Chapter 1: The Substitute Soul Guards
A young man sprinted through the streets of a small town late one summer evening. The sun was rapidly setting as an earsplitting howl broke the serene twilight. The man held a fierce determination in his firm gaze as he sped across an intersection having to jump to avoid hitting a car stopped at a stop sign. "Whew that was close." The young man uttered to himself as he darted his brown eyes back at the vehicle.
Meanwhile, a young woman had also been racing towards the sound of the hollowing. "Oh man, he's gonna beat me to it again!" She utters in frustration under her breath as she careened around a corner of a restaurant as she drew ever closer to her destination. In her crisp blue eyes was the same determination as the young man she was seemingly racing against. "Just a little closer… I might make it!" She thought in desperation as she pulled a small and delicate looking scythe off of her back. "Break Loose! Thunder Hawk!" She called out before a gust of wind enveloped the scythe before changing shape allowing the once miniature weapon into an axe twice the original size. "Almost there!" She growled as she willed her speed to increase, and there it was, the source of the howling.
As dusk settled in, the young woman caught her first glimpse when a monster appeared under a streetlamp. "Harvest All Life! Pale Horse!" The young man called out, though unlike the young woman, his scythe didn't appear to change aside from the blade taking on a placidly white tint while the long handle darkened to jet black.
The woman slowed to a stop as she watched in defeat as the young man brought the monster down with one swing. "Tch, I realize it was weak, but for him to drop it this easily?" The woman wondered as she flipped her dark red hair away from her face. "That one was mine you know!" She called out with an agitated smirk.
The young man rose with a start before running a hand through his brown hair out of embarrassment. "Ah, well… Sorry Vivian… It's just, it's so nice to finally be home after they sent me to Alaska, you know the banshees up there are usually Legion and stronger?" He asked as his scythe changed back to normal as he placed it on his back.
"So, then you decide to come back and take my kill?" Vivian asked with a playful smirk.
"Well I had to show you how much stronger I got." The young man replied.
"I've already seen you take banshees down with your ascendance. A miniscule increase in strength and speed is hardly impressive Leon." Vivian replied as she shook her head with her eyes closed. "While you were gone these past few years I attained true transcendence!" She exclaimed triumphantly.
"What, when?" Leon asked in pleasant surprise as he flashed her a grin.
"A few weeks ago actually." Vivian replied with a cocky pride evident in her voice.
"Ha, beat you by a few months!" Leon exclaimed as he pounded his chest once as if demonstrating his superiority.
"No way, really?" Vivian asked somewhat deflated that her friend had beaten her to achieving transcendence.
"Yeah… General Blake helped me with the training." Leon replied with a shiver as he thought back to his time spent in Alaska.
"Okay, so what did the Master General want you to come back for?" Vivian asked nervously, and her nervousness intensified with the grim expression rapidly covering Leon's face.
"Apparently they found him… The one who made us what we are now… The old hag wants us to hunt him down." Leon replied, and Vivian glared at him.
"Why didn't you tell them no! We're not their servants just because they're willing to tolerate us, and why don't they do it if they managed to track him down?" Vivian asked angrily.
"Because full fledged Soul Guards can't invade foreign nations… But we can, and besides, don't you want to give him a good smack?" Leon asked with a smirk.
Vivian held her silence for a moment as he hand unconsciously drifted to a small, but very clear, scar just above and receding past the neckline of the skin-tight black long sleeved shirt under a jet black chest plate that was part of her standard Soul Guard's uniform. "Because we're substitutes." It was more of a statement than a question as she turned away in silent fury.
"That's right…" Leon uttered as he placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "Hey, it's Japan you know… Didn't you used to say you wanted to go there more than anything?" He asked with a caring grin.
Vivian quickly turned to her friend. "I can't believe you remembered that, but still, I don't want to go on business." She replied dismally.
"Well, who knows, if we can stop him fast enough, we'll be able to enjoy a little r-and-r." Leon replied. "Just wait, you'll see…" He uttered softly.
A few days later the two Soul Guards were stepping out of an airport in Japan. "Wow, I can't believe I'm actually here, and on the Soul Republic's budget at that!" Vivian exclaimed as she held her hand over her eyes as she took in the view of a large city in the distance.
"It's hot…" Leon uttered as he wiped away sweat that had already began to accumulate on his forehead. "Hey remember, we may not be the only people like us in the area… It may be only one, but we have to be careful to steer clear of any foreign Soul Guards." He whispered.
"Don't worry, I know how important it is to avoid detection… We do get news of fallen Soul Guards back in Ohio." Vivian whispered back irritably.
It took another hour before the two arrived at a luxurious hotel, and once Leon paid the cabdriver, and after the two verified their reservation, they were shocked to discover they had to share a room. "So… I get the couch I take it?" Leon asked with a goofy grin as he looked at a red-faced Vivian.
"I swear, if you grope me while I'm sleeping, I will kill you." Vivian warned flatly as she set her suitcase down next to the only bed.
"Vivian, you don't need to slander me, and besides, I figured it'd be better to search at night anyway. Less spiritual signatures to sift through." Leon replied defensively.
"Alright, but should I take it that I should search during the day?" Vivian asked, and while it clearly was not expressed in her question, Leon was sharp enough to get what she meant.
"Hmm, I don't think he'll move around in the daytime, but then again, I guess we can only be too careful… Maybe it would be best to see if we can't get a little local help." Leon replied tentatively, though Vivian knew him well enough to know he was speaking more to himself than to her.
"So, you want to get settled in before we start the hunt?" Vivian asked as she plopped down on the bed.
"That eager to get rid of me?" Leon asked as he cocked an eyebrow.
"Well my boyfriend is coming by, and I tend to not want other guys around for that." Vivian replied with a coy grin.
"Oh-ho-ho, I will keep that in mind for future reference. Catch you later." Leon replied with a smirk before pressing a skull-shaped badge against his chest, and with a flash of light his spiritual body shot out of his physical one. From neck to foot, he was covered in a black skin suit covered by a black chest plate and black boots, and strapped to his back by spiritual power alone, his trusted partner Pale Horse. "Be back by morning." He finished before passing clean through the window as he jumped to the adjacent rooftop.
Dusk was rapidly setting as Leon performed a quick scan of the city. "Nothing…" He uttered in disappointment, but as he was turning to leave he stopped before jerking his head toward the suburbs east of the city. "Hmm, so banshees appear here as well?" He wondered as he vanished into thin air, and a moment later he was looking down on a similar monster to the one he felled a few nights earlier. "Tch, not even a demonic banshee… And here I was hoping for a - hmm?" He paused as he felt another spiritual signature surface, and instinctively he hid his own as he dropped to the ground, still unnoticed by the monster. "Something else is coming." He thought as he narrowed his eyes on the banshee before a tall figure covered in a black cloak appeared before the monster, and even though he had just talked about avoiding others like him, he was mesmerized by the drastic differences between him and the orange haired man his eyes were glued to. "His armor, it's so loose, almost like a samurai…" He uttered as his eyes widened while the young man defeated the banshee with one attack. "I have to meet him." He decided before vanishing once again.
The young man with orange hair held a smirk on his face as a young woman with jet black hair and a wooden object strapped to her arm watched him perform a simple feet of placing the handle of his massive curved sword against the head of a glowing old lady. "You know, sometimes it's nice to not have to worry about just destroying hollows." The young woman stated merrily. "Wouldn't you agree Ichigo? Ichigo?" She asked as she turned to the young Shinigami to find a stunned expression on his face, and tracing his line of sight, it became apparent why.
"Um, howdy, my name is Leon Pain, and I come in peace." Leon uttered nervously.
"Stand back Rukia, we don't know anything about this guy, and you, what are you, hollow, Shinigami, Quincy, or are you a fullbringer?" Ichigo asked as he pointed Zangetsu at the young man in front of him.
"Who, I don't recognize any but a few words. What's a Shinigami?" Leon asked nervously as he reached back for his scythe.
"Are you serious? You can see us which means you have to have a seriously significant reiatsu." Ichigo replied irritably.
"Ray-what? Um, could you speak in complete English please?" Leon asked in frustrated confusion, and Rukia and Ichigo exchanged blank stares, and instantly Ichigo flinched as he knew all too well what his midget friend was going to do next.
"We, being me and my friend here, are Shinigami, we possess what is called reiryoku, or you could say it's spiritual power, and reiatsu is the wave of power that gently radiates from all things." Rukia explained with Chappy pictures.
"Uh-huh, so if I got this correct, you guys are something like Soul Guards, and this reiryoku stuff is soul power, and reiatsu or whatever is a spirit signature, okay, what about Quincys?" Leon asked, and again Rukia started drawing pictures.
"Quincys are like us, sort of, like us they fight hollows, but unlike us who purify the hollows, the Quincys utterly destroy them." Rukia explained.
"And hollows would be banshees? That monster you just destroyed?" Leon asked, and Ichigo gave a hesitant nod. "What's wrong with you?" He asked upon noticing Ichigo's scowl for the first time.
"I can tell you're not a threat, but you didn't answer my question." Ichigo replied.
"Alright, not sure how you do things with whatever order you come from, but let me explain a little about what a Soul Guard is. A Soul Guard, is a person that died, was reborn in the afterlife, and went on to become a powerful warrior charged with the protection of souls as we guide them to the afterlife, or we vanquish banshees who try to eat them." Leon explained. "Well real Soul Guards do anyway…" He finished rather disappointed.
"Real Soul Guards?" Rukia asked before grinning at Ichigo.
"Well, I'm a sub really, I was tricked by a man named Damien West, and well… Hey that badge!" Leon exclaimed upon noticing the badge at Ichigo's waist. "You're a substitute too!" He continued gleefully, and a shocked Ichigo slowly lowered Zangetsu.
"Rukia, is it possible that this man could be some kind of foreign Shinigami?" Ichigo asked nervously.
"I think we should at least take him to meet Urahara." Rukia replied calmly.
"U-ra-ha-ra…" Leon slowly tried to pronounce the name to make sure he sounded right. "Is this person like you guys?" He asked with a heavy sense of intrigue on his face. He knew it was dangerous to be so cavalier, but he had to know more about the Japanese Soul Guards he just met, these Shinigami, the word echoing through his mind sounded cool enough to him, and besides, they seemed just as interested in figuring out more about him.
"Something like that, he's more of a consultant nowadays." Rukia replied with a grin.
"Great, I can't wait to meet him." Leon replied before the group vanished into the night air.
After a few minutes, the three settled in a seemingly abandoned lot in front of a worn candy shop. "We're here." Ichigo stated with a sense of annoyance in his voice.
As Leon followed the two Shinigami toward the shop he took account of the sword at the girl's hip and the even bigger one on the boy's back. "Could those be their reaper-blades?" He wondered as his eyes darted back and forth. "Do they have transcendence or just ascendance?" He wondered as he began to feel nervous. "Yeah, the guy definitely has transcendence or is about to achieve it, but the girl… It is possible." He decided quietly while Rukia knocked loudly on the door.
As the group waited for an answer, Leon suddenly jerked his head to the right just before Vivian landed right in front of him. "You dumbass! You go on about the importance of avoiding locals, and you go up and introduce yourself, tell me again why I shouldn't kick your ass!?" She shouted before punching Leon in the jaw.
"Ugh, because you just did?" Leon asked as he rubbed his chin.
"Don't give me your sarcasm you bastard!" Vivian shouted, and with a sudden kick she managed to drop Leon to the ground as he rubbed his shin.
"Alright, alright! I'm sorry, just stop kicking me, you hit like a guy!" Leon knew he had made a bad choice of words as he immediately covered his mouth, but it was too late, and Rukia and Ichigo stood by in stunned silence as they watched the two go at it until the girl was satisfied with the steady stream of blood flowing from Leon's nose. "Well, now that that's over, time for some introductions, guys, this is my fellow substitute Soul Guard, and part-time best friend, Vivian Gray. Vivian this is, uh…" He trailed off when he realized he didn't exactly know their names.
"Kuchiki Rukia, and this is Kurosaki Ichigo." Rukia replied with a bow while Vivian smacked Leon on the back of the head.
"Did you tell her everything?" Vivian asked angrily.
"No, I hadn't got the chance to fully explain when they said I needed to meet this Ura-something-guy." Leon replied.
"It's actually Urahara Kisuke." Urahara stated as he slid open the door to his shop, and instantly his eyes focused on the two foreigners. "Ooh, well isn't this a fascinating development?" He asked as he fanned his face.
"Urahara-san, may we come in?" Rukia asked with a bow.
"Certainly Rukia-chan, come on in." Urahara replied in a singsong voice.
Once inside, the Shinigami and Soul Guards huddled around a small round table joined by Urahara and Yoruichi. "Huh, you know they kind of do look like Shinigami, until you take in their uniforms." Yoruichi replied with a puzzled look.
"Um, Urahara, what are those swords?" Vivian asked as she pointed at the massive sword on Ichigo's back.
"It's called a zanpakuto. It starts as a plain katana mostly, and then with proper training the Shinigami forges from it a shikai and a bankai." Urahara explained. "And the scythe on your backs?" He asked in return.
"Reaper-blades." Leon answered for Vivian. "It's similar to your zanpakutos, but with different terminology and appearance. We have what is called ascendance, where a fraction of the reaper-blade's true power is at our command, and transcendence where we receive all of the reaper-blades power." He continued while Vivian gave him a worried look.
"I have to ask-" Vivian was cut off by Leon.
"Don't bother…" Leon uttered.
"What, you don't even know what I was going to ask." Vivian shot back in a hurt tone of voice.
"You were about to ask if they've seen anyone dressed like us, but can't you tell that they obviously haven't?" Leon asked.
"Oh, I guess you're right." Vivian replied meekly.
"Getting back to the topic, this transcendence, do you possess that skill?" Urahara asked.
"Well… Yes, but if your next question is to see it, I'm sorry, but I can't demonstrate it… It's too dangerous." Leon replied.
"How so?" Urahara asked intrigued by Leon's air of mystery.
"Because it has a terrifying passive ability… When I activate it, it draws all soul power in of every living thing… It was classified as a banshee-blade by the Master General." Leon explained. "It will continue to draw in the power until there's either nothing left for it to take it, or I activate it's aggressive abilities." He continued.
"Hmm, how disappointing." Urahara replied. "Hmm, a bankai-like ability that can suck things dry of their reiryoku? That is somewhat like a hollow's power… I wonder…" He thought as he stared off into space.
"So do you guys have anything like shunpo?" Yoruichi asked. "To clarify it's an ability to run faster than one can see." She continued.
"Oh, like the phantom sprint?" Leon asked. "Figured that much out years ago." He continued.
"Wanna race?" Yoruichi challenged Leon with a grin, but the young man hesitated while his friend shot up to her feet.
"You're on!" Vivian exclaimed confidently.
Leon sat in awkward silence until the two women left before continuing on. "So tell me, do either of you have transcendence?" Leon asked in a state of extreme curiosity.
"Well not sure if it's the same, but I can invoke a bankai." Ichigo replied cockily.
"Wow, I bet your really strong." Leon uttered. "But then again, I did soar to a General's level of soul power so…" He trailed off as he seemed to stare off into space for a second before he shot straight up. "He… He's close." He uttered, but a moment later he furrowed his brow in frustration. "And gone, but that was definitely Damien." He continued as he sat back down.
"So that taichou class reiatsu was that man West-san?" Ichigo asked with a serious expression on his face. "It appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye, and it was all around the city as if he was everywhere at once." He uttered in confusion.
"So is the ability of his Infinity Mirror… It's his reaper-blade, its ascendance is bad enough. It first allows him to take the form of anything he wants, but in transcendence it just gets flat out ridiculous… An infinite number, only limited by his strength, but he can generate fully functioning clones of himself… Granted they're vastly weaker, they can still be extremely dangerous, and they can use any ability he can bar his reaper-blade abilities, and just for fun, the passive ability of both ascendance and transcendence is that his spiritual signature grows drastically in size, but man could you imagine if he somehow had the golden power to increase his overall soul power?" Leon asked after his explanation.
"That's very similar to Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu…" Ichigo thought while Rukia began to grimace at the memories of Aizen's betrayal brought up to the surface by the similarities in his and Damien's powers.
"Ichigo… We have to help him." Rukia whispered. "This man was a problem of theirs, and now he is here… A man with power similar to Aizen's comes from a foreign land to where he could enter the Soul Society." She continued in hushed tones.
"So what about you, how strong is the strongest you've fought?" Leon asked breaking the two Shinigami out of their private conversation.
"Pain-san was it? How would you like to come with us to the Soul Society, there is much to discuss that could pertain to this West-san you mention." Rukia pipes up.
"Huh? Why?" Leon asked curiously.
"I can't say for sure yet, it's more of a suspicion really, but the thing is, there's someone we have locked up with powers very similar to what you just described, and as such I think it could very well be possible that this isn't just a random coincidence, this West-san coming here." Rukia explained.
"Ah, so a share for a share, I tell you all I know in case Damien is planning to release this Aizen-guy, and in the event that he succeeds, I'll have information on your prisoner… Yeah I think that would probably be for the best." Leon replied tentatively. "Not to mention that old hag would probably flip a gasket if she found out I was going to a foreign version Soul Republic!" He thought gleefully. "Oh we just need to wait on Vivian and the woman." He continued as an afterthought.
"Well while not technically outlawed in Soul Society, Yoruichi and I prefer the simplicity of the living world." Urahara replied with a grin.
"Oh, so are you a Shinigami or are you just a spiritually aware human?" Leon asked as he tried his hardest not to let an uncomfortable silence set it.
"Oh I'm a Shinigami alright, and I used to be a taichou at that, but…" Urahara paused as he pulled his hat down over his eyes.
"Nah don't sweat it, if it was a painful memory I won't press you." Leon replied thoughtfully.
"Hmm, this kid is certainly interesting, and that weapon… It doesn't feel anything like the girl's reaper-blade, and hers felt close to that of a Shinigami's zanpakuto. Just what is he?" Urahara wondered a moment before the two women came back inside.
"He's taunting us, and Yoruichi says he might be after someone called Aizen." Vivian uttered irritably as she sat down next to Leon.
"Yeah, that's what these guys are thinking." Leon replied as he motioned to Urahara. "What do you say to going to their Soul Republic though?" He asked nervously as he rubbed the girl's back to try and calm the girl's trembling rage.
"Do you really think it's a smart idea?" Vivian asked worriedly.
"Why not? We're all on the same side, and we can help them out. This Aizen guy is only going to get help from the one Damien West, they on the other hand get two General class Soul Guards." Leon replied.
"Well…" Vivian paused as she locked eyes with Leon, his firm unwavering eyes that always somehow managed to drain all of the resistance from her body. "Fine, but we need to be careful in how we deal with the local authority, they may not play by the same rules as us." She continued in hushed tones.
"Don't worry, I've got your back." Leon replied before turning back to Urahara with a firm nod following.
"That's what worries me." Vivian thought with a sigh.
"Perfect, follow me Leon-kun." Urahara replied with a cheesy grin.
"What does that mean? -Kun?" Leon asked as the group stood up before heading outside. At least this was another thing the two groups shared in common, that the entrances to their Soul Republics required an open space.
"It's a term of endearment usually given to little boys." Ichigo replied for Urahara.
"Little boys?" Leon asked as he cocked an eyebrow. "I'm twenty-two years hold, and have been a substitute Soul Guard for eight years now, I hardly think I'm just some little boy." He explained irritably before a large gate appeared before them, a little different in appearance, but it was unmistakably the entrance to the Shinigami's Soul Republic, or Soul Society as they had put it.
"So Leon-kun, are you ready to see the Seireitei?" Urahara asked once more putting a look of confusion on the faces of the two Soul Guards before the group passed though the Senkaimon, and into the Soul Society.
Chapter 1 - end - So what do y'all think, this is the first installment in a new series entitle When World's Collide, yeah cliché I know, and I bet you can see where the title makes sense, never the less notable differences are as follows: shikai = ascendance, bankai = transcendence, reaper-blade = zanpakuto (though the reaper-blade in sealed form is always a scythe) Kido = Demon Arts, Hado = Path of Destruction, Bakudo = Path of Binding, shunpo = phantom sprint, and yes all reaper-blades names and release commands will be English as it is the American version of Shinigami, and another difference is that Soul Society = Soul Republic (of course they aren't the same exact place, but are equivalent. Anyway R&R
(Phantom sprints to grab my reaper-blade, Transcendence!)
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the original characters, story elements, and abilities, all rights to tite kubo