TZC: Ichigo and Zangetsu Chapter 4 Extras
Renji lashed out with Zabimaru in his extended whip-like form. He intended to slice through all six enemies standing before him, so he was understandably startled when Zabimaru snapped back in after only five with a mental gasp of pain.
Zabimaru! The fuck are you doing?
Z-Zangetsu…
Oh, fuck. There was no way this was a good thing.
Senbonzakura formed a protective cocoon around Renji mere seconds before another wave of hollows could break through his suddenly non-existent defenses. He didn’t know why his captain was shielding him and he didn’t much care at that moment. Byakuya Kuchiki’s bizarre forms of emotional expression were considerably lower on the priority list than a certainly injured friend (But not dead, he’d know if Ichigo was dead. He’d know.) and a barely responsive zanpakutou. It was enough that Renji had a moment to concentrate on getting Zabimaru to tell him what the flaming hell was going on.
Zabimaru. What’s the matter? What’s happened to Zangetsu?
He didn’t bother to ask if Ichigo was okay, since asking Zangetsu was the only way Zabimaru could know that. Besides, Renji was well aware of the close friendship between his zanpakutou and Ichigo’s. If Zangetsu was hurt badly enough to shock Zabimaru like this, then the nue wasn’t going to be focusing on anyone else any more than Renji would if it were Ichigo. Renji tried to remind himself not to borrow trouble when it’d come find him sooner rather than later. It didn’t help him stop thinking about how Ichigo was shit with kidou and without Zangetsu he’d be facing fuck knows how many hollows without any weapon whatsoever. Zabimaru’s continued silence, however, did bring his attention back.
Zabimaru? Monkey boy? You okay?
Thought I toldja not ta call me that.
Renji suppressed a sigh of relief. Trust his one non-vulgar nickname for his zanpakutou to get his attention.
Yeah, cause I live by every word that falls from your lips.
Try it sometime. Maybe we can go a battle or two without seein’ the inside of a Relief Station.
Zabimaru. Tell me what’s wrong.
I…dunno. I felt something, but I don’t know what it was. Then Zangetsu was just…gone. Can’t hear him or anything. Just this spike of somethin’, then a kinda shattering, then nothing.
Renji’s unease surged back to the front of his mind and he felt the emotion echo within his partner.
Renji. We gotta go find ‘em.
Yeah, I know. But we’re not goin’ anywhere until we kill all these damn hollows.
Fine. I’m ready. Give me the command.
BANKAI!
The power screamed out of Renji and expanded to create Hihio Zabimaru’s giant skeletal form. The fur coat and claw necklace formed over his shinigami garb and Zabimaru’s hilt turned to bone in his hand. For a split second, Renji’s connection to his zanpakutou let him feel the huge bony snake as though it were his own body. He hardly noticed Captain Kuchiki withdrawing Senbonzakura. Then the release set, the moment passed and Renji was in his own body. He spoke the name of Zabimaru’s new form like a warning into the sudden silence.
Hihio Zabimaru.
Zabimaru screamed out his anger and frustration at being held there while his friend was hurt elsewhere and streaked toward the first hollow even before Renji could direct him.
Cut scene 2: Kisuke thinking about Ichigo
Kisuke had decided long ago that Ichigo Kurosaki wasn’t going to fall-physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually-while he was around to stop it. He suspected that unspoken vow was the only reason Zangetsu hadn’t shown up in his dreams for a “talk” about Kisuke’s intentions toward Ichigo. He didn’t have a viable theory to explain why another zanpakutou would know his thoughts without asking his own. But he did know that anyone with Ichigo’s uncanny insight into people’s hearts and minds and the self-awareness to actively use it was not someone he wanted to anger.
Cut scene 3: Original ending
Note: This was the first thing I wrote for this chapter, way back in November, and it didn't make it in.
Zangetsu woke to howling wind and pouring rain. He sat up from where he lay against one of the sideways buildings and cast about for Ichigo’s thoughts, suddenly very worried. Had someone died?
Zangetsu!
Ichigo’s relieved shout was followed by his immediate manifestation in his inner world. One moment Zangetsu was alone, the next Ichigo was falling to his knees at Zangetsu’s side. Zangetsu had grasped his shoulder before he knew what he was doing, compelled by the desperate, terrified look on his shinigami’s face.
Ichigo! What’s wrong?
Ichigo’s wide eyes locked onto Zangetsu’s, his hand moving as though to touch before stopping. He stayed frozen like that for a few moments before he collapsed against Zangetsu. He leaned his head on his zanpakutou’s shoulder, shut his eyes tightly and clutched the fabric of Zangetsu’s robe in a white-knuckled grip, shaking violently the whole time. Once he got over the shock, Zangetsu’s worry ratcheted up several notches. He carefully gathered Ichigo in his arms and waited. As much as he wanted to find out what had happened to his shinigami right damn now, thank you, he knew that pushing Ichigo while he was in this state would do more harm than good. After a few minutes, Ichigo started talking.
I c-couldn’t find you. I looked everywhere. You weren’t here!
Zangetsu remembered the dark place he had gone to after he shattered and the voices that drew him out and understood.
You did find me. I heard you calling and I came back.
Don’t…don’t do that again.
I won’t.
He couldn’t make such a promise and they both knew it, but hearing him say it soothed Ichigo anyway. Ichigo made no attempt to move and Zangetsu didn’t push him. Soon he’d stopped shaking. They sat quietly with each other and after a while, the wind calmed and the rain stopped falling.
Alternate Scene: Byakuya provokes Ichigo, Renji POV
Note: The formatting on this is slightly different than it should be, but I'm ready to be done with this chapter, so I'm going to leave it.
Renji couldn’t stop his hand from drifting to Zabimaru’s hilt as he watched his captain do his not inconsiderable best to break Ichigo down. Or break through to him, Renji couldn’t quite tell. He was less and less concerned, truth be known. Yes, Ichigo was looking less contained by the minute, but he was also looking exponentially more murderous. And only one of those was a favorable reaction. Ichigo’s right hand twitched upward and his reiatsu spiked and Renji knew it was all lost now.
He was moving before he was aware of it, drawing Zabimaru and going to intercept his captain even as Rukia darted toward Ichigo. They weren’t going to be faster than Ichigo or Byakuya and they both knew it, but that didn’t matter. Renji reached the fighting pair just a fraction of a second after he’d started moving, but it was enough time for Ichigo to draw first blood and Captain Kuchiki to retreat and draw his zanpakutou.
It was not going to go down like this, dammit. They weren’t going to lose him. Renji only barely heard the clang as Senbonzakura met Zabimaru. He saw his captain’s face distantly, through a red haze of battle lust. One thought echoed clearly in his mind: “He’s mine. You don’t take what’s mine, you bastard. I’ll kill you if you even try.”
Hard on the heels of that thought followed another: “We can’t do this here. Ichigo needs us. That has to come first.” When Rukia dragged Ichigo back and out of immediate range, Renji stepped back with them and sheathed his blade. “Sorry Captain Kuchiki,” he managed to grit out, “I just don’t think this is the place for a fight.”