suddenly thoughtfully bewildered.
           “What’s wrong?” he presses, and Shiro tries not to fracture any further.
           “The Echo takes on the identity of the original, right?”  He’s—that’s fear.  A human emotion with a human name. 
           He doesn’t have to say anything else.  King understands him perfectly.  “I don’t think so.  The city’s not controlling you to attack me.  Yeah, I know, it wasn’t with Erinna either, but she wasn’t a threat.  If you can’t fight and there’s nobody to heal, you can’t do anything.  Besides, she said you weren’t my shadow.”
           And yet more fear, because if he’s this transparent, this weak, King has no use for him.
           “You proved me right, though.  Because you don’t want to replace me.  You’ve changed.”  He’s pulled into a hug, and his first instincts say to fight, to not accept weakness…
           He curls into King, instead.  That’s why he’s got such loyal subjects, ain’t it?  “I should be happy about this.  A few weak humans dyin’ to set me free?  Should be nothin’ at all.”
           “You’re not just a Hollow anymore.  The old man’ll be happy to have someone else to kick around.”  And he doesn’t want to show his emotions, either, but he knows exactly what that little sentence means for them both.  The jerk.
           “You sure you’re good with a twin who failed your friends the first time around?”  It’s soft.  Because someday, he’ll actually mourn properly.  Now ain’t the time.
           “We won’t do that this time.”  Naïve, maybe, except he’s somehow able to, over and over, bring those naïve feelings to reality.  “And you’re not just a Hollow anymore.”
           Maybe King was right about making things complicated.  Because that thing about not bein’ King’s shadow anymore in all probability just meant that.  He doesn’t have to try to be King now.  He can be his own person, whatever that means.  They can figure that part out together.
           “Naw, you’re right…Bro.”  He’s being a pain, he knows, but it’s definitely something he’s good at.
           “You’re going to make me regret everything, aren’t you?”  Despite his words, King has just the hint of an amused look in his eyes.
           “Eh.  It’s what I’m good at.”  He cocks his head once they get moving again, finally recognizing where they’re going.  “We’re headin’ to the healer’s?”
           “I figured if they had a ‘court’, they’d copy the most powerful.  In this case, that’d be the Captains.  I’m not sure where all the Division headquarters are, but I do know where Fourth is.”  Ichigo sighs.  “And I am not looking forward to a copycat Kenpachi.  One is enough.”
           “I can deal with him.  Wuss.”  No matter how hard he tries, he can’t get rid of the affection in his voice.  Though maybe he’s not even trying, at this point.
           “It’s probably better we both fight.  Both of us need to say in pretty good shape if we’re going to get through a whole court.”  He sounds resigned.  Like he’s not looking forward to it.  Okay, yeah, he’s probably actually not.  King was a raincloud like that, sometimes.
           Shiro grins.  Oh yeah, he’d forgotten how easy it was to rile up King.  It was the only entertainment he had, trapped all the time.  “Look at you, bein’ all strategic.  I’m proud.”
           “I can see why Rukia attacked you,” King mutters under his breath, but he’s used to being annoyed.  Shiro hasn’t gone too far.  Yet.