Skating on Thin Ice - Juu (Endings)
“The Hague, Netherlands - Toushirou Hitsugaya of the United States leads at the World Junior Figure Skating Championship after a magnificent performance in the men’s short programme. Skating to ‘Harvest Festival’, he landed his triple Axel effortlessly, and three other triples, and achieved Level Fours for his spins, to lead the field with a personal best score of 75.62. In second place is the World Junior Grand Prix Champion, England’s Kyle Elmore with a score of 73.19…”
“The Hague, Netherlands - Toushirou Hitsugaya of the United States wins the World Juniors with England’s Kyle Elmore and Japan’s Tetsunosuke Ichimura coming in second and third respectively.
Hitsugaya recorded a career-best performance to ‘Return of Spring’, landing a quadruple toe loop and eight triples, including a triple Axel-triple toe loop-double loop combination. The eighteen year old scored 161.48 points on his free skate for a combined total of 237.10 points. Skating to ‘Sherlock Holmes’, Kyle Elmore under-rotated his second triple Axel…”
“Playing at home, the Shinou Shinigami qualified for this year’s Frozen Four in style. Up against the CCHA conference champions in the quarterfinals, the Hockey East conference champions handed the Rukongai Raiders an 8-1 thrashing. Previously injured first team goalkeeper, number 15 Ichigo Kurosaki, came on in the third period and kept a clean sheet for the Shinigami as they try to win their fourth consecutive championship. Leading scorer Renji Abarai scored four of the Shinigami’s goals…”
“Tokyo, Japan - Tia Harribel of the United States wins her first World Figure Skating Championship following an impressive overall performance over two days of competition. Italy’s Lucrezia Noin and Rukia Kuchiki of the United States came in second and third, with home favourite, Miho Azuki narrowly missing out on the podium.
Harribel recorded seven triples skating to Bizet’s Carmen and achieved Level Fours for all her other elements on route to a personal best of 130.31 for her free skate to win by a four point margin with a combined score of 200.53 after placing second in her short programme. Despite placing first for the short programme, Noin landed awkwardly on her second triple Lutz, but still landed six other triples to obtain a score of 127.11, skating to Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu.
Competing in her first Worlds, United States’ Kuchiki landed seven triples, including a triple Salchow-triple toe loop-double toe loop combination, to earn a personal best score of 125.13 points. With a combined score of 192.06, also a personal best, she narrowly pipped Japan’s Azuki by 0.24 points. Azuki, who placed third after the short programme…”
~~~
“Kurosaki, turn on the news on your TV now.”
“Toushirou? Wait! What? ...”
Rushing down the stairs, Ichigo headed for the television in his living room, not even noticing that the skater had already put down the phone on his end. Picking up the remote and pressing the red button, he focused as the speakers crackled to life, before immediately switching the channel to the news.
“…today, following a tip off. Three laptops and other documents are currently being held for further investigations regarding the alleged charges. Members of the Las Noches Board of Directors and All Stars Skating Club management committee have reacted in shock after hearing of the allegations…”
As Ichigo spotted the capitalised headline on the screen - “Businessman and famous figure skating coach Sousuke Aizen detained on charges of rape”, the orange haired teenager grinned. It seemed the arm of the law had finally caught up with the bastard.
Following Nelliel’s recovery, he had been asked to return to the police station for further investigations into their assailant’s identity. Nnoitra Gilga, a member of the Las Noches Arrancar, had been fingered as the main suspect amidst ongoing investigations. Though not reported, it seemed that there was a trail from that case that eventually led back to Aizen, as he, Toushirou and Urahara had suspected.
About two and a half months after the assault, Ichigo’s arm had been certified to be good to go by Dr Yamada. The fracture looked fully healed during an X-ray. However, the surgeon had initially urged the goalkeeper to have an extended period of rest and not to participate any further training or subsequent matches as a cautionary measure.
Despite that, he had finally given in under persuasion and given the hockey player the ‘all-clear’ he needed if he used an arm guard for the rest of the season, and returned for regular check-ups to ensure there was no further injury.
Ichigo had agreed to the conditions at once and returned to intensive training; he did pay special attention to his left arm though, altering his goalkeeping style slightly to protect the once fractured forearm from bearing direct hits. His teammates celebrated his official return with a night of drinks; with matches on consecutive days, it had been taxing with only one goalkeeper.
They had managed to keep their conference best record narrowly though. The Boston Eagles only drew and lost two more matches each at the end of the regular season compared to them. It had been a tough fight during the Conference Championships too - they had narrowly edged the Eagles 5-4 with Ichigo watching from the sidelines.
Coach Ise had decided to give him some time on the ice during the regional finals and he had performed well. With that and an ‘all-clear’ from Dr Yamada during the post-match check-up, he had been given approval to fly off with the rest of the team to Minnesota, host of the year’s Frozen Four, in five days. Their opponents - the Bount Crusaders, winners of their conference; the other semi final featured the Arrancar against the Eagles.
~~~
Benched for the first period, while a mixture of the first and alternate teams played, Ichigo had spotted Rukia and Rangiku in the crowd in the Xcel Energy Centre. They were leading 2-0 and were slightly familiar with the Crusaders’ tactics, having already played them previously.
As the whistle blew to indicate the end of the first period, the orange haired goalkeeper patted Renji and Chad on the back after they came back in to rest. Moments later, Coach Ise began informing the team of their strategy for the next period.
“Kurosaki, Hisagi, Kira, Madarame, you’re up next, with Abarai and Sado. I expect more goals this period. Signal out if you’re tired. I don’t want you to be exhausted for our final match. For this period, our strategy will be…”
Ichigo grinned at Renji and was met with a similar grin from the redhead. It was finally time for him to play during the Frozen Four and he was aiming for a shut-out. Turning his attention back to their coach, he listened intently to the rest of her instructions before huddling with the rest of his team to discuss the signals and strategies.
It was not long before the whistle blew yet again and they headed out onto the ice, donning their helmets and picking up their sticks. Grabbing possession of the puck immediately once the whistle sounded, Renji charged forward, supported by Ikkaku.
As the forwards headed towards the goal, they were blocked by the Crusaders’ defence. A back pass to an unmarked Shuuhei left the defence surprised and they achieved their forecheck easily before an errant pass was intercepted.
Having moved up into the midfield region, Kira intercepted a long pass by the Crusaders, passing it quickly back to Shuuhei, placing more stress on the Crusaders. After some passing and several unsuccessful checks by the defenders, Ikkaku spotted an opening and lifting his stick, he skated forward slightly before hitting the puck towards the goalposts.
The whistle sounded, indicating their third goal. Play continued soon after and Ichigo was not troubled for some time. While the Crusaders had possession, Ikkaku and Shuuhei had managed to trap them in the centre, backed by Kira and Chad.
A lucky interception by Shuuhei then led to a counterattack from the Shinigami. Deftly manipulating his stick, Ikkaku broke through the defence before his shot on goal was intercepted by a defender. By then, Renji and Shuuhei had marked the surrounding players, bringing the game back into the Crusaders’ part of the rink.
Several passes later, one of the Crusaders made a long pass down the ice. Despite attempts by Kira and Chad, the Crusaders sensed their opportunity and finally seeing an opening, their captain, Kariya, slotted the puck neatly between Chad and Kira, aimed at the goal.
Ichigo had spotted the fast moving puck and in a swift motion, pounced on it, centimetres away from goal posts. Grinning at the successful save, the goalkeeper put it into play immediately, spotting the hand signal from Shuuhei. A swift pass to Chad, then one straight down the ice to the waiting black haired forward, gave the Crusaders little time to respond.
With a clear shot on goal, Shuuhei slotted the puck neatly into the right corner of the net. The whistle followed moments later. Two minutes later, Coach Ise swapped Renji out for Ashido, seeming to sense a slowdown in his play. Yet another minute later, she swapped Chad for Iemura.
With two fresh players in the mix, the Shinigami scored once more in the second period, leaving them with a comfortable 5-0 lead going into the third and final period.
“I’ve discussed with Coach Kyouraku and we’ve agreed to let every player out on the ice given our lead. It is the Frozen Four after all, so I expect all of you to do your best.” Adjusting her glasses slightly, Coach Ise continued, “Kurosaki, Hisagi, Kira, you’ll stay. Enjouji, Kudou, Seko, you’re up next. Hisagi, you’ll stay low this period…”
Despite the popular decision, Ichigo soon realised midway during the final period that their coach had carefully considered her substitutions. There was at least one senior player in both the defence and offence on the ice at any one time.
Even though the freshmen seemed slightly overwhelmed at their first game of the Frozen Four, they settled in rather quickly. Ichigo made another five saves over the next fifteen minutes before being substituted.
On the sidelines, he watched, impressed, as one of the freshman, Rikichi, who idolised Renji, scored in the dying minutes, skating neatly around the goal before tapping it into the far corner of the net. Eventually, the Shinigami romped to an emphatic 7-0 victory over the Crusaders.
Later in the day, the Arrancar defeated the Boston Eagles 4-2, setting up an explosive encounter for the finals, given their intense rivalry with the Shinigami.
~~~
“Ren, you know, Byakuya better not hear of this, or you’ll be in trouble.”
“Relax Ichi, he’s away in Japan again. Besides, we’re not doing anything improper,” the redhead replied, smirk on his face. “I did invite Hisagi-sempai too.”
“If Byakuya hears that you had a threesome in the Jacuzzi…”
“Ichigo, you asshole!”
“Nah, I’ll never tell.” Ichigo smirked, shifting slightly. “This is just the right remedy after practice.”
“You’re getting pampered, Ichi,” Renji replied with a laugh, before calling out, “Sempai, over here.”
Wearing a pair of plain black trunks, Shuuhei slid into the warm water, nodding to the two sophomores. “For tomorrow’s game, are there any strategies the both of you have in mind?”
After light practice followed by strategy discussion in the morning, they had been given the rest of the day off, with strict instructions to get enough rest. Even though it was their day of rest, the trio were anticipating a close match the next day and had taken some time out to plan.
About an hour later, they had come up with a reasonable game plan and headed back to their rooms. Over dinner later, they had briefly discussed it with the rest of the first team before turning the conversation to more casual topics, with Rukia and Rangiku at the table.
That night, all of them slept early; they had a game to win.
~~~
He was on the ice from the very first moment. Coach Ise had decided to play their first team against their formidable opponents and five minutes into the first period, Ichigo knew the audience was impressed by the match already, judging from the fervent cheers and applause.
Playing without their number five, Nnoitra Gilga, the Arrancar had sent out their first team as well. Goalkeeper, number ten Llargo, defensemen, number one Starrk and number eight Granz, forwards, number four Cifer, number six Jaegerjaquez and Gilga’s replacement, number twenty Plateado.
Between the two first teams of the two top ranked teams, it was a tough matchup. While the Shinigami were known for their tight passes, the Arrancar were known for their speed. Within the first five minutes, the orange haired goalkeeper had faced three shots on goal, even in the absence of Nnoitra Gilga.
Likewise, their team had upped the ante; their tight passing had given them two chances at direct shots on goal, only to be stopped by the Arrancar’s huge goalkeeper. Despite their efforts, the first period ended in a stalemate, with neither side scoring.
Coach Ise’s sharp tone was in play during the first recess. “Kurosaki, I’m keeping you for the next period. Signal if you need a break. Kotsubaki, Kanou, Kenzaki, you’re on. Enjouji, Enkougawa, Iemura, you’re on standby. Abarai, shut your mouth. I want your group fresh for the last period. We will be trying…”
When Coach Ise was done, surprisingly, Coach Kyouraku had instructions for them as well. “Offence, beware of Starrk. Granz and the substitutes are easier to overcome. Defence, keep your eyes open. Jaegerjaquez is easier to check but more brutal. Good luck.”
Gulping down some water before the whistle went off, Ichigo looked at the stands, trying to spot Rangiku’s distinct strawberry blonde hair. ‘Nope, nope. Hmm… Okay, that is her, with Rukia next to her. Toushirou…?’ Spotting the skater’s distinctive white hair next to Rukia’s black, the goalkeeper stared for a moment to confirm that it was indeed the skater.
‘He came!’ Grinning as he replaced his helmet, Ichigo strode confidently onto the ice before skating to the goalposts as the whistle went off. There was no way he would be letting a goal in, not with Toushirou around.
The next whistle went off and while Sentarou had possession at first, it was quickly intercepted by the Arrancar number four, before Ashido made yet another interception, sending the puck back towards the Arrancar’s goal. Moments later, in their first forecheck of the period, Ryuusei had his first attempt on the goal blocked by the Arrancar goalkeeper.
‘Thump!’ Playing in their familiar tic-tac-toe manner, the three forwards edged their way towards the opponent’s goal. Kira and Chad handled each counterattack, before they were in turn substituted for Enkougawa and Iemura. The stalemate continued until someway midway through the period.
This time, it was the Arrancar who had a successful forecheck on the Shinigami. White uniforms a stark contrast to the Shinigami’s black ones, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow and Yylfordt were in the Shinigami’s defensive third of the rink, eagerly looking for an opportunity to score.
The moment the Arrancar number four saw an opening in the defender checking him, he swiftly turned and shot. Ichigo, having spotted the opening as well, reacted in time, deflecting the puck with his stick, only to have it intercepted by the blue haired forward.
“Jaegerjaquez,” he growled, as the Arrancar forward smirked at him, making a quick turn around the goal before aiming and shooting. Ichigo sat down on the ice immediately, trying to block off the goal, only to see a moment later that it had been a feint - he had passed the puck to his teammate.
Seeing the green eyed forward taking a shot from a different angle, Ichigo moved. It was a moment too late; the puck slid past his gloves into the net. Moments later, the whistle blew.
“Faggot!” Grimmjow called out, just loud enough for the goalkeeper to hear as he skated past him, smirking.
‘Fuck!’ The thought echoed in his mind as he skated towards the bench, noticing Coach Ise’s call for a substitution before the puck was put into place again. Tugging off his helmet, scowl on his face, Ichigo took a gulp of water before bringing his fist down on the bench. “Jaegerjaquez, that fucker!”
“Ichi, calm down. It’s only one goal.” Renji sat down next to him, patting him on his shoulder.
“That blue haired bigot. I swear, if I get my hands on him…” Turning his attention back to the game, he watched as the teams battled it out on the ice. A minute later, Coach Ise swapped Sentarou for Enjouji, their former Captain and things seemed to slightly turn in their favour.
Between the three forwards, they managed to forecheck the Arrancar, fielding now mainly what seemed to be their alternate team, several times. A careless mistake by the Arrancar number 19 defender left an opening that their former captain exploited. Lifting his stick slightly, he hit the puck directly past the goalkeeper into the back of the net.
On the bench, cheers broke out when the whistle blew. They had managed to draw with the Arrancar. The score remained at 1-1 at the end of the second period.
“Abarai, Hisagi, Madarame, Kira, Sado, you’re back in. Kotsubaki, Kurosaki, Momohara, you’re on standby. This is the final period. We will be focusing on our counterattacks…” Coach Ise’s instructions were clear - against the rapid play of the Arrancar, they needed to stun their opponents with a counterattack to have a better chance of scoring.
From the bench, the orange haired goalkeeper watched as the game resumed its fast-paced play. Even with the increasing infringements that resulted in more face-offs on the ice, the Arrancar, with most of their first team back on the ice, were still matching the Shinigami, strength for strength.
Several minutes later, while the Arrancar were attacking the Shinigami’s goal, Ichigo jumped to his feet to protest after Jaegerjaquez and Liones seemed to collide purposefully against his substitute, their number seven goalkeeper, Iba. The referee did not think the offence was serious enough for a penalty however, and a face-off ensued, with Shuuhei grabbing possession and speeding off on a swift counterattack.
“Kurosaki, you’re up.”
“Huh?” Ichigo replied, surprised that their Coach wanted a substitution.
“I have confidence in you.” Coach Ise replied, having noticed Iba’s signal to swap out.
Moments later, Ichigo found himself in front of the goalposts again. ‘I’m going to win this.’ With that thought in his mind, he focused on the game, paying close attention to the movement of the puck as it darted across the ice.
The next shot Ichigo intercepted, off the green eyed Arrancar forward’s attempt at scoring, he shot it straight down the ice to Shuuhei. The black haired forward then passed it to Ikkaku, who then passed it down the ice to Renji, who came close to scoring, only for the Arrancar goalkeeper to shot his shot centimetres away from the goal.
As Renji skated back to defend against the incoming attack, Ichigo caught his eye and signalled, ‘Stay high. Long pass.’ The redhead nodded slightly before skating off to mark the opposing number six. Despite the Shinigami’s attempts at defence, the Arrancar still eventually managed to pressure their defence into an opening that their number thirteen took.
Having noticed the opening, Ichigo intercepted the puck easily with his stick. With Kira and Chad blocking their opponents, he sent the puck speeding over the ice, past two lines to Shuuhei. Making a one-timer, the black haired forward shot the puck at the unguarded Renji, who sped into the Arrancar’s third.
Making a feint and bypassing a defender, Renji had a clear shot on goal. With Ikkaku blocking the other defender, the redhead shifted slightly, making yet another feint and sending the Arrancar’s goalkeeper in the wrong direction, before sending the puck flying into the goal.
Cheers broke out around the arena before the Arrancar coach, Gin Ichimaru, called for a timeout with five minutes on the clock. As the Shinigami huddled around their coaches, they listened as Coach Ise gave only a single instruction: to defend. It was common sense to them - they had a lead, defend it and the game was theirs to lose.
When the whistle blew, indicating the end of the timeout, Ichigo was prepared for an assault on his goal. It came as he expected, one wave followed by another as the Arrancar seemingly raised their game.
His defence was doing their best as well, managing to match the Arrancar forwards, with even Renji and Ikkaku pulling back to defend. With their forwards aiding in defence, they managed to pull off the neutral zone trap with some effort, despite the slightly faster Arrancar players, managing to keep the puck in the middle third more often than it made its way to their third of the rink.
By the time the clock indicated there were only two minutes left, the movements of both teams on the ice had slowed down slightly. Watching carefully, Ichigo noted as Jaegerjaquez sidestepped Kira, breaking through the trap and into their third yet again. Passing to Plateado, the blue haired forward skated past Shuuhei before taking control of the puck again.
Somewhere in his mind, Ichigo heard the forward call out teasingly, “Fag.” In spite of it, he made no response but instead focused on the puck. ‘He’s feinting again. Here it comes.’
With a loud ‘crack’, his stick hit the incoming puck firmly, sending it slightly into the air, missing the other sticks that were blocking it, before landing before the blonde defender. Nodding, Kira took control of it, before passing it down to Ikkaku, who sped past a defender and into the Arrancar’s third.
Seconds later, Renji joined him. Ikkaku shot once he had a clear view of the goal, only to have the goalkeeper block it. The redhead however managed to get the rebound, slotting it neatly into the net between the feet of the Arrancar goalkeeper with seconds remaining on the clock. Moments later, the whistle blew, declaring the goal valid.
The pair of forwards hit high-fives before pulling back to the centre, where Shuuhei prepared for what probably was the final face-off of the game. Even as the Arrancar gained possession of the puck, the Shinigami pulled back, reforming their neutral zone trap and hoping to retain their two goal lead with less than a minute remaining.
That was not to be though. Cifer, the Arrancar number four broke through easily in a burst of speed, passing it to his blue haired teammate, before receiving it again, avoiding his marker easily. With a clear shot on the goal, he lifted his stick and slammed it against the puck.
Having already noticed the incoming attack, Ichigo was ready. Once he heard the ‘thump’ of stick hitting puck, he bent down. Faced with the puck speeding towards him, he sat down on the ice, padded gloves slamming down before him in an effort to catch it. Seconds later, the shrill whistle sounded twice, indicating the end of the game.
Not actually sure if he had saved the shot, the orange haired goalkeeper lifted his hands slowly, but did not spot the puck below his gloves. He then turned his head to look into the net but did not see it. ‘Nope… Where the hell is it?’
It was only when he looked down that he spotted it wedged between his knees and the ice, centimetres away from the goal. By then, his team was cheering and he accepted Renji’s outstretched arm and stood on the ice before hugging his teammate tightly.
“We did it, Ren! We did it!” Grinning madly, Ichigo found himself enveloped in a group hug as his teammates surrounded them. Ecstatic, they made their way back to their bench, shaking hands with their opponents and the referees along the way, before finally breaking out into an impromptu cheer. “We are the champions, we are the champions…”
Turning his head for a look at where his friends had been sitting, Ichigo raised his hand to flash a victory sign after spotting them, Rangiku waving happily at the crowd on the ice.
Ichigo knew he had finals in a month, and his relationship with Toushirou to work out. At that moment though, the skater he hoped would become his boyfriend had watched him win the most important championship of his life yet, and in general, things were looking good for the both of them; he was satisfied.
“The Hague, Netherlands - Toushirou Hitsugaya of the United States wins the World Juniors with England’s Kyle Elmore and Japan’s Tetsunosuke Ichimura coming in second and third respectively.
Hitsugaya recorded a career-best performance to ‘Return of Spring’, landing a quadruple toe loop and eight triples, including a triple Axel-triple toe loop-double loop combination. The eighteen year old scored 161.48 points on his free skate for a combined total of 237.10 points. Skating to ‘Sherlock Holmes’, Kyle Elmore under-rotated his second triple Axel…”
“Playing at home, the Shinou Shinigami qualified for this year’s Frozen Four in style. Up against the CCHA conference champions in the quarterfinals, the Hockey East conference champions handed the Rukongai Raiders an 8-1 thrashing. Previously injured first team goalkeeper, number 15 Ichigo Kurosaki, came on in the third period and kept a clean sheet for the Shinigami as they try to win their fourth consecutive championship. Leading scorer Renji Abarai scored four of the Shinigami’s goals…”
“Tokyo, Japan - Tia Harribel of the United States wins her first World Figure Skating Championship following an impressive overall performance over two days of competition. Italy’s Lucrezia Noin and Rukia Kuchiki of the United States came in second and third, with home favourite, Miho Azuki narrowly missing out on the podium.
Harribel recorded seven triples skating to Bizet’s Carmen and achieved Level Fours for all her other elements on route to a personal best of 130.31 for her free skate to win by a four point margin with a combined score of 200.53 after placing second in her short programme. Despite placing first for the short programme, Noin landed awkwardly on her second triple Lutz, but still landed six other triples to obtain a score of 127.11, skating to Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu.
Competing in her first Worlds, United States’ Kuchiki landed seven triples, including a triple Salchow-triple toe loop-double toe loop combination, to earn a personal best score of 125.13 points. With a combined score of 192.06, also a personal best, she narrowly pipped Japan’s Azuki by 0.24 points. Azuki, who placed third after the short programme…”
~~~
“Kurosaki, turn on the news on your TV now.”
“Toushirou? Wait! What? ...”
Rushing down the stairs, Ichigo headed for the television in his living room, not even noticing that the skater had already put down the phone on his end. Picking up the remote and pressing the red button, he focused as the speakers crackled to life, before immediately switching the channel to the news.
“…today, following a tip off. Three laptops and other documents are currently being held for further investigations regarding the alleged charges. Members of the Las Noches Board of Directors and All Stars Skating Club management committee have reacted in shock after hearing of the allegations…”
As Ichigo spotted the capitalised headline on the screen - “Businessman and famous figure skating coach Sousuke Aizen detained on charges of rape”, the orange haired teenager grinned. It seemed the arm of the law had finally caught up with the bastard.
Following Nelliel’s recovery, he had been asked to return to the police station for further investigations into their assailant’s identity. Nnoitra Gilga, a member of the Las Noches Arrancar, had been fingered as the main suspect amidst ongoing investigations. Though not reported, it seemed that there was a trail from that case that eventually led back to Aizen, as he, Toushirou and Urahara had suspected.
About two and a half months after the assault, Ichigo’s arm had been certified to be good to go by Dr Yamada. The fracture looked fully healed during an X-ray. However, the surgeon had initially urged the goalkeeper to have an extended period of rest and not to participate any further training or subsequent matches as a cautionary measure.
Despite that, he had finally given in under persuasion and given the hockey player the ‘all-clear’ he needed if he used an arm guard for the rest of the season, and returned for regular check-ups to ensure there was no further injury.
Ichigo had agreed to the conditions at once and returned to intensive training; he did pay special attention to his left arm though, altering his goalkeeping style slightly to protect the once fractured forearm from bearing direct hits. His teammates celebrated his official return with a night of drinks; with matches on consecutive days, it had been taxing with only one goalkeeper.
They had managed to keep their conference best record narrowly though. The Boston Eagles only drew and lost two more matches each at the end of the regular season compared to them. It had been a tough fight during the Conference Championships too - they had narrowly edged the Eagles 5-4 with Ichigo watching from the sidelines.
Coach Ise had decided to give him some time on the ice during the regional finals and he had performed well. With that and an ‘all-clear’ from Dr Yamada during the post-match check-up, he had been given approval to fly off with the rest of the team to Minnesota, host of the year’s Frozen Four, in five days. Their opponents - the Bount Crusaders, winners of their conference; the other semi final featured the Arrancar against the Eagles.
~~~
Benched for the first period, while a mixture of the first and alternate teams played, Ichigo had spotted Rukia and Rangiku in the crowd in the Xcel Energy Centre. They were leading 2-0 and were slightly familiar with the Crusaders’ tactics, having already played them previously.
As the whistle blew to indicate the end of the first period, the orange haired goalkeeper patted Renji and Chad on the back after they came back in to rest. Moments later, Coach Ise began informing the team of their strategy for the next period.
“Kurosaki, Hisagi, Kira, Madarame, you’re up next, with Abarai and Sado. I expect more goals this period. Signal out if you’re tired. I don’t want you to be exhausted for our final match. For this period, our strategy will be…”
Ichigo grinned at Renji and was met with a similar grin from the redhead. It was finally time for him to play during the Frozen Four and he was aiming for a shut-out. Turning his attention back to their coach, he listened intently to the rest of her instructions before huddling with the rest of his team to discuss the signals and strategies.
It was not long before the whistle blew yet again and they headed out onto the ice, donning their helmets and picking up their sticks. Grabbing possession of the puck immediately once the whistle sounded, Renji charged forward, supported by Ikkaku.
As the forwards headed towards the goal, they were blocked by the Crusaders’ defence. A back pass to an unmarked Shuuhei left the defence surprised and they achieved their forecheck easily before an errant pass was intercepted.
Having moved up into the midfield region, Kira intercepted a long pass by the Crusaders, passing it quickly back to Shuuhei, placing more stress on the Crusaders. After some passing and several unsuccessful checks by the defenders, Ikkaku spotted an opening and lifting his stick, he skated forward slightly before hitting the puck towards the goalposts.
The whistle sounded, indicating their third goal. Play continued soon after and Ichigo was not troubled for some time. While the Crusaders had possession, Ikkaku and Shuuhei had managed to trap them in the centre, backed by Kira and Chad.
A lucky interception by Shuuhei then led to a counterattack from the Shinigami. Deftly manipulating his stick, Ikkaku broke through the defence before his shot on goal was intercepted by a defender. By then, Renji and Shuuhei had marked the surrounding players, bringing the game back into the Crusaders’ part of the rink.
Several passes later, one of the Crusaders made a long pass down the ice. Despite attempts by Kira and Chad, the Crusaders sensed their opportunity and finally seeing an opening, their captain, Kariya, slotted the puck neatly between Chad and Kira, aimed at the goal.
Ichigo had spotted the fast moving puck and in a swift motion, pounced on it, centimetres away from goal posts. Grinning at the successful save, the goalkeeper put it into play immediately, spotting the hand signal from Shuuhei. A swift pass to Chad, then one straight down the ice to the waiting black haired forward, gave the Crusaders little time to respond.
With a clear shot on goal, Shuuhei slotted the puck neatly into the right corner of the net. The whistle followed moments later. Two minutes later, Coach Ise swapped Renji out for Ashido, seeming to sense a slowdown in his play. Yet another minute later, she swapped Chad for Iemura.
With two fresh players in the mix, the Shinigami scored once more in the second period, leaving them with a comfortable 5-0 lead going into the third and final period.
“I’ve discussed with Coach Kyouraku and we’ve agreed to let every player out on the ice given our lead. It is the Frozen Four after all, so I expect all of you to do your best.” Adjusting her glasses slightly, Coach Ise continued, “Kurosaki, Hisagi, Kira, you’ll stay. Enjouji, Kudou, Seko, you’re up next. Hisagi, you’ll stay low this period…”
Despite the popular decision, Ichigo soon realised midway during the final period that their coach had carefully considered her substitutions. There was at least one senior player in both the defence and offence on the ice at any one time.
Even though the freshmen seemed slightly overwhelmed at their first game of the Frozen Four, they settled in rather quickly. Ichigo made another five saves over the next fifteen minutes before being substituted.
On the sidelines, he watched, impressed, as one of the freshman, Rikichi, who idolised Renji, scored in the dying minutes, skating neatly around the goal before tapping it into the far corner of the net. Eventually, the Shinigami romped to an emphatic 7-0 victory over the Crusaders.
Later in the day, the Arrancar defeated the Boston Eagles 4-2, setting up an explosive encounter for the finals, given their intense rivalry with the Shinigami.
~~~
“Ren, you know, Byakuya better not hear of this, or you’ll be in trouble.”
“Relax Ichi, he’s away in Japan again. Besides, we’re not doing anything improper,” the redhead replied, smirk on his face. “I did invite Hisagi-sempai too.”
“If Byakuya hears that you had a threesome in the Jacuzzi…”
“Ichigo, you asshole!”
“Nah, I’ll never tell.” Ichigo smirked, shifting slightly. “This is just the right remedy after practice.”
“You’re getting pampered, Ichi,” Renji replied with a laugh, before calling out, “Sempai, over here.”
Wearing a pair of plain black trunks, Shuuhei slid into the warm water, nodding to the two sophomores. “For tomorrow’s game, are there any strategies the both of you have in mind?”
After light practice followed by strategy discussion in the morning, they had been given the rest of the day off, with strict instructions to get enough rest. Even though it was their day of rest, the trio were anticipating a close match the next day and had taken some time out to plan.
About an hour later, they had come up with a reasonable game plan and headed back to their rooms. Over dinner later, they had briefly discussed it with the rest of the first team before turning the conversation to more casual topics, with Rukia and Rangiku at the table.
That night, all of them slept early; they had a game to win.
~~~
He was on the ice from the very first moment. Coach Ise had decided to play their first team against their formidable opponents and five minutes into the first period, Ichigo knew the audience was impressed by the match already, judging from the fervent cheers and applause.
Playing without their number five, Nnoitra Gilga, the Arrancar had sent out their first team as well. Goalkeeper, number ten Llargo, defensemen, number one Starrk and number eight Granz, forwards, number four Cifer, number six Jaegerjaquez and Gilga’s replacement, number twenty Plateado.
Between the two first teams of the two top ranked teams, it was a tough matchup. While the Shinigami were known for their tight passes, the Arrancar were known for their speed. Within the first five minutes, the orange haired goalkeeper had faced three shots on goal, even in the absence of Nnoitra Gilga.
Likewise, their team had upped the ante; their tight passing had given them two chances at direct shots on goal, only to be stopped by the Arrancar’s huge goalkeeper. Despite their efforts, the first period ended in a stalemate, with neither side scoring.
Coach Ise’s sharp tone was in play during the first recess. “Kurosaki, I’m keeping you for the next period. Signal if you need a break. Kotsubaki, Kanou, Kenzaki, you’re on. Enjouji, Enkougawa, Iemura, you’re on standby. Abarai, shut your mouth. I want your group fresh for the last period. We will be trying…”
When Coach Ise was done, surprisingly, Coach Kyouraku had instructions for them as well. “Offence, beware of Starrk. Granz and the substitutes are easier to overcome. Defence, keep your eyes open. Jaegerjaquez is easier to check but more brutal. Good luck.”
Gulping down some water before the whistle went off, Ichigo looked at the stands, trying to spot Rangiku’s distinct strawberry blonde hair. ‘Nope, nope. Hmm… Okay, that is her, with Rukia next to her. Toushirou…?’ Spotting the skater’s distinctive white hair next to Rukia’s black, the goalkeeper stared for a moment to confirm that it was indeed the skater.
‘He came!’ Grinning as he replaced his helmet, Ichigo strode confidently onto the ice before skating to the goalposts as the whistle went off. There was no way he would be letting a goal in, not with Toushirou around.
The next whistle went off and while Sentarou had possession at first, it was quickly intercepted by the Arrancar number four, before Ashido made yet another interception, sending the puck back towards the Arrancar’s goal. Moments later, in their first forecheck of the period, Ryuusei had his first attempt on the goal blocked by the Arrancar goalkeeper.
‘Thump!’ Playing in their familiar tic-tac-toe manner, the three forwards edged their way towards the opponent’s goal. Kira and Chad handled each counterattack, before they were in turn substituted for Enkougawa and Iemura. The stalemate continued until someway midway through the period.
This time, it was the Arrancar who had a successful forecheck on the Shinigami. White uniforms a stark contrast to the Shinigami’s black ones, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow and Yylfordt were in the Shinigami’s defensive third of the rink, eagerly looking for an opportunity to score.
The moment the Arrancar number four saw an opening in the defender checking him, he swiftly turned and shot. Ichigo, having spotted the opening as well, reacted in time, deflecting the puck with his stick, only to have it intercepted by the blue haired forward.
“Jaegerjaquez,” he growled, as the Arrancar forward smirked at him, making a quick turn around the goal before aiming and shooting. Ichigo sat down on the ice immediately, trying to block off the goal, only to see a moment later that it had been a feint - he had passed the puck to his teammate.
Seeing the green eyed forward taking a shot from a different angle, Ichigo moved. It was a moment too late; the puck slid past his gloves into the net. Moments later, the whistle blew.
“Faggot!” Grimmjow called out, just loud enough for the goalkeeper to hear as he skated past him, smirking.
‘Fuck!’ The thought echoed in his mind as he skated towards the bench, noticing Coach Ise’s call for a substitution before the puck was put into place again. Tugging off his helmet, scowl on his face, Ichigo took a gulp of water before bringing his fist down on the bench. “Jaegerjaquez, that fucker!”
“Ichi, calm down. It’s only one goal.” Renji sat down next to him, patting him on his shoulder.
“That blue haired bigot. I swear, if I get my hands on him…” Turning his attention back to the game, he watched as the teams battled it out on the ice. A minute later, Coach Ise swapped Sentarou for Enjouji, their former Captain and things seemed to slightly turn in their favour.
Between the three forwards, they managed to forecheck the Arrancar, fielding now mainly what seemed to be their alternate team, several times. A careless mistake by the Arrancar number 19 defender left an opening that their former captain exploited. Lifting his stick slightly, he hit the puck directly past the goalkeeper into the back of the net.
On the bench, cheers broke out when the whistle blew. They had managed to draw with the Arrancar. The score remained at 1-1 at the end of the second period.
“Abarai, Hisagi, Madarame, Kira, Sado, you’re back in. Kotsubaki, Kurosaki, Momohara, you’re on standby. This is the final period. We will be focusing on our counterattacks…” Coach Ise’s instructions were clear - against the rapid play of the Arrancar, they needed to stun their opponents with a counterattack to have a better chance of scoring.
From the bench, the orange haired goalkeeper watched as the game resumed its fast-paced play. Even with the increasing infringements that resulted in more face-offs on the ice, the Arrancar, with most of their first team back on the ice, were still matching the Shinigami, strength for strength.
Several minutes later, while the Arrancar were attacking the Shinigami’s goal, Ichigo jumped to his feet to protest after Jaegerjaquez and Liones seemed to collide purposefully against his substitute, their number seven goalkeeper, Iba. The referee did not think the offence was serious enough for a penalty however, and a face-off ensued, with Shuuhei grabbing possession and speeding off on a swift counterattack.
“Kurosaki, you’re up.”
“Huh?” Ichigo replied, surprised that their Coach wanted a substitution.
“I have confidence in you.” Coach Ise replied, having noticed Iba’s signal to swap out.
Moments later, Ichigo found himself in front of the goalposts again. ‘I’m going to win this.’ With that thought in his mind, he focused on the game, paying close attention to the movement of the puck as it darted across the ice.
The next shot Ichigo intercepted, off the green eyed Arrancar forward’s attempt at scoring, he shot it straight down the ice to Shuuhei. The black haired forward then passed it to Ikkaku, who then passed it down the ice to Renji, who came close to scoring, only for the Arrancar goalkeeper to shot his shot centimetres away from the goal.
As Renji skated back to defend against the incoming attack, Ichigo caught his eye and signalled, ‘Stay high. Long pass.’ The redhead nodded slightly before skating off to mark the opposing number six. Despite the Shinigami’s attempts at defence, the Arrancar still eventually managed to pressure their defence into an opening that their number thirteen took.
Having noticed the opening, Ichigo intercepted the puck easily with his stick. With Kira and Chad blocking their opponents, he sent the puck speeding over the ice, past two lines to Shuuhei. Making a one-timer, the black haired forward shot the puck at the unguarded Renji, who sped into the Arrancar’s third.
Making a feint and bypassing a defender, Renji had a clear shot on goal. With Ikkaku blocking the other defender, the redhead shifted slightly, making yet another feint and sending the Arrancar’s goalkeeper in the wrong direction, before sending the puck flying into the goal.
Cheers broke out around the arena before the Arrancar coach, Gin Ichimaru, called for a timeout with five minutes on the clock. As the Shinigami huddled around their coaches, they listened as Coach Ise gave only a single instruction: to defend. It was common sense to them - they had a lead, defend it and the game was theirs to lose.
When the whistle blew, indicating the end of the timeout, Ichigo was prepared for an assault on his goal. It came as he expected, one wave followed by another as the Arrancar seemingly raised their game.
His defence was doing their best as well, managing to match the Arrancar forwards, with even Renji and Ikkaku pulling back to defend. With their forwards aiding in defence, they managed to pull off the neutral zone trap with some effort, despite the slightly faster Arrancar players, managing to keep the puck in the middle third more often than it made its way to their third of the rink.
By the time the clock indicated there were only two minutes left, the movements of both teams on the ice had slowed down slightly. Watching carefully, Ichigo noted as Jaegerjaquez sidestepped Kira, breaking through the trap and into their third yet again. Passing to Plateado, the blue haired forward skated past Shuuhei before taking control of the puck again.
Somewhere in his mind, Ichigo heard the forward call out teasingly, “Fag.” In spite of it, he made no response but instead focused on the puck. ‘He’s feinting again. Here it comes.’
With a loud ‘crack’, his stick hit the incoming puck firmly, sending it slightly into the air, missing the other sticks that were blocking it, before landing before the blonde defender. Nodding, Kira took control of it, before passing it down to Ikkaku, who sped past a defender and into the Arrancar’s third.
Seconds later, Renji joined him. Ikkaku shot once he had a clear view of the goal, only to have the goalkeeper block it. The redhead however managed to get the rebound, slotting it neatly into the net between the feet of the Arrancar goalkeeper with seconds remaining on the clock. Moments later, the whistle blew, declaring the goal valid.
The pair of forwards hit high-fives before pulling back to the centre, where Shuuhei prepared for what probably was the final face-off of the game. Even as the Arrancar gained possession of the puck, the Shinigami pulled back, reforming their neutral zone trap and hoping to retain their two goal lead with less than a minute remaining.
That was not to be though. Cifer, the Arrancar number four broke through easily in a burst of speed, passing it to his blue haired teammate, before receiving it again, avoiding his marker easily. With a clear shot on the goal, he lifted his stick and slammed it against the puck.
Having already noticed the incoming attack, Ichigo was ready. Once he heard the ‘thump’ of stick hitting puck, he bent down. Faced with the puck speeding towards him, he sat down on the ice, padded gloves slamming down before him in an effort to catch it. Seconds later, the shrill whistle sounded twice, indicating the end of the game.
Not actually sure if he had saved the shot, the orange haired goalkeeper lifted his hands slowly, but did not spot the puck below his gloves. He then turned his head to look into the net but did not see it. ‘Nope… Where the hell is it?’
It was only when he looked down that he spotted it wedged between his knees and the ice, centimetres away from the goal. By then, his team was cheering and he accepted Renji’s outstretched arm and stood on the ice before hugging his teammate tightly.
“We did it, Ren! We did it!” Grinning madly, Ichigo found himself enveloped in a group hug as his teammates surrounded them. Ecstatic, they made their way back to their bench, shaking hands with their opponents and the referees along the way, before finally breaking out into an impromptu cheer. “We are the champions, we are the champions…”
Turning his head for a look at where his friends had been sitting, Ichigo raised his hand to flash a victory sign after spotting them, Rangiku waving happily at the crowd on the ice.
Ichigo knew he had finals in a month, and his relationship with Toushirou to work out. At that moment though, the skater he hoped would become his boyfriend had watched him win the most important championship of his life yet, and in general, things were looking good for the both of them; he was satisfied.