Tamashi no Kiri

Prologue: Shapes in the Fog

Life is covered in fog

Death is covered in fog

Both are shrouded in uncertainty

With only vague shapes

Reaching out to us

Coyote Starrk found himself surrounded by fog. The last thing he remembered was the blade cutting his chest and him falling. The last thing he saw was Kyoraku looking at him, his eyes filled with pity and…for some reason, hope. Starrk did not understand it, and all became black. When he opened his eyes, he saw fog.

"Where am I?" he whispered.

"Starrk, is that you?" a girl's voice asked.

He turned to his left and saw Lilynette sitting next to him. However, he saw that she no longer had the helmet-like mask fragment on her head and she no longer had a hollow hole. He touched his own chest and did not feel either mask fragment or hollow hole.

"They're awake," someone said.

They looked ahead and saw two women standing before them. Starrk recognized the Reiatsu that they radiated as being the Reiatsu from Kyoraku's swords.

"Are you, Katen Kyokotsu?" Starrk asked, remembering the name Shunsui called out as he was going into his Resurrección.

"You are sharp," the taller woman said, smiling. "Yes, we are Katen Kyokotsu."

"Why am I here?"

"The Zanpakuto of a Soul Reaper has the power to purify a Hollow's spirit and send them to the Soul Society or send them to Hell. This is the In-Between. Here, all judgments are made."

"How...do you judge?" Starrk asked.

"The Zanpakuto Spirit looks at the past life of a Hollow. However, since you are an Arrancar, it will be different. We will look at your past from after you became a Gillian to the present. As this occurs, Shunsui will also serve as judge, however, we already know that he wants you to be saved, but we have to judge as well."

"But…what if he needs to continue fighting?" Lilynette asked.

"I don't think time means anything here, Lilynette," Starrk said.

"That's right. Here, it may feel as though days pass, while in the Outside, only a moment would have past. Now then, it's time to see what there is to see."

Fake Karakura Town

Harribel saw Starrk fall. She felt the tears come into her eyes and then Aizen was standing before her.

"Aizen?"

Harribel then felt the blade cut across her torso. She saw the blood flow the wound and her eyes widened in surprise.

"I no longer have any use for you," he said. "No matter how many sacrifices I require you to make, none of them will bring me victory."

Harribel felt the rage build up inside her. Starrk had died for him, out of gratitude for finding him a pack that he could belong to. This was how Aizen thanked his service…his sacrifice…her sacrifice. She rushed at him and stabbed him.

"Please," Aizen said, beginning to fade. "Don't make me raise my sword twice to the likes of you," Aizen said from behind her. She looked and saw his sword's blade sticking out of her chest.

"There's no such thing as a world without sacrifice," she whispered as she fell.

When she struck, she was unable to move. She was barely alive, but she knew that death was near. Her only thought was seeing Starrk again. She wanted to go to where he laid, but she couldn't move. Then she saw the Captain who cut Starrk down standing over her.

"I'm glad you're still alive," he said.

"You…killed…"

"Don't worry, I'm here to make it up to both of you," he said and ran her through with the longer blade that still had some of Starrk's blood on it. "You'll see him again. I promise."

The In-Between

Harribel sat up and saw the two figures standing before her. She smiled as she recognized them. The fog that surrounded them brightened and they were bathed in white light.

On the Other Side

The two Soul Reapers rushed through the forest. The sun shone through the branches and they made their way to where the three figures were lying. One was a little girl with light green hair and another was a woman with darkly-tanned skin and blonde hair. The third, lying between them, was a man with shoulder-length brown hair and a faded goatee.

"Are these them?" one of the Soul Reapers asked.

"Yeah, they match the description that Captain Kyoraku gave us," the other said.

"I better report this Captain Unohana," the other said.

"I'll stay here," the other said.

As his partner went to fetch the Captain Unohana and the healers from Squad 4, the other saw that the man was beginning to stir.

"Where am I?" the man asked, his eyes barely open.

"Hush, don't worry. You're in the Soul Society now."

Karakura Town: a month after Aizen's defeat

Ichigo Kurosaki was on his bed. He gripped the Soul Reaper Badge in his right hand. He did not know for sure how much longer he could continue being a Soul Reaper, but he knew that his time would soon come to an end. He thought about the price he was willing to pay to ensure that Aizen was defeated.

He thought of his friends who followed him to Hueco Mundo to help rescue Orihime Inoue from Aizen's fortress of Las Noches. Chad, Uryuu, Rukia, and Renji were fully recovered, but he wasn't too sure about Orihime. He remembered how she wept when Ulquiorra Schiffer became ashes that were blown away. Even now, Orihime continued to mourn for the Espada's death, and that worried him.

The war was over. Aizen was defeated. But the impact was still felt. He tried to re-enter Zangetsu's world, but was unable to. His dad, who turned out to have been a Soul Reaper, wasn't as talkative or as annoying as he used to be. His sisters, however, were still the way they used to be. Of course, they had been unconscious throughout the whole thing and knew nothing about it, but they noticed the change in their father's and brother's behaviors.

Ichigo thought about it when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said.

"Hey, your dad said that I would find you here," Rukia said as she entered his room.

"Hey Rukia, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you were doing."

"How do you think I'm doing?"

"Yeah…your dad told me that you're still sulking."

"My powers are fading away. It's not fair. I helped defeat Aizen, and my powers are fading."

"You knew that this would happen. So, why are you complaining about it?"

"It's because I hate feeling useless. When my powers are gone, how can I possibly defend my friends?"

"Ichigo…you need to know that you'll never really be powerless. Even when your Shinigami powers fade, you'll still be able to fight for your friends. Besides, you never know. You might actually find a way to bring them back."

"How would you know?"

"It's because I have faith in you, Ichigo. Ever since you came to rescue me from execution, I always believed that you would find a way to help protect your friends."

Muken: Maggot's Nest: Soul Society

Pain ran through his body. Aizen's head was tilted down and he looked into the Abyss below him. Chains wrapped around his outstretched arms and over his body, pulling in various directions. Even though he had only served about a month of his 20,000 year sentence, the pain was becoming unbearable for him. He could only look into the Abyss far below him and he felt it gazing into him.

He found it odd that even though he was able to use air as solid ground, there was nothing solid about the air below him. He felt as though nothing but the chains was holding him up and it unnerved him. When he walked in the air, he felt like a God. He felt as though he could control the lands beneath his feet. However, that feeling was gone now. He felt helpless and for Souske Aizen that was even worse than the physical pain.

If the opportunity came that he could get his feet to touch solid ground again, he would take it. Even if he had to bow his head or prostrate himself, he would do it. Anything was better than this feeling of complete helplessness.

Karakura Town

The Hollow was on the hunt. It sniffed the air for any souls it could devour. It had stayed away from Karakura Town while the Soul Reapers were cleansing the area that was transferred to the Soul Society. However, the Soul Society was returning to a state of normalcy and the Hollows would once again be able to feed in Karakura Town.

It made its way through the deserted streets. So far it did not sense any Soul Reapers around. It let out a low chuckle and continued hunting for prey. It then heard a whimpering noise coming from one of the side streets. It slunk towards the noise and saw the spirit of a young girl crying under a street lamp. It licked its teeth and made its way towards her.

Hell

Szayel Aporro opened his eyes. He sat up and saw Aaroniero lying nearby. He remembered that the bastard had tried to devour him. Then…that bastard showed up. What did he say his name was again? Oh, that's right, his name was Shuren and he…Szayel Aporro did not want to think about being defeated a third time. The first two times were against Mayuri Kurotsuchi who not only allowed his Bankai to devour him, but he then dared to suggest that he wasn't even a real scientist while slowly pushing his Zanpakuto towards his heart.

Szayel Aporro looked at Aaroniero and smiled to himself. This was the perfect opportunity to find out exactly what that fluid inside his tank was made of. He could just leave the two heads lying around for all eternity and not have to worry about getting devoured.

Now…how to get that damn tank open?

Squad 4 Barracks, Seireitei

"I see…Now, I see…Her heart was always there…"

"…In my hand," Ulquiorra said, opening his eyes.

His emerald eyes widened in surprise. He was no longer in Hueco Mundo. He felt his head, but did not feel his mask fragment. He reached to his chest and did not feel his Hollow hole. He was no longer a hollow.

"Well…look who's up," a surly voice said from next to him.

Ulquiorra turned and saw Grimmjow grinning at him. He saw that Nnoitora was also sitting up in a bed further down, glaring at them.

"Well…I'm surprised to see such trash as you so close to me," Ulquiorra said in his monotone voice.

"Yeah…nice to see ya too," Grimmjow snarled.

"Would you shut the fuck up?" Nnoitora shouted.

"Oh…are ya looking for a fight?" Grimmjow asked.

"Fuck yeah…I'm fucking bored. Where's that Kenpachi guy?"

"Please be quiet, trash," Ulquiorra said.

"Oh yeah…make us you stuck up kiss ass," Grimmjow growled.

"Now, now, patients should get their rest," someone said.

The three turned and saw a woman standing in the doorway, smiling at them. Judging from her uniform, she must be a Captain…a rather scary Captain. Ulquiorra could tell that this was someone who could even make Aizen weep and beg for mercy. However, Grimmjow and Nnoitora were too arrogant to realize that.

"Oh yeah; who the fuck are you?" Grimmjow snarled.

"No shit…I don't take orders from a fucking bitch," Nnoitora sneered.

"Now, now, patients shouldn't talk like that to their healer," she said, smiling at them.

Grimmjow and Nnoitora were about to respond…and then they really saw her smile. Ulquiorra was slightly…amused to see their faces grow pale and their faces express pure dread and terror. They immediately lay down in bed and covered their faces with their blankets.

"Yes…yes Ma'am," they said.

Hmm, this woman is a forced to be reckoned with, Ulquiorra thought. Not even Aizen got them to behave like that.

"And how are you feeling?" the woman asked Ulquiorra.

"I am a bit fatigued, Woman," Ulquiorra said.

"Oh, please, call me Unohana. Well, it's only natural that you would still feel fatigued."

"Are there any others like us who made it here, to the Soul Society?"

"Oh yes," Unohana said, smiling, although this one was not as threatening as her other smile. "We got one nice young man who's constantly asking where 'Master Nnoitora' is."

"Holy shit…Tesla's here," Nnoitora whispered. "Fuck, I thought I was rid of him for good."

"Then we got six men…although I'm not sure about one. He's continually pestering my squad for something a bit more…sexy to wear."

"Shit…Cuuhlhourne must be here too," Grimmjow muttered.

"How the fuck did that…that thing get here?" Nnoitora asked.

"Hmm, it sounds as though Baraggan's fraccion made it here as well. Have any other former Arrancars arrived?"

"Oh yes, three women just woke up and they are fighting with each other. A young girl, a man with a faded goatee, and a woman just got in."

"Well, it sounds as though Harribel and her fraccion are here as are Starrk and Lilynette. That is good news to hear," Ulquiorra said.

"Oh…are they friends of yours?" Unohana asked.

"I do not really know how to answer that," Ulquiorra said thinking about it.

Karakura Town

The spirit ran and the Hollow gave chase.

The Hollow had been careless. It had given out a soft chuckle as it approached the girl and the girl looked up. Seeing the Hollow, the girl became afraid and began to run. While the Hollow enjoyed a good chase, it was growing impatient. If this continued too long, then it might run into a squad of Soul Reapers on patrol.

"Come here, I promise to make it quick," it said.

However, the girl only continued to run. Then, she stopped. The Hollow thought that she might have finally accepted the inevitable. It launched at her.

The girl didn't know what made her stop. She only knew that some instinct took over. She turned and saw the Hollow jump at her. She smiled and launched herself at the creature. The creature's eyes widened in surprise and she opened her mouth as she grabbed hold of its head. She raised her head back, and then bit into the Hollow's mask.

The Hollow screamed in pain and horror. This was not the way it was supposed to go. Hollows were supposed to devour souls, not the other way around. However, this supposed law of nature did not matter to the girl. She only felt the need to devour the creature. She took another bite and this time blood gushed from the Hollow's wound.

"GET OFF ME, YOU BITCH!" the Hollow shrieked.

However, the spirit did not seem to hear. Instead, she continued to devour the Hollow. The Hollow felt its strength and energy flowing out of him and into her. The Hollow gave a shudder and then it died. The girl stood over the corpse, blood staining her lips and chin and her clothes. She heard footsteps behind her and turned.

"Did you do this?" the man asked.

She could not see his face, since the shadows hid it. She could only see the pair of black shoes, khaki pants, and a dark blue shirt, and a long black coat. She could tell that he was thin and slightly above average height. He held a walking stick with a golden head that resembled a human skull.

"I…I don't know…"

"It's alright. It's perfectly normal for you not to understand what's happened. Ah…your Chain of Fate is gone."

The girl looked at her chest where the broken chain once dangled. She saw that it was gone and not even the chain's anchor was where it had been. She looked at the man standing before her. She saw his hand stretched towards her. She backed away.

"It's alright, you're like me now. Don't worry, there are others. I'm sure you'll like them."

"Am I…am I a monster?"

"No, you are merely a leap forward in Soul Evolution," he said. "Tell me, do you remember your name?"

"I…I can't remember…"

"It's sad, but it is one of the consequences of evolving. Everyone should have a name, don't you think?"

"I…I guess so."

"Well, at least your honest about your uncertainty. It is good for everyone to have a name. Let me see…what would be the right name for you? Hmm, let's see. You're still a child. I think that the right name would be from authors who celebrated childhood…yes…I have it. You're name is Harper Bradbury."

"Harper…Bradbury?" she asked, uncertain.

"Of course, if you can't remember your own name, then use names from authors you admire. I happen to admire Harper Lee and Ray Bradbury who wrote excellent books about childhood."

"Harper Bradbury," the girl said again, trying out the name again and found that she liked it.

"Well then, shall we go, Harper Bradbury?" the man asked.

"Sure, but…where are we going?"

"We're going to your new family."

End of Prologue

A.N.: This is the prologue to a story that I've been thinking about. While I was rewatching episodes of "Bleach" I began to wonder what would happen if a spirit could devour a Hollow, or even a Soul Reaper? While Bleach and the Cannon characters belong to Tite Kubo, the OCs (especially the Mangiatori) are their own property.