Spectre (n):
a ghost; phantom; apparition
a mental image of something unpleasant or menacing
Kuorsaki Ichigo stared at the Soul Badge gloomily. He could still hear the Captain Commander's voice, asking him to help the Gotei 13 bring down the traitorous Aizen. Honestly, Aizen terrified part of the teen deep inside, his power was unreal. But at the same time, there was this longing to fight Aizen again. Regardless though, there was only one reason to defeat him: to atone for the crimes against the Gotei 13.
It would be his only reward, but it was all he wanted.
Kuchiki Rukia found the Hollow with little difficulty. She had been on top of her game since she first came to the human world a few weeks ago, and she was desperate to impress Byakuya. To impress her brother was really her only goal. Lately, however, someone else had been slaying the Hollows. Every time she would arrive either while or after the Hollow dissipated, but not tonight she told herself. She would find out who the vigilante was.
Keeping some distance from the Hollow, Rukia let her senses reach out to find the vigilante if he were to show up. Nothing. She continued following the monster only to realize that it was after something or someone. It was taking a direct route to whatever it was hunting.
Closing the gap, she couldn't help but curse to herself, "C'mon Mister Vigilante..." While she really wanted to know whoever it was killing the Hollows, she was not prepared to let anyone innocent get hurt.
Suddenly, the Hollow shrieked and lunged at a lone teen in the streets below. Rukia immediately used Shunpo to cut it off, but then she felt someone grab her arm and twist her around forcibly. She managed to see the face of the teen that the Hollow was originally after—and she could feel his power, the power of a shinigami... and something else... Under his orange hair, his face twisted up into a scowl as the Hollow's teeth sank into his shoulder.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The teen spat out just before an unusually shaped sword without a tsuba or even a hilt sprang up, through the sidewalk and into his hand. And with one stroke, he ripped himself out from the monster's jaw and sliced it in half. Even with all the blood he was losing, it seemed like a mundane task for the orange-haired teen.
"Who're—" Rukia started before the other held up his bloody hand to stop her.
"Are you hurt?" He seemed genuinely concerned as his sword vanished in a black mist of reiatsu.
"Uh... um... yeah... I'm fine," She stumbled around her words before pointing to the other's wound. "You, whoever you are, on the other hand..."
"Ichigo, and I'll be fine," He seemed sure about this and even the petite shinigami started to believe him despite the look of the wound. "You have a name or will Miss Shinigami do?"
"Rukia Kuchiki," She told him proudly, "So you're a shinigami too?"
Turning to leave, Ichigo threw a hand up to wave good bye, "Why don't we chat sometime when I'm not bleeding? Later, Rukia." It wasn't even three or four steps until he collapsed. Immediately, Rukia jumped over to help him up, "No, really... I don't need any help."
Smiling, Rukia looked up at Ichigo sprawled over her shoulders, "Of course you do."
"No. I don't," The scowl returned just before he spat up blood. He tried to lean off of her as she protested but almost instantly he fell back onto her shoulders. She thought she heard him murmur, "I hate being this weak."
"You're fi—" Rukia began before feeling something inside her pulsate, first softly but growing more and more painful with each beat. Dropping to the ground, she began to scream as she felt her warmth fade.
"Rukia!" Ichigo called out in panic as he watched the shinigami under him writhe in pain. There was this warm pulse beating through his body, it was soothing even, but it went unnoticed as he called for the shinigami, wrapping his arms under her.
And then she stopped screaming altogether, as did the strange pulse.
Horrified, Ichigo turned her limp body over only to see the lifelessness in her eyes. Brushing the hair out of her face, he let out a weak "Rukia?" Panic flooded over a second time as he realized that not only could he stand, but there wasn't any pain at all and the bleeding had stopped.
"Did I...?"
Lifting Rukia into his arms, Ichigo flash stepped away.
It didn't take long to traverse the city back to his place—in fact, he felt faster than usual. Bursting through the door, he began yelling, "Dad! Dad!"
Isshin and both of Ichigo's sisters, Karin and Yuzu, came running. "Ichigo!"
"I don't know what happened, she just started screaming and passed out." Ichigo was trying to calm himself as best he could.
"Bring her in here and put her on the couch," Isshin was completely calm as he pointed to his son's shoulder. "Ichigo, were you hurt before she blacked out but fine afterwards?"
"Yes," He lowered his head, knowing that whatever happened was somehow his fault.
"Interesting," The dad turned to the two sisters, "Call Urahara and tell him to come over as soon as he can." Yuzu nodded and took off while Karin just sat there until Isshin nodded to her.
"What does it mean?" Ichigo asked the moment his sisters left.
"What does what mean?" It was obvious that he was trying to avoid answering the question at hand. He was even avoiding looking directly at Ichigo.
A fist slammed into the wall, leaving a crushed dent despite the teen restraining himself. "C'mon tell me what happened. What did I do?" He lowered his arm, fist still clenched.
Rubbing his neck, Isshin gave an unsure expression as he gazed over at his son. He let out a long sigh before speaking, "You get your shinigami powers from me, but your mom wasn't a normal human you know? Not for most of her life anyway. She was what is known as a Spectre."
"A Spectre?" Ichigo repeated solemnly.
Isshin just nodded and continued, "Spectres are like soul eaters, but they only absorb one part of the soul, just as you have. You have stripped this shinigami of her powers, taken them for yourself, and in the process healed yourself. Regardless of your intentions, the absorption is permanent. Just as one can not un-eat food, you cannot un-absorb her power. She will live, but as an ordinary spirit."
Staring down at his hands, Ichigo practically watched as the guilt ate its way under his skin. He could feel the presence of another zanpakuto within him; a whole library's worth of kido spells circled his head. The scariest thing about it though was that it felt like he always had these new powers.
"Ichigo," Isshin's face had become stern, "You need to understand these powers. Your Soul Absorption will only happen if you reach out for power, if you want more power than you'll take it. You must touch them and want the power. The absorption isn't instantaneous either so it can be interrupted. Don't be afraid of your power but also don't take it lightly."
The orange haired teen dropped down into a seat, trying to collect his thoughts.
"As a Spectre, you can become extremely powerful, but heed the warning, Ichigo. Heed the warning," Isshin's voice trailed off before he started again, "The name Spectre itself is the warning. Many in the past lost touch with everyone, everything in their quest for power, in essence becoming sort of living spectres. On the other hand though, many more lost touch trying to avoid accidentally hurting those that they loved. Find the balance, Ichigo."
Looking back to his hands, Ichigo felt something new, something different.
I must find the balance, Ichigo thought to himself.
He sat on the edge of a skyscraper, legs handing off, elbows on knees. The view was pretty amazing and the rather strong breeze felt refreshing. A few more skyscrapers surrounded the one Ichigo was on but none were as high.
There was a twinkle of blue from one of the farther buildings.
"Not this guy again," Ichigo sighed, leaning a few inches to the right just before a blue arrow whizzed by.
"Kurosaki," The Quincy announced himself as he appeared from behind. Looking over his shoulder, Ichigo examined Uryu. He seemed to have a new bow but the same attitude and attire from before.
"What brings you here, Quincy?" A knowing smile spread across Ichigo's face.
Taking aim and pulling an arrow back, Uryu answered, "I've come to kill you, Kurosaki."