ZOMG Busiest Summer Ever!!! I'm Sooooo sorry this took so long, but I DO KNOW where I'm going, I just don't have anytime to write it ^_^;

I won't spend fifty pages on thanking for reviews cuz I know you guys want to read the chapter, BUT I LOVE AND APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE REVIEW!!!!! I make sure to read them all because the reason I write this story is to entertain readers. This story is strictly for you guys, so keep reviewing and letting me know how much you like it!!! (or don't, I LOVE constructive criticism as much as reviews, but no flaming please!!)

Beta'd by the wonderful SutaakiHitori!!!

Warning: (major) HichixIchi fluff floats about somewhere in this chapter…

Lots of questions answered, but so many more asked; enjoy!

Blood…I…we need…

Chapter 4: Blood

"I who am poisoned with the blood of both,

Where shall I turn, divided to the vein?"

-A Far Cry from Africa

His eyes traveled downward, following the red liquid's path down the side of his hand. It glistened, sparkling and promising power to all the fools of the world. But he was no fool.

He had cut himself again.

Not in the normal, angst--teenager begging for attention--sense either. There was no gash carved upon his wrist. No, that would be a waste. This was more of a small nick, placed upon the tip of his right thumb. Just for amusement… Just to look upon the one substance that he could not control, but needed so badly.

In this world, as in others, this was the substance that ruled all.

He despised blood as much as it fascinated him. I was something he wanted, but couldn't have. Sure, he could drink it, and yes it would give him power. Why not? It had given him this much already, but it was never enough. Why wouldn't it give that power to him? He knew he could use it properly, it knew he could use it properly…and yet it still denied him absolute power.

It denied him the King's Key.

Souske Aizen sat in his throne in the center of Las Noches, the ruling city in Hueco Mundo, glaring at his own blood. After a few moments, he sighed in an agitated sense, and wiped the blood with a spare cloth instead of drinking it as he had first wanted. No, he was not an animal and he was no fool.

"Ehhh~?" A tall, thin figure interrupted his musing, moving unnervingly close to the other's face and eyeing the bloody cloth. "Oh no, Aizen sama! You cut yerself again? You should be more careful!" The strange person lifted the man's hand and placed his palm over it, healing the cut. "Ya know, Aizen sama, if you're depressed, you should order some of the lower hollow to kill each other! That should lift your spirits!"

The man called Aizen chuckled lightly, taking his hand from the other man's grasp. "No, Gin, I'm not depressed, just thinking. Though, you never do cease to amuse me…"

The light-haired man straightened up as if insulted. "I wasn't trying to be amusing! I was being serious--you need to lighten up!"

"Just because I say you amuse me does not mean that you need to be annoying, Gin. Now why are you here?"

Gin stilled, letting a sly, sick grin stretch unnaturally far across his features as snake-like red eyes peered at his master. The seated man looked bored, and Gin liked it when he was excited. He loved to deliver news that interested his master. "Grimmjow kun has returned, Aizen sama, and has compiled a verbal report for me to deliver to you."

"Oh?" Gin was right; this definitely caught his master's attention, no matter how much Aizen didn't let it show. "And why avoid me? Why not deliver this message to me in person instead of going through channels? Has he failed in his delivery of my message to the vampire-shinigami?"

It seemed almost impossible that Gin's grin could stretch further, but indeed it did. "No, he was successful. But, rather; it seems that Grimmjow kun is upset at you Aizen sama. He says that you neglected to inform him that Hichigo sama could still control his kind."

A slight smirk on the other's face indicated that Aizen hadn't told his Espada on purpose, just as the other expected. "I suspect that he would be, but I must continue to inform you, my servant-" oh, how he loved that word, "that 'Hichigo sama' is no more, he is only Shiro kun now."

The smile grew larger.

"Ah, my apologies Aizen sama, it seems I keep forgetting how you dethroned the Hollow King. Please forgive me."

"Just don't forget again who rules over you," Aizen stated dismissively.

"Hai, Aizen sama~" Gin's voice echoed as he seemingly faded into the air, leaving the ruler of Hueco Mundo alone once again. He smirked again to himself--everything was going according to plan.

Yes, blood couldn't give him the power, but the Hollow King's servant brat would.

He was free.

Well, not really. Not having a body to call your own limited what one could call free. But right now he had the first important step to getting what he wanted. Control. He could walk, run, breathe, feel… kill. It was such an exhilarating feeling, control.

But he needed more. He was still caged in this body, still in his cell. And though he could reach the key, there was always that Guard waiting to snatch it away from him.

But he was getting ahead of himself.

The Guard, this boy's master, was invincible to the likes of him. There was no way he could get around him.

But Ichi kun's savior wasn't here.

This left him free to snatch the key and claim his desired freedom.

There it was. The key was far away, but he could reach her soon. There was nothing special about this 'key', this girl, but it was the sheer fact that she had it. She had blood. And blood was what he needed.

His existence was a curse, a curse to others as well as himself. Ever since that dayhe was shut up inside himself, inside King--well, Shirosaki that is--and now he had been somehow transferred to Shiro's servant, the boy. His new King.

But he keeps getting ahead of his own thoughts.

The girl. That is what he needed to focus on. If he could use Ichigo's newfound instincts (the ones he still had no control over, but Hichigo new about very well) then he could break his curse and become free.

All he had to do was take a human's blood by force, without their permission (in his definition it just meant having some fun). He would break the one boundary between shinigami and hollows.

In other words, if he used Ichigo to break Seireitei law, Ichigo would be permanently separated from his master. This would leave Hichigo all the freedom to manipulate and twist the boy as he pleased until he was the one who was in constant control.

He just needed that human. Until then he would continue to whisper and yell and scream his demands into the boy's head.

He didn't understand.

His body moved unwillingly though the streets, faster than any human could see, let alone move. They were scanning the area, and Ichigo heard distant voices in the back of his head, not that he was listening. The voices were a low drone, sounding familiar yet not; and he felt completely trapped in his own body.

He moved swiftly through the alleyways.

What was the voice saying? The more he concentrated, the louder it got, until he felt like clutching his head in pain. Not that he could… He knew who that voice was though. It had called himself Hichigo, just like that monster that had attacked him in his home the other day called the man he knew as Shirosaki. He knew there was a connection, but what? He remembered how angry Shirosaki had gotten when he accidentally called him by the other name, did that mean that the two of them hated each other? But more importantly--

It found a scent.

Who should he trust? If he thought about it, he supposed it would be Shirosaki. Even though he was almost certain that all the horrible things that had happened in the last few days were his fault--He turned him into this…thing...--for some reason he didn't hate him. It was as if somewhere, deep an instilled in his instincts, he could do nothing but trust the man… What had Shiro said about servants and masters? Was it in his newfound vampire-like nature to completely rely on this man?

He moved as fast as his legs could carry him.

And then there was the other; that monstrous thing inside his mind that told him to do nothing but devour, kill, and hate. The being that he sensed wanted nothing to do but devour and kill him. And he knew that he hated him. The thing that was in control right now…

It saw her; it was so close now--

This was what he didn't understand. Why had he even agreed to anything this mysterious monster had promised? Was he that weak?!... Why did he feel that his mind was falling?

So, SO close now…it could almost taste--

Both voices simultaneously shrieked in pain, an icy blade that had come from seemingly nowhere was rammed through their slightly clawed hand--the hand that had been reaching out to the unsuspecting human girl--sticking into the ground and unmoving. The girl took no notice, seeing as she was human and no normal person could see or hear these beings. She kept walking until she was out of site, unknowing of the beast trying to wrench the blade out of the ground and thus out of its hand, or the other two who were approaching the young boy.

*Three Weeks Ago…*

Byakuya was a verybusy taichou. The constant paperwork, organizing and assigning of missions to subordinates, not to mention keeping track of his reckless lieutenant/servant and that annoying albino hollow 24/7 would drive any sane person to extreme levels of stress and a constantly frustrated state. Which was why, as the head noble Kuchiki, he prided himself in his ability to maintain his composure in almost any situation. Even this one…no matter how difficult it was.

"What do you mean he's 'gone'?"

The unseated officer flinched at his captain's harsh words, repeating the message with a slightly wary voice.

"It is as I said Kuchiki taichou, the guards outside the Kuchiki mansion reported the hollow missing a few hours ago--"

"And why tell me this now?"

"Uh, well… the guards wanted to do a brief search to check and make sure the hollow wasn't just out wondering the grounds before declaring an emergency--"

"Who commands this division?" the black-haired man interrupted, taking the other by surprise.

"Um…You, Kuchiki taichou…"

"And who was put in charge of watching the hollow?"

"The sixth division, eh, your division, Taichou."

"Then, could you infer, since the sixth division is in charge of the hollow and I am in charge of the sixth division, that I am in charge of watching over him, and thus should be informed of any activity pertaining to said hollow immediately?"

"Y-yes, Kuchiki taichou…"

"Good. Let's try to keep it that way. Now, go report this to Yamamoto soutaichou while I go and clean up your mess."

"Yes sir, Taichou!"

:Now, In the Seireitei:

Byakuya stood unmoving as the gate was prepared. Hitsugaya taichou and been sent yesterday to locate the missing albino-hollow/bane of his and everyone else's existence, and had sent a message via soul pager that they were ready to return along with the hollow's new servant-boy. This, in itself, was not a shock to the captain, considering it was in every vampire-master's instinct to seek out a servant. Even though this did not pertain to hollows, Shirosaki's case was exceedingly rare, pertaining to the fact that he had not only hollow instincts, but shinigami ones as well. Not to mention that all of these instincts would be transferred to the human boy Shirosaki turned, who, unlike the albino hollow, had no control over his powers.

Byakuya was interrupted from his thoughts when one of the 12th division workers announced to the small crowd that the portal would be opening soon…

"Ulquiorra…" His name echoed off of the large walls of the room his adopted master was seated in.

"You called for my services, Aizen sama?" His voice quavered slightly in anticipation. Being a ghost, and a powerful one at that, he felt pride in being very useful to his lord. Whether the task was spying on shinigami or possessing them to do his will, he enjoyed every minute of it as long as it satisfied his master.

"You know what to do."

"I will do as my lord wishes…" The Fourth Espada bowed humbly and disappeared in the moonlight of Hueco Mundo.

"Che… Dammit," Shirosaki muttered to himself as he stepped closer to his servant. "Didn't expect yah to show up so soon. What's up with that?" The question seemed offhandedly directed to the boy in front of him, still bent over from the sword stuck in his hand. Said boy chuckled darkly, the sound being completely inhuman as he answered using the boy's own body:

"Well you left him all alone… So I thought I'd take him out fer a spin!!" Towards the end of his sentence, he gave up on ripping the sword out, instead splitting the boy's hand on the sword to free it. He swung around for a surprise attack, only for his claws to miserably fail at cutting any of the albino's skin. Said albino roughly grabbed the offending hand by the wrist, giving the hollow-possessed boy a stern and serious look.

"That never worked on our master, so why do you think it would work now when you're using my servant?!"

"Heh, wishful thinking?" By now the monster knew he had lost this time, but there would be other occasions to torment his new and old King…

The mask cracked and faded from the boy as he fell to the ground from exhaustion, only Shiro's hold on his torn hand's wrist keeping him up. Ichigo groaned a little but stayed unconscious as the albino hollow picked him up bridal style. As he gazed down at his servant with an expression full of concern, he could distantly hear Hitsugaya telling him that the portal to the Seireitei was ready to be opened, and they would be returning home soon. …Home…

"I wonder if Ichigo will like it there..." the albino hollow said more to himself than anyone else.

As Hitsugaya entered in their location on his soul pager to be sent to soul society, he could see the doors materializing. The captain walked over to his zanpakutō and easily yanked it out of the ground, the sword no longer frozen to it (1). But, before he could lift it to unlock Seireitei's gate, he turned the sword behind his back, blocking his would be assassin's hidden attack. Turning around, all he could see was an equally surprised Shirosaki and his still unconscious servant. Growling in frustration, he yelled out to the unknown assailant.

"Come out you coward! Fight me like a real demon!"

"Don't insult me." Hitsugaya's gaze followed to the location of the voice, where the air took a hazy look as the ghost showed himself. "I am not a coward, nor a demon." With cold eyes the ghost fully appeared, sword drawn and ready to attack. "My name is Ulquiorra Schiffer, but you may address me as your assassin." The Fourth Espada rushed forward as the ice captain's eyes widened in recognition, barely blocking the ghost's strike. Ulquiorra's dead lips moved after their swords collided. "Time to die, vampire."

Hitsugaya chuckled darkly before jumping back to counterattack. "For one who doesn't like being judged, you sure are quick to assume."

The Fourth Espada mimicked the captain's move, ready to end the encounter quickly. "How so?"

The Captain readied his sword. "Not all shinigami are vampires." Hitsugaya smirked at the ghost's shocked expression. "Hyorinmaru!!" A gigantic dragon of ice pelted down from the darkened sky, completely obscuring the Espada in its blast. Simultaneously, he stabbed his Zanpakuto into the portal's door, opening it. "Shiro! Get yourself and that kid out of here!"

Shirosaki, who had been unable to fight due to his armful of Ichigo, jumped out from his hiding spot and raced through the portal with the ice captain right behind him. As the doors closed, they could see Ulquiorra rising from the destruction and debris left behind by the captain.

The Espada glared at the disappearing three, speaking quietly by loud enough for them to hear:

"What Aizen sama wants, he shall have. No place is out of his reach. Shirosaki and the boy will be his, no matter how long you hide like dogs in your blessed Seireitei."

The portal then closed, cutting them off from the human and hollow world alike.

Ichigo awoke to the smell of rain and the feeling of strong, protective arms wrapped around him. As he gained more awareness, he could tell that he was lying down on a cot, not unlike the ones used in his father's clinic, and that he was pressed up against someone's chest very comfortably. Not quite awake enough to realize his situation, he snuggled closer and moaned a little in hunger, the once again persistent nagging of his stomach present.

Eyes still closed, he felt movement from the other. First, it was the arms draped over his waist disappearing and moving up to the other's neck, followed by a small hiss of pain and the overwhelming smell of familiar blood. He let out a small whimper of longing before he was hoisted up farther in the bed to where his mouth was even with a smooth, white neck with two, brand new puncture wounds. He opened his eyes and stared at the blood now sliding down the man's neck. As he did so, he felt a cool hand snake around the back of his neck, gripping soft terraces slowly and pushing the boy's head closer to the albino's neck.

"C'mon now," he heard his master speak in sleepy encouragement. "I know you're hungry, so don't waste it."

With Shiro's consent, Ichigo tentatively licked at the blood falling down the albino's neck before clamping down on the puncture wounds, his control gone as he started drinking greedily. He gripped the front of the other's shihakushou as the conflicting emotions of drinking the other's blood rose in his mind. The blood tasted remarkable in his mouth, revitalizing him as much as it gave him pleasure. But, at the same time, he hated himself for needing it, for becoming a vampire and almost harming innocent people. He feared that if he ever went near his family, he wouldn't be able to control himself…

As his thoughts turned to darker places, He could feel the tears running down his face even as he gulped down more blood. What he didn't expect was the tightening of the other's hold and a comforting hand rubbing in smooth and relaxing patterns across his back as the other consoled him.

"Shh…S'okay now. You're going to be just fine," he heard the other softly speak as he finished drinking the albino's blood. He was now only tiredly licking at the other's neck, too teary-eyed and weary from the day's stress to stay awake, but also no longer starving for blood. As the master wiped the tears from his servant's eyes, Ichigo faded back into sleep with Shirosaki still whispering gently into his ear.

While the two vampires slept peacefully in the 4th division, Byakuya felt as if he was living through hell. Immediately after Shirosaki's return, Yamamoto soutaichou called an emergency captain's meeting to discuss where the two would be staying, now that they knew by Grimmjow and Ulquiorra's appearance that Aizen had an interest in the two.

It was at that time that Kurotsuchi decided to speak up, again. "I still say that they should be handed over to my department of research! Despite what central 46 had prophesized, we still don't know whyAizen is so interested in the two! It is up to the 12th division to uncover such things so we can hopefully prevent their capture!"

Hitsugaya was quick to rebut. "Nonsense! The 12th division is only interested in experimenting on the two, not protecting them! Protecting them, according to Central 46, is exactly what we should be doing!"

Kenpachi quickly joined in on Hitsugaya's side. "I agree with the little guy!" A vein popped in Hitsugaya's head. "We should be teaching them how to fight! If you place them in my division, they'll be surrounded by well trained fighters who can protect them and teach them to protect themselves! If they're cooped up with the scientist loon over there they're likely to get weaker, not stronger!"

"Who are you calling a loon?! You're the one who only wants them so you can fight them yourself, you blood lusting buffoon!"

"Both of you! Quiet!" All voices stilled at the head captain spoke. "It is unbecoming of captains such as yourselves to be arguing so childishly. Even so, Kenpachi does raise a good point. Unless anyone else offers, it is likely Central 46 will send them to the 11th division."

"Soutaichou, sir. If I may, I offer my personal residence to the two vampires." The room stilled a second time as Byakuya spoke up. Many jaws dropped at the suggestion. Even though Byakuya had been Shirosaki's caretaker before, no one dared to think that he would volunteer for a second time, willingly at that. Even Yamamoto was surprised.

"May I ask as to why, Captain Byakuya? You seemed to have been displeased when we put only one of them in your care before, but now you want to accept two?"

"My personal opinion of the two is not important in this head captain, sir. I believe that due to the Kuchiki's large amount of land and security due to its noble status will suffice as a safe location for the two to stay. Also, as the Kuchiki nobility is of vampire blood, we will have plenty of knowledge and equipment to aid in their health should problems arise. I know that the 11th division has access to the same technology through the 4th division, but the Kuchiki's is much closer, located in the same building, even. Seeing as this is a special case, and the health of the servant boy is unknown, I feel that it is a much safer location for the both of them."

"And what about the training of the two that Captain Kenpachi has offered?"

"The Kuchiki's have as much influence as they do connections. I could hire them any private tutor that they so wish, but I have a feeling that Shirosaki will be more than happy to train the boy himself."

The head captain allowed the information to be absorbed by the other captains before announcing that the decision would come to a vote. Kurotsuchi was the only one to vote in the negative.

"It is decided then," Yamamoto announced. "Shirosaki and the servant boy will be moved from the 4th division tomorrow to stay at the Kuchiki mansion under protective custody until there is no more evidence of Aizen's interest in the two. Dismissed!"

"Hai, Yamamoto soutaichou!" All the captains gave a quick, polite bow before swiftly exiting the meeting room to perform their tasks.

While exiting the room, Hitsugaya noticed a young, unseated officer right outside the doorway getting ready to leave. He called out to him, and the boy stopped in his tracks, as if he had been caught stealing something. Hitsugaya ran up to the shinigami as the unseated officer turned around and bowed in apology before the captain could say anything.

"S-sorry sir! I know I'm not supposed to be here but I-I just got lost, you see, a-and I just realized wh-where I was! P-please, I promise it won't happen a-again!" The young man looked like he was so scared he was about to faint. Hitsugaya almost took pity on him. Instead he just sighed in annoyance and said, "Just don't let it happen again. Get going back to work before I have to report you to your leading officer."

The young man looked up, eyes wide with surprise, and Hitsugaya couldn't help but notice the strange but familiar green tint in the man's eyes. Before he could analyze it further, the shinigami was already running off.

"Y-yes sir! Thank you sir!"

Hitsugaya just shrugged it off. He didn't have time to worry about unseated officers, knowing that his lieutenant wasn't getting any paperwork done herself.

The young officer rounded a corner, looking around to make sure no one knew he was there. He had almost gotten caught, but thankfully the ice-demon captain hadn't recognized his hidden aura. Now as he slipped his ghostly form from the no-longer possessed shinigami, he stepped over the unconscious man and opened his specially designed portal (one that could not be detected by the Seireitei's department of research) to Las Noches, happy that he could actually bring his master good news this time. News on the whereabouts of two specific vampires.

Tada!!! Chapter 4 over!

(1)The reason Hichigo couldn't pull the sword out is because it froze the ground around it. Hitsugaya obviously could because he can control the ice and water in the area.

The authoress collapsed from her computer in joy, finally finishing her latest chapter, (the living gardening hose could be seen dancing around in the background) and decided that dealing with her muse at the moment would not be enjoyable. So, before Ishida could reenter her room for another 'you're procrastinating! Get the story done!' nagging session, she bolted her door, laughing in triumph when the handle started shaking but would not give.

"Dammit! Did you lock yourself in here again?! I just came to bring you food!!"

"Liar! I know what you where going to do!!"

"What could I possibly do that would make you need to lock your door to prevent me from coming in?! What in the world have I ever done to you to make you not want me to come in?!"

"TALKED!"

"What?!"

"THERE IT IS AGAIN!!!" Hysterical giggles could be heard from inside the room as the realization hit the Quincy.

"Dammit! Who gave you sugar?!"

"Raoul!! Fetch me another!!" Before Ishida could react, the gardening hose shot out from beneath the door and through the Quincy's legs, going who knows where to get more sugar.

A/N: It's true! Any time I have large amounts of sugar it's like crack to me! (Although no one knows why) But that's why I dare not drink coffee or energy drinks, for fear that my head or other heads may explode!!

Now it's the REAL end of the Chapter! =^_^= Thanks for reading and don't forget to review please!! =^_^=