Chapter 9

No one's P.O.V.

It has been at least a few hours since Lucy began trying to get out of the shaft. She tried running up the sides of, but she either fell off or her feet slipped. But most of the time, while her chain was being eaten away at, she couldn't move.

"D-dang it!" Lucy groaned, lying on her side with her face against the ground. She sat up on her knees and began breathing heavily.

"Well, looks like I can move easier when my chain isn't being shortened." Lucy mumbled, looking down at her now shorter chain.

"Hey Lucy!" Kisuke called down to her. She looked up to see him, Jinta, and Ururu looking down the hole.

"What is it?" Lucy called back.

"It's been a few hours now. Are you hungry yet?" Kisuke asked her.

"Actually no. And can I even get hungry when I'm a spirit?" Lucy said, now curious.

"You actually better hope you don't." Jinta said.

"Huh? Why?" Lucy said.

"Because if you get hungry, that means you are close to becoming a Hollow." Kisuke said. Lucy's eyes suddenly shrunk.

"At least I know what to watch out for!" Lucy mentally screamed.

"But, it is perfectly fine if you get thirsty though." Ururu said. Lucy silently looked at her with her eye twitching.

"I'm fine, thanks." Lucy said in a slightly annoyed.

After that, Lucy went back to trying to climb out of the hole. It wasn't long before even more hours passed and Lucy was still at the bottom of the hole. She jast sat there on her knees, trying to catch her breath. She was making more progress, but her time was running out.

"Wow. She's doing very well." Kisuke said, watching at the top of the hole. He looked over to the right and saw Ichigo sitting up against a rock with his eyes shut.

"What's the matter Ichigo? Don't you want to see your training method done first hand?" Kisuke asked. Ichigo looked at Kisuke with a slightly annoyed expression.

"No thanks." Ichigo answered.

"You're not actually worried about her, are you?" Rukia said with a small smirk as she stood beside Kisuke. Ichigo's eyes slightly widened as he looked down at the ground and, if anyone noticed, he gained a small blush on his cheeks.

"Well, yeah, I mean, she's just a girl. I even had trouble with Kisuke's training, that's all." Ichigo said, looking in the opposite direction of the others.

"Haha! Sounds like someone's in denial." Renji said in a mocking tone as he stood beside Rukia.

"Shut up, will ya!?" Ichigo shouted, snapping his head in their direction.

Meanwhile, Lucy just fell back to the ground after attempting to climb the wall. If it hadn't been for her long sleeves and pants, anyone could all of the bruises she now has. Lucy slowly began to get back onto her knees to try and rest.

"Crap! How long will this take!?" Lucy groaned loudly. After letting out a loud sigh, she looked up at the large hole she was sent down.

"I wonder if they're really gonna kill me if I don't make it." Lucy thought.

Lucy had this look of worry and anxiousness in her eyes as she did think that. Just then, she finally noticed a ladder that had been directly in front of her. It was also just when Ururu had come down to where Lucy was with some food.

"Um, it's been a long time now, so I thought you'd be hungry." Ururu said timidly, placing a plate of fruit and other food near Lucy.

"Well, thanks, but I'm fine. Besides, I still have time before I become even close to becoming a Hollow." Lucy said, looking down at her Soul Chain.

"Actually, you don't." Ururu mumbled just loud enough for Lucy to hear her. Lucy snapped her head directly at the little girl.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Lucy hesitantly asked.

"It may be hard to tell, but at least 72 hours have passed by now. And once the last and fastest corrosion begins, well, you know." answered Ururu, slowly going back up the ladder.

Lucy stared at Ururu's back as she climbed up, but then Lucy put her attention back her short chain. But when she did, it started. The mouths suddenly appeared and began eating away at her at an alarming pace. Lucy then started to panic.

"Hey, wh-what the!? Wh-what's happening!?" Lucy exclaimed frantically.

But, it was already to late for words. Her chain was quickly eaten into nothing, only leaving the place where it should've been. Lucy's eyes suddenly shrunk and she began letting out loud screams as a glowing white substance began to envelop and cover her face. Up above, Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji all rushed over to the edge of the hole.

"Oh no!" Rukia said after letting out a small gasp.

"She's becoming a Hollow!" Renji exclaimed.

"Kisuke! can't you do something!?" Ichigo shouted at said person. Kisuke just stood at the hole's edge like he has always been. Also, Ururu had just gotten out of the hole herself.

"Kisuke!?" Rukia called out.

"I could, but we have to let this continue. If we don't she won't become a Soul Reaper." Kisuke explained.

"But that's not exactly gonna happen if she becomes a Hollow!" Renji said.

"This is just how Ichigo became a Soul Reaper. So, maybe this'll be the same way." Jinta pointed out.

"But she's already said she's not like us! What'll happen if this isn't like what happened to me!?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Well, we'll just have to see now won't we?" Kisuke said with his signature sneaky smirk.

The three Soul Reapers all looked at him with shock, fear, and some anger, but they all put their attention back on the blonde that was still becoming a Hollow. She was still letting out loud screams as a Hollow mask slowly began to form from the white substance.

"Ow. My head...What...what happened? Where am I?" Lucy thought. Everything was dark, but when she started to open her eyes, Lucy looked around her. It felt familiar to her, but something was different.

"Well, look who's back." two familiar voices said behind her.