I don't own Bleach. Nor do I really want to... I had this idea, figured I'd post it see if anyone likes it.
He moved as fast as he could; clutching the injury on the side his chest as he moved. The blood was seeping through his hands, and his mind was slowly become a fog but he continued to focus. This after all wasn't the first time in Kurosaki Ichigo's life that he had been impaled with a sword. Spinning around, he raised his cleaver shape weapon towards his attacker sending a burst of powerful energy from the tip of the blade before he spun around and dove for the ground.
The street of Karakura hadn't changed much, and he was thankful for that. He had spent the last 30 or so years up in soul society only coming back when invited by his family or friends. He lived a much different life then he had when he was fifteen. As his feet hit the concert street, his breaths came out in raspy bursts as he forced his body to move. Drawing up a map of his old home town in his mind, he tried to remember where he was before his world begun to spin. He continued to try and push his body onwards but slowly darkness started to settle in to his vision; until the last thing he remembered was falling before there was nothing…
"Wake up! Come on you don't want to die here do you shinigami?" A voice called through the darkness of Ichigo's mind.
A low groan escaped from the lips of the shinigami as he tried to move. Every fiber of his being hurt but again pain was something Ichigo was use to and as he opened his eyes he struggled to sit up. His vision was hazy and as he reached down, wet blood still soaked his side but not as much as before. He had been out for a while, but not too long. He was half surprised to be alive, and as he shook his head to clear out his vision he turned towards his would be savior.
The ally way was dark, only the light of the street lamp at one end offered any real hope at light. His savior was wearing dark clothes, a black hoodie and dark jeans. Even in the dark, his eyes caught a flash of purple under the dark hood his savior was wearing. A familiar type of purple… His gut seemed to tighten before he swiftly forced himself to his feet, grabbing onto the walls of the alley for support until the haze, his mind was still in disappeared.
"What are you trying to do?" The accusing voice from his savior rang behind him. "I know shinigami are already dead so are you trying to kill yourself a second time?"
Ichigo really didn't want to argue but he could tell his savior was female, which only seemed to intensify that feeling in his gut. Shaking his head once again, he vainly called out to the darkness in his mind as if expecting an answer only to hear nothing. It was the fact he didn't hear a snappy commit worried him more than his current condition. Something was wrong with him, more so then the large wound in his side.
"I don't know who you are but get out of here, it dangerous to be around me" Ichigo growled towards his savior as he stepped out onto the street.
"I can believe that with your injuries, but come on. I know someone who can help you" Ichigo's savior motioned with a wave of her hand.
Ichigo stared at his savior's boldness as his brow lowered and his signature trademark scowl appeared on his face. Didn't she realize someone was hunting him? Scoffing he staggered forward with all the grace of a man long drunk before steadied himself on a news paper stand. He had to get away from her, clearly she was spiritually aware and the fact she knew what a shinigami was seemed to say this was by far not her first paranormal contact.
"You don't understand, I'm being hunted and hanging around me could make you a target!" Ichigo tried to explain before he inhaled sharply his hand going towards his side.
His savior seemed to pause slightly at his words before she reached out and grabbed his hand. She didn't seem to care how much danger he was in. Reluctantly he was tugged by his hand before with a bit of his remaining strength he managed to free his hand glare daggers at his savior. His savior turned around reaching up pulling off her hood as her own deep violet eyes glared daggered back at him. In an instant, Ichigo recognized her face but his heart was all too quick to remind him of the impossibility of her appearance. The person who had that face was suppose to be dead…
"You're an idiot you know that! Just follow me alright and I'll get us somewhere safe" his savior once again took the sleeve of his shinigami robes and began to pull him along once again.
Ichigo didn't fight this time; he just didn't have the energy too. He had tough fight before this and now the thing that normally gave him the energy to continue on seemed to be somehow not working. His spiritual pressure just didn't have the same overwhelming feeling it normally did. He was growing weaker and for the first time he felt like maybe without his savior's help then possibility it would finally be the end of the man who was thought of as the hero of the winter war.
As he stumbled behind his savior, he almost feel over several times until she gave an aggravated noise and pulled him closer to her so he could use her as support. Ichigo wanted to shy away from the contact but he really wasn't in much of a position to refuse her help. He didn't know where they were going but his savior seemed to think it was going to be safe were ever she was bringing him. He could only pray that her idea of safe and his idea of safe were similar places.
He was finally beginning to recognize some of the streets they were heading down before the shill sound of hollow rang in the air. Just what he needed; a new threat to attract attention to himself. A frustrated noise echoed in the back of his throat before he forcefully pulled himself from his savior and grabbed Zangetsu from his back in one quick motion. As he staggered slightly, Ichigo set his feet wide apart to gain stable footing as his dark eyes scanned the sky for the white masked threat.
"A hollow? Damn this isn't a good time. Dad's out" His savior moaned behind him. "Are you an idiot, you can't fight that thing in your condition!"
Ichigo reached up rubbing his eyes before looking back at his savior. "Fool; it's a shinigami's job to protect souls from hollows, even if that means their lives" The determination in Ichigo voice was weaker then he would of wanted it to be. "Now get out of here,"
His savior snorted at the comment before shaking her head and heading off back down the street. Ichigo watched her go out of the corner of her eye before he turned his attention back to the sky. His grip on Zangetsu tightened as a creature that seemed to resemble a spider appeared in the heavens. The sword warmed in Ichigo hands a silently reminder that Zangetsu's spirit was there by his side. The hollow instantly spotted him and in a moment it was before the shinigami, licking its lips hungry.
"What a lucky day that I find such a meal as this already weak" The hollow purred with delight.
Ichigo clenched his jaw. "I will be no meal to you hollow" He drew up what little spiritual pressure that remained in his body and summoned his swords power. "Getsuga Tenshō!"
The attack erupted from the tip of his blade with deadly intent as it surged towards the hollow, but it quickly evaded to the left allowing the attack pass right by. The hollow gave a bit of a low chuckle before it sprung at Ichigo who quickly dodge to his right. As he appeared in a burst of shunpo across the street, harsh breaths escaped from Ichigo chest as his wound seemed to renew with bleeding and make his vision fuzzy once again. He was losing too much blood…
The hollow slowly turned his attention towards Ichigo, the manic grin on it hollow mask only seemed to intensify. It looked like a cat that had just cornered a mouse as it suddenly rushed forwards towards Ichigo hoping to end this game quickly. Ichigo bravely raised his cleaver shaped blade to guard himself from the oncoming hollow. As he braced himself for more pain something different happened as a blue explosion erupted in the space between him and the hollow and Ichigo was quickly grabbed from behind and pulled away.
A roar of pain echoed from the hollow from the explosion as the creature clawed at its face. Ichigo was just as surprised by the attack as the hollow had been it seemed and as he glance at his new savior he found it was the same girl as before. Ichigo's face registered confusion as the girl continued to pull him, playing with a small metal cylinder in her hand. The hollow seemed to recover, quickly turning its attention back towards the shinigami and the girl. It gave a frustrated roar and charged forwards after the pair.
"What are you doing?!" Ichigo shouted at the girl. "That thing might kill us both now!"
"You are the most foolish person I have ever met!" She growled at him before she spun around and threw the cylinder. "Tilt the goblet to the west - Emerald Grail! Wolke"
Ichigo watched as the cylinder exploded once again in the hollows face and Ichigo had the haunting feeling he had seen this attack before. Where his brain didn't seem to want to remember but then again his memory wasn't the best with the blood loss, and it was only as the girl pulled out another cylinder did Ichigo catch the symbol embedded upon the silver canister. It was the symbol of the Quincy…
"Who are you?" Ichigo asked.
"Just someone who can see spirits" His savior replied before she pulled him around a corner.
The hollow followed, it rage about being attack and it's hunger spurring the creature to want nothing more than to want Ichigo and his savior dead and in its belly. Letting go of Ichigo, his savior turned around to face the hollow pulling out three cylinders at once as they seemed to glow blue in her hands. Ichigo stumbling forward collapsing on the ground from lack of support, a grunt of pain escaping his mouth as he quickly turned his eyes towards the hollow and his savior. She seemed to be chanting something but all that the hollow saw was an opening. Ichigo heart froze before with his remaining bit of strength he got to his feet and appeared in front of his savior just as the hollow's claws shot forward like bullets impaling him. The second Ichigo had bought his savior seemed to be enough for her to finish the chant and for the cylinder to explode from her hand wrapping the hollow in a strange silver barrier with a large quincy cross upon it.
Ichigo fell to his knees expecting to hit pavement but found himself in his savior's arms. She slowly lowered him to sitting position propping him up against a fire hydrant. At the movement a hiss of pain escaped him but he took a deep breath and sighed. A loud thump was heard from the container in which his savior had trapped the hollow in meaning it wouldn't last long. Looking at the girl, her eyes shifted to the metal trap before looking back at Ichigo, concern appearing within his dark purple eyes.
"Aren't you a quincy?" Ichigo asked as he reached up pulling one of the claw ends out of him and causing fresh blood to pour from it.
"So you know what a Quincy is? Funny most shinigami don't seem to, but no I'm not a quincy. Just someone who pretends to be one" She replied as she grimaced at his wounds. "Sorry about that" She said cautiously as she reached out and touched his fresh wound.
"Like I said a shinigami duty is to protect souls from hollows and that means even if the soul is still living" Ichigo said as he winced in pain. "Now get out of here before that hollow breaks out of whatever you put it in"
She glanced back at the metal container before looking back at Ichigo. Ichigo saw determination flash in her eyes before she shook her head. "Like hell I'm going to save my own ass when you saved me like that."
Ichigo sighed. "Your just stubborn look kid this is a matter of life and death"
She raised an eyebrow. "Who are you calling kid? You look as old as I do"
Ichigo didn't have a reply for that, he did look young but he had always looked young ever sense he first became a shinigami. He still looked like he'd fit right it going back to high school for he still looked like a 15 year old. Something that kind of bothered him at times but something he had learned to accept none the less. Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention back to his savior, a rebellious thought crossing his mind on how they could get out of his situation. It was crazy and honestly still quite illegal but he wouldn't be able to fight. Raising up zangetsu he pointed it at the girl using up some of the last bits of his strength.
"Do you have any way to fight against that hollow anymore?" Ichigo asked.
"Not really… Why do you have something in mind?" She asked eying the sword in his hand that was pointed at her.
"Yes, but it's crazy and honestly it could kill both of us" Ichigo replied.
"Well that hollow is going to kill at least one of us if we don't do it so I guess I'll do it" She said as her eyes remained focused on the sword.
"Well you know you could still run, and even if we both survive it could changed your fate forever" Ichigo replied.
The girl paused at Ichigo words, clearly taken by them. Ichigo watched her eyes carefully and he honestly expected her to take off at any moment to leave him to his fate, but as another loud thud echoed from the container the hollow was in, a look of determination appeared in the girl's eyes. Clearly she was willing to do it and Ichigo didn't know if he really should be agreeing to this but they didn't have any time and it seemed like no one was going to come to their rescue.
"What do I need to do?" Ichigo's savior asked her resolve reflecting in her tone.
Ichigo took a deep breath before his face became serious. "You must become a Shinigami. Take my sword and plunge it through your chest, I shall bestow onto you my shinigami powers and you will fight that hollow."
Her eyes widen as she looked at the sword with apprehension before taking a deep breath. "Give me that sword shinigami…" Her voice was strong and held the same determination his held on that dark night so long ago.
A small smile graced his face. "It's not shinigami, it's Kurosaki Ichigo"
Ichigo could have sworn he saw a look of recognition in the eyes of the girl before him before she smiled. "Ah, pleasure. I'm Saguwa Rukia… Hopefully this isn't the last for the both of us…"
Ichigo eyes flashed at the name before he watched Rukia stick the sword through her chest. A strange sensation flooded his body before there was an explosion of raw power. Ichigo had to shield his eyes and turn away as the sound of what appeared to be glass shattering was heard. It took a second for Ichigo eyes to adjust after being blinded by light of the explosion before the cry of the hollow echoed in the air. Ichigo eyes feel upon the hollow who now had 4 of its legs severed and was wallowing in pain upon the ground before his eyes flickered towards the black robe figure still holding the bloody sword. Another pain shot through his chest as he reached up and held his chest.
"Well well now looks like the roles have been reversed hollow" Rukia smirked before the hollow turned its attention back towards Ichigo clearly intent on still making a meal of him.
What happened next was lost on Ichigo as Rukia moved with the skills of flash step and appeared in front of the hollow. A roar of pain once again filled the street as Rukia sword cut cleanly through the hollow mask like a butter knife through hot butter. The hollow fell back dissolving into nothingness before his eyes as Rukia staggered slightly upon her feet.
"I did it…" Her voice was weak before she collapsed onto the ground clutching her zanpakuto in her hand.
Ichigo only took a deep breath as he leaned back; the ghostly white robes he wore meant he had lost all of his power in the transfer. He was going to be in loads of trouble once soul society had figured out what he had done, not that it mattered. He would have died here any ways he had just prolonged his death until soul society caught up with him. Maybe it would give him enough time to figure out who that figure who had been hunting him had been. Question buzzed through his mind as he tried to focus to ward off the cold and tired feeling that was slowly sinking into him. It was only as he heard the familiar sound of wooden sandals. Slowly Ichigo turned his dulled gaze towards the sound not completely surprised by who he found standing there.
"Urahara-san…." Ichigo's voice was weaker then he wanted it to be.
Urahara turned his attention towards Ichigo, that mischievous glint in his eye. "My My Kurosaki-kun you have really overdone yourself this time" He took a step towards Rukia. "It's remarkable isn't it, someone who can look so remarkably like Kuchiki-san. If I may inquire did you give her your powers for that reason?"
Ichigo just turned away from the old shop keeper, refusing to answer. Urahara glance back at Ichigo before he reached up and adjusted his striped hat upon his head. Looking in between the two, he let out a bit of a sigh before taking a step over and kneeling down in front of the man he once called a student of his. Ichigo still refused to look him but Urahara was use to the orange hair man's show of disrespect.
"You're pretty beat up, so we'll talk about all this later." He raised his hand up to Ichigo's face and in an instant Ichigo eyes went blank before he slumped over seemingly asleep.
Urahara reached down and threw Ichigo over his shoulder. "Even with these injuries you are still impossible to kill" Urahara seemed to sigh before he attention turned towards the next person to arrive on the scene, a small smile appeared on the shop keeper's face. "I take it you'll take care of your daughter?"
Uryu took a step the light of the street before looking down at Ichigo's savior. His lips were pressed into a fine line. Slowly he reached down cradling the new shinigami in his arms before walking over and placing her within the body that laid discarded near Ichigo. The girl remained unconscious even as Ishida took a deep breath and turned to look at the shopkeeper then at the blood stained man slumped over Urahara's shoulder.
"You better heal him up good, so I can kill him at full strength. My quincy pride refuses to attack a wounded man." Ishida spoke pointedly before he picked up Rukia into his arms.
Urahara chuckled. "I have a feeling Ichigo will have more than a few things to say to you once he finds out."
Uryu took a deep breath. "My daughter might look a lot like the late Kuchiki-san and have the same name, but she is not her." With that said the Quincy turned to leave.
"But isn't that why you adopted her Ishida-san?" Urahara asked after the Quincy.
There came no reply.