Mastering the dance. (solo/ finished)

The train's steady acceleration marked the final leg in his journey back to Karakura Town. With only a week left in his summer break, He was glad to get back into the routine. The train was just to its top speed as he got settled into his seat. He watched the world pass in a blur, as he put his headphones on, then pulled his hood over his head. Between the music and the rhythmic movement of the train, he was fast asleep before he realized it.

:: One hour later ::

The winged monster flew lazily through the countryside. It sensed something below it, something tasty. Its eyes locked on the train winding its way through the countryside. Its primal hunger starting to gnaw at it, it swooped down towards the train. It slammed into the first train car, rocking the whole train from side to side, before the train settled back on the tracks. It balled its clawed fist and plunged it into the front of the lead car, destroying the controls and the train operator in one strike.

::Meanwhile inside the train::

He woke with a start. The sudden jarring of the train, and everyone in his car screaming, made him jump to his feet and into a fighting stance. His adrenaline was already pumping, as his perception of the world slowed for a split second as his eyes caught something flying by the train. It was a arm, a bloody, mangled human arm. He knew something was deadly wrong now. He moved quickly out to the aisle, and began running for the front of his train car. Upon reaching the door, his 'sense' picked up the source of the disturbance. Something was at the front of the train, and to make matters worse, the train was steadily accelerating. He glanced behind him, Too many people for me to take the direct route. He thought opening the door, a sudden rush of cold air knocking his hood down. He paused his Ipod, and took his headphones off. Tossing them over his shoulder, they landed gently in his seat. "I'm going to find out whats going on. Everyone stay calm, and Do Not Leave this train car." He said, pulling his hood back up over his head, and stepping out into the space between the train cars.

The wind nearly knocked him out from between the cars, but he stubbornly held fast to the ladder leading to the Roof of the next train car. Once at the top of the car, He activated Jimmu. Pain shot through his still un-healed left hand, the wound was closed, but it was still tender. He crouched down low, keeping his eyes locked to the front of the train. He didn't see anything save for a small smoke trail originating there. Something is defiantly wrong here.....where did it go?! he thought, his eyes darting about the immediate area. He didn't notice the shadow behind him that was keeping pace with the speeding train.

The hollow swooped in for the kill, both of Its clawed hands reaching for the unsuspecting human. Something triggered in Kazu's mind, and rolling to the side of the train he narrowly missed getting impaled by the insect like hollows claws. his hands grabbed the side of the train car as he came out of the roll. He barely had his balance when the nearly ten foot tall creature passed by him, the wind of its wings knocking him off the side of the rail car.

He hit the ground hard, but manage to roll to a stop after a few dozen feet. He was lucky he had Jimmu up, which too the brunt of the fall, and left his with only cuts and bruises. He quickly got to his feet and started running after the train, which was rapidly passing him. SHIT...what do i do....he thought, he knew he was still at least an hour train ride from Karakura Town. 'You will never know until you try...you can observe this technique all day, but until you try it, you will never understand it.." his grandfathers words floated to his memory. Shukuchi!! Thats It!! he thought, his run breaking into a dead on sprint. It was true, he observed his grandfather, and many shinigami use that technique countless times, but had only tried it a few times. A dark blue aura began to flame up around him as he ran. It grew brighter and brighter with every passing second, the last train car was now several hundred feet infront of him. Time seemed to pause for a second, as kazu concentrated his energy on his feet. The next step he took, he vanished from sight.


:: Meanwhile Back on the train ::

The hollow was furious. Its prey had fallen off the train and was most likely dead by now, It was starting to pull away from the train when it sensed something strange in front of it. It turned its head back forward to catch a glowing blue boot in the side of its face. The blow catching it completely off guard, and knocking off to the right side of the train.

:: A few minutes earlier ::

Shock was the only thing that could describe the look on his face, he had passed the train, and was standing on top of a telephone pole off to the trains left. The shocked expression changed to a smile, as he turned around and saw the hollow still flying over the train. Its looking behind it.... he thought as the lead car passed him. He knew he had to time this right, the hollow was keeping pace with the train, six cars from the end of the train. He glanced down to his left and watched the three cars pass him, and he counted the time inbetween each car. Less than 5 seconds for three cars....this is gonna be tough.... He thought, gathering the energy at his feet again. He waited till only six cars seperated them and used Shukuchi.

His plan had failed, somewhat. He was still six cars infront of the Hollow. I still need to perfect it....but this will work for now. He thought, gathering the energy at his feet again. He broke into a run, and two steps later he used Shukuchi and jumped.

:: Present Time ::

The hollow didn't understand what was going on. Confusion and rage filled its mind. It spiraled away from the train and slammed into a telephone pole, stopping its speed in an instant, and splitting th pole in two before it hit the ground. It layed there stunned for several minutes, the confusion of what just happened forcing its primal rage to the surface of its mind.

:: Meanwhile, On the train ::

Kazu ran hard to the front of the train, he needed to know how much damage the hollow did. When he got to the front of the train, what he saw made him recoil in horror. The conductors body was torn to pieces, his head and most of his upper body were gone. He swallowed down the taste of bile, and took a few deep breaths before he continued forward. He jumped down and nearly fell when his feet slid on the blood the pooled on the floor. Most of the controls were gone, which made panic begin to rise in Kazu. Shit.....got no other choice. he thought when suddenly the whole train jerked violently. He could hear the brakes were locked up, but for some reason they where still accelerating. A strange squawking noise drew his attention, it was a radio on the dead conductors belt. The radio was mostly undamaged, but he could barely hear the voice on the other end.

" *static* are you there?! I hit the emergency stop *static* we hit? *static* much damnage, we'll have to *static* -nect the front!!"

Kazu's eyes narrowed. He knew what he had to do. He jumped up to the top of the train, and ran back to inbetween the lead and second car. Dropping down between them he slammed the door open to both cars, and ran into the front car. "OK PEOPLE LISTEN UP!! EVERYONE GET UP AND MOVE TO THE NEXT CAR!! The train is out of control, and the rear conductor said he has to dissconect this car." He said, a few of the passengers got up immediatly and started gathering their things. "We don't have time for this, " He said walking to the front seat and grabbing the man sitting there by his collar and lifting him, forcefully, out of his seat, "I SAID MOVE!!! DO YOU WANT TO DIE HERE?!!?" He yelled at the rest of the passengers, who quickly started making their was to the down. Kazu pushed his way to the door and began to help people cross, until only him and a little girl remained. "Sorry i had to yell, grown-ups don't listen sometimes." he said, kneeling down to pick the girl up.

"are you going to kill the monster?" she said smiling as he started to hand her to the lady he assumed was her mother. Kazu's eyes went wide, "M-monster? what monster?" he said, hoping the girl didn't know about the hollow.

"yeah silly, that monster!" she said pointing behind him.

He didn't even glance behind him, he heard the door to the conductors compartment burst open. He knew what was about to happen, and quickly gave the little girl off to her mother. He slammed the door to the next car shut before the lady could even say anything. Something grabbed a hold of his leg, and pulled it out from underneath him. His jimmu burst into existence once again as he feel forward, clawing at the ground as the hollow dragged him toward the now gapping hole at the front of the train. He rolled over and quickly sat up, sending a punch at the hollows arm. The hollow responded exactly as he thought it would, by letting out a roar and releasing his leg.

Kazu scrambled to his feet, and using Shukuchi made it to the back of the train car in one jump. He pause for a second, I hope i have enough time for this. he thought as energy started to spiral around his body. The energy inward spiral toward him was centered around his right hand, and as the stepped into the doorway, dark blue flames, appearing as if the armor itself was on fire. He raised his fist into the air, his eyes closed for a second, and suddenly the energy flow was cut off. His fist came slamming down on the latch that joined the two train cars.

At first nothing happened, the flames on his 'armor' vanished on impact. But despite this fact, he stood and turned to the now recovered hollow. It was trying to force its way into the train car through the hole it had ripped open to get to him. The latch behind Kazu exploded, and a second later, the now separated train cars pulled apart from each other. His face was stone cold, and his stare held no mercy for the stuck monster. I have to end this, and stop this train...now... he thought, as he pushed his powers to their limits. The aura returned as he took his first step toward the hollow. "Stuck?...let me help you with that..." He said, using Shukuchi. He appeared a few inches from the hollow, landing a side kick in the monsters face. A small explosion of energy that sounded like a high caliber gun shot followed the kick, sending the hollow flying backwards.

Kazu used Shukuchi to get under the hollow, and sent it rocketing into the air with an uppercut. Using Shukuchi once more, he appeared nearly twenty feet above the hollow. His hands were open, and his arms were out to his sides. Two large spheres of energy formed in his hands, and dark blue flames of energy blazed at his eyes. But, something he hadn't expected occurred, the hollow was facing him, and in its mouth a red sphere of energy formed.

Something dark and primal stirred within him. Its just like before, his mind racing back to the first time he saw a hollow use this attack. The same feeling clenched at his heart, it was dark, primal, and evil. But, whatever it was, it was pushing his powers further than he could. The hollow released the attack first, a dark red beam of energy, aimed right at Kazu's heart. The beam was nearly three feet across, more than enough to tear his body apart. His decent toward the monster, was slowly accelerating, bringing him closer to his own doom with every millisecond that passed. But still he waited, for the perfect shot. He couldn't hear anything, save for the slow sound of his own heartbeat. Two heartbeats after the beast released its cero, his arms shot forward, the two spheres of energy slamming together. Instead of detonating, the spheres fused together, forming a sphere of energy that blocked all but his head from the Hollows field of vision. It knew it was doomed. When his heartbeat sounded in his ears again, he launched the attack.

"KIYOSHI IRKARI!!!"

A Blue beam of energy swallowed the cero attack, and hit the hollow in the dead center of its chest. The hollow was being forced backward, as the energy tore through its body. After a second, the beam had ripped completely through its body, and continued its downward angle. Kazu's plan had worked. The beam impacted with the top of the runaway train car, and a split-second later, caused the train to detonate in a massive blue fireball. The shock wave that follow sent him rocketing away from the blast. He concentrated what little energy he had left around his body, trying to cushion the crash landing that was inevitable. He couldn't see what he was flying toward, but he knew as soon as he hit it what it was. Water, which his body bounced right off of. After two more such bounces he went under a dozen feet from shore, and finally stopped a few feet into the shore of this small lake. The ground was split open where he slide to a stop, water slowly filling the void.

((To Be Continued in: Mastering the dance. Part 2. ))