A/N: Wow guys, thanks so much for all the alerts! I have been motivated to add another chapter in less than twentyfour hours, a new record for me. That is how much I like writing this story.

A great big thanks to wolflovers6 who left a review- Thank you, I'm always worried that my characteres seem way to out-of-characters, I really appreciate your review!

A great big thanks also to OnlyXAlie who favorited. And a thanks to anyone who read it and though it was half decent! Much appreaciated.

I know there are some grammer and spelline errors so forgive me, I'll try harder to edit.

Diclaimer: All I own are the plot and the ocs.

Bleach, Blood and Hell

Ch. 2

The terrible shriek of a hollow filled the quiet night. It wasn't the blood hungry war cry that Yoruichi had heard hundreds, maybe even thousands of times before. This was a cry of pure agony. But hollows couldn't feel such pain could they? Yoruichi bet they could. The Shihoin clan head silently raced through the dense forest. The sound of all life ceased and even the wind stilled. In the pale moon light her eyes traced the dark silhouette of the monster in a clearing. It was hunched over, two claws ripping at its mask. Tearing at its own flesh. The mask flaked and cracked with a sickening crunch. Underneath it, Yoruichi could see a different mask forming. It was growing like a tumour, breaking the original mask. The hollow let out another mighty howl and the remains of its mask disappeared leaving a new one in place.

It was a mask she's seen before. It was a mask she had destroyed herself once. The one they could never seem to be rid off.

Ichigo's hollow mask.

Tap. Tap. Tap. It was so light, it almost sounded like the pitter patter of rain against glass, but it was too precise and too timed. Scrunching her eyes, Karin hoped it was just a dream. She was way too comfortable to budge from the comfort of her bed.

Tap. Tap. Tap. There it was again. Slightly irritated now, Karin yanked open the drapes to yell at the idiot outside.

"What the hell is-! Toshiro?" Karin stopped mid yell at the sight of the silver haired soul reaper standing just outside her window. He looked just like she remembered, with those superbly coloured eyes and that sword at his waist.

"You sleep like the dead, just like your brother," he replied smartly as she opened her window. Rolling her eyes, she stepped back to let the Captain in.

"No hollow hunting tonight?" she asked instead, choosing to ignore the previous comment.

"The others can handle it for a while," Toshiro replied, for once looking weary. Things were getting worse, and he could hardly afford a few hours to recuperate, but the Captain desperately needed a break.

"You look like crap," Karin noted nonchalantly. With his usually crisp haori slightly ruffled and dirt smudge on his forehead, Toshiro definitely looked worse for the wear, "Come on." She pulled open the door and held it open. Looking confused, he followed the girl out to kitchen where she indicated that he sit. Somewhat grumpily, he listened to order and stiffly sat down.

"Your powers have grown," Toshiro commented. She was far more in tune with the spirit world than before; he could feel the spiritual pressure she was letting off, it was really remarkable.

"Here's some tea and left overs," Karin quickly prepared a plate, with no real flare like Yuzu would have been able to do, but she got it warmed up. Setting in front of him, she raised an eyebrow and watched as he surveyed the food curiously, "It's fish, Toshiro-" last time he had fish it had been at Orihimie's, so his caution was understandable, "Just eat it."

"It's good," Toshiro commented after a bite, sounding surprised, "I'm assuming your sister made it."

"Why can't I have made it?" she asked with a twitching eye brow and Toshiro gave her a 'really?' look and she simply sighed in agreement. She definitely wasn't as handy in the kitchen as Yuzu was. Burnt toast was more her level, "Anyway, what's going on?" For the last month she'd been feeling the fluctuations in spiritual pressure followed by her brother's mysterious disappearances. Sometimes they were so powerful they'd actually make her freeze on the spot.

"Hollow are showing up, and it's getting worse," Toshiro replied with a hand on his chin, "Tell me, when you saw that hollow, did you recognize its mask?"

"Its mask?" she replied inquisitively as she remembered that night, "It seemed kinda familiar but I couldn't place it."

"Hmm," Toshiro replied distractedly. Both of them swivelled around when a loud howl punctuated the air. It was followed by a spiritual pressure. A weak one. Immediately Karin looked to Hitsugaya who was already on his feet with a hand on the hilt of sword. The pressure of this one was different too, nota as sinister as some of the others.

"Go," Karin whispered, leaning against the granite counter. Whatever it was, it scared her, so much so that she double locked the door once Toshiro left.

"Thanks a lot, Ichigo!" Kei screamed crossing the threshold into the Kurosaki household. Grabbing hold of the door she slammed into Ichigo's face. From the other side of the now shut door, a loud curse was heard as it collided with the Soul Reaper's head. The two had just returned from University. Ichigo was playing soccer full time and was going to school part time. To keep up the facade of being an ordinary young woman, Kei was forced to attend as well with the others.

"Welcome home!" Yuzu called from the kitchen while Karin gave a nonchalant wave from the couch. Both sisters seemed supremely unconcerned about their brother. After all, in the short week that Kei had been here, the two frienemies often came home in this fashion. With lots of yelling and occasionally violence.

"What the hell was that for?" Ichigo yelled standing in the doorway with the stance of a wrestler and the stubbornness of an elephant. A slightly red mark graced his forehead where he he walked into the door. The door was slammed shut once again, the wood making a slight cracking sound. Yuzu wondered how long it would be before the door snapped in half.

"Because you a freaking idiot!"

"You're the moron here, not me!"

"Ichigo, your stuffed animal climbed into my backpack and sexually harassed me!" she yelled back throwing the orange lion stuffy at Ichigo's head. For his part, Kon had the grace not to deny the claim, but he did holler spastically as his soft plush frame collided with Ichigo's hard head. It had been during math class when Kei felt something crawling up her leg. A loud scream and a kick later, she discovered Kon, while the rest of the class stared at her as though she was an alien. Not the best first impression, "Keep that freaking pedo bear away from me!"

"I can't control what he does!" Ichigo yelled back, throwing Kon across the room back at her.

"My stitches!" Kon's cry went unheard.

They both huffed and collapsed on the couch with identical expressions of anger. Karin and Yuzu watched, unsure what an appropriate response would be.

"For two people that hate each other, you certainly are alike," Karin commented before Yuzu could stop her. Two sets of fiery eyes turned to her. Even with her considerably less honed spiritual pressure, Karin could feel the malice coming off them. To give her credit, she didn't flinch as they glared at her and instead scowled back.

"Um...Dinner?" Yuzu asked hesitantly. Only she could get away with getting in the middle of their angry glaring contest. Karin, Ichigo and Kei all sighed simultaneously and stood up expectantly. The one who cooked the food (the one they were all dependent on) would always win. Isshin was at a mysterious meeting, so for once dinner was a quiet affair, a little too quiet, Ichigo thought, but he didn't let it bother him. They hadn't had a normal dinner in the Kurosaki household in a long time.

As of yet, Ichigo hadn't witnessed any special powers or formidable strength from Kei, except of course her short temper and her rather good right hook (both of which he witnessed on the first day they met). Of course Ichigo knew she must be important if Uruhara was personally protecting her and from her words, he got the feeling she had the Sereitei's protection as well if anything serious happened. Though he never asked about these things. He didn't ask her what she was, or who she was or why she was here. He didn't even ask her to pass the salt out of stubbornness. He was quite content to let her keep her secrets. And in the weeks that followed he felt a familiar spiritual pressure flare, each time it was a little stronger, but each time Ichigo was too late to see its cause. Annoyingly enough, each time Ichigo found Uryu sulking around the area.

"What are we up to tonight?" speaking of annoying. Kei was settled on the couch with some chick flick playing in the background. She and Karin seemed far more concerned with eating then with watching the movie. Yuzu was fascinated.

"None of your business!" Ichigo snapped climbing back into his body. Kon was settled comfortably by Yuzu, but seemed almost as bored as Kei did, "What the hell are you watching?"

"The Notebook," Kei deadpanned, "It's the most romantic thing since Titanic." Ichigo scrunched up his nose. It was the first time he agreed with Kei on something. The movie looked dead boring. Looking dejected, he settled on the floor by Karin's feet and stuck a hand into the popcorn bowl.

"This sucks," Karin folded her arms in defiance.

"Yeah, it really does." Ichigo agreed.

"Hush!" they were all obliged to obey Yuzu's command since she was going to be making breakfast tomorrow. All that could be heard was the sound of munching popcorn and lip smacking. As he sat there, Ichigo felt it, this time with perfect clarity. It made him jolt in his seat.

It couldn't be.

"Kei, are you alright?" Yuzu was watching their house guest with wide eyes. Ichigo looked up to see she looked similarly shocked. It was powerful, he wasn't surprised she felt it. When he caught her eye, he knew that going out there alone wasn't an option.

"Ichigo?" by the looks of it, Karin felt the spiritual pressure too and also knew that her brother would be heading straight towards it.

"We'll be back," Ichigo explained in a low voice and Kei stood up next to him. In seconds they were outside and Ichigo was in soul reaper form. Oddly enough, a nondescript sword had appeared in Kei's hand, even though she was still in her body. It wasn't a Zanpukto so Ichigo guessed she wasn't just a soul reaper, but he didn't have time to question it.

"You know what that is," Kei deduced correctly.

"When I got my soul reaper powers back the first time, it had a side effect," Ichigo explained, "My hollow vanished-"

"You're a visored!" her voice was hushed. Visored were rare and even rarer was a man who got his soul reaper powers back twice.

"Not anymore," ichigo replied, "that spiritual pressure is my hollow's."

Rain pounded against their skin as Kei and Ichigo approached the river. Why things always seemed to happen by that damn river Ichigo would never know. The rain hadn't added anything to his disposition. The spiritual grew as they got closer. When they were on the banks of the river, it was as strong as Ichigo's own substantial pressure. Thunder crackled and a figure appeared. In every way, the silhouette was identical to Ichigo's, down to the last spike of hair and the shihaksho, but upon closer inspection Kei discovered the hollow was merely a shade of Ichigo. His opposite in every way.

"King," the hollow with no name hissed, unchanged from the last time he's seen it. The voice had the same playful malice, "I told you I would squash your head like an egg one day." he unsheathed a matching Zanpukto but the metal hues where switched. It wasn't Zangetsu, but its counterpart. It's opposite. Decidedly, Kei unsheathed her sword.

"Come and get me then." Ichigo's voice had an edge to it that Kei hadn't heard before. It almost feral. It was like Ichigo was hanging on the very final threads of himself.

"Now, now, a two on one fight is hardly fair," the hollow smirked and waved an arm. Gargantas opened from behind him and dozens of hollows poured out. One thing was striking. They all had the same mask.

"Ichgio..." Kei looked uncertainly at the monsters they now stood against, "What now?"

"Get down!" Ichigo forcibly shoved Kei to the ground and sword clanged on sword as the hollow Ichigo attacked first, aiming for the girl at King's right hand rather than Ichigo himself. A black and white blur flashed in the crackling thunder. The clanging of swords sounded more like thunder, but Kei found that she had her own problems. Hollows of every size, shape and strength level were gathered.

"Ichigo, you bastard!" Kei screamed as they came at her. As quickly as Ichigo had, Kei had her sword out. She clutched the sword, grumbling. Close quarters combat, she cursed mildly. Kei was much better with Kido. In any case, she quickly cut through three hollows. As she fought, Kei realized that each hollow displayed different levels of the same spiritual pressure, Ichigo's hollow's spiritual pressure, "Sons of bitches!"

Ichigo ignored her screams and curses, he had bigger things to focus on. She would be alright for now, even if she didn't have a Zanpukto. With a growl, he turned back to the problem at hand. His hollow stood smugly, both of them suspended above Karakura town. Ichigo couldn't help but wonder if this was how it would end. Right here. After everything he had been through it would be his owns demons to do him in.

"Are you ready King?" The hollow asked.

"Come and get me."

With a yell, Kei dropped to the ground. A jagged set of claw marks trailed on her shoulder. With her other hand, she cleaved through a hollow mask. A single mask in an ocean of them. Pale white with monotone faces and horrifying howls crushing into one another and into her. This was a losing battle.

"Kei, move!" Uryu swooped down on his white cape and fired hundreds of arrows at the oncoming onslaught.

"What the shit is going on, Quincy?" Kei screamed over the rain and howl of hollows. With renewed ferocity, she sliced and swiped through hollows but it wasn't enough. Both she and the Quincy were being pushed back. On the other side of the river she could Chad fighting of as many hollows as possible.

"The Shinigami are coming!" Uryu screamed back, "We need keep the hollows away from the town until they get here!" Uryu fought cleanly and wiped out hollows by the dozens, and the enemy ranks were certainly thinning, but it wasn't enough. They were running out of time. They were being pushed back, forced to concede more and more ground.

"Uryu, get back!" Kei knew of one way to end this quickly, "Can you herd the hollows into one a defined space?"

"How big?" Uryu asked immediately. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

"The area of the park," she retorted over the rain, "Do it now!"

"Chad, let's go!" Uryu yelled and the two disappeared. Together, Uryu and Chad pushed the hollow in the boundaries defined by Kei. Kei pushed herself into the center of the mess of hollows and stabbed her sword into the ground and started chanting.

By the magic, form the attack

By the magic, form the attack

Magic aggregated around the area and the barriers between dimensions were fully formed. Both Ichigo and his hollow felt it. It was like the ground of the park had been replaced by perfect reflecting water. The image it reflected was of a harsh, untameable dessert. One that Ichigo knew well; Hueco Mundo.

"What the hell?" Ichigo mumbled distracted, it was strong and he could feel the lines between the dimensions breaking up. Not even a senkaimon could crumble the walls of the worlds like that. Reishi was bursting from Kei like an ocean.

"You witch!" the hollow screamed in murderous fury.

"Kei, watch out!"

Open the gate!

The dimensional barrier fractured and broke between her feet and cracked outwards, encompassing the hollows. As it broke apart, they fell through down into Hueco Mundo. The others watched in slight awe at the sight of the hollow world opening so easily in their world. With a growl, Ichigo's hollow lunged with his sword aimed straight for Kei who stood in the center of the fray. Members of the soul society appeared now, and watched with shock. None of them made it before the hollow's sword struck her. Seeing that it was outnumbered, the hollow opened a garganta and disappeared.

"I'll be seeing you again, King!"

"Kei!" Ichigo caught the injured girl before she fell through the dimensions too. As soon as she passed out the barriers sealed and the magic dispersed returning the world to normal.

"Kill the remaining hollows!" Toshiro Hitsugaya quickly ordered while Ichigo reluctantly withdrew from the front lines with Kei over his shoulder, "Renji cover the south east side, Ikkaku, the north and Yumichika and Rangiku, scour the town!" The soul reapers quickly dispersed and joined Uryu and Chad. It took them minutes to clear the few hollows left.

"What the hell was that?" Rukia yelled reaching the ground where Ichigo was tending to Kei. He bunched up her sweater and had pressed over the wound to slow the bleeding. He could feel her heartbeat fluttering under his hands. Whether he wanted to admit or not, he was concerned about her.

"Rukia!" the desperate look in his eyes struck Rukia. As the final hollows died with loud screams, the rain dissipated, "Rukia, help her." the wound was too deep and too infected and Rukia knew it, but she couldn't stand Ichigo's face. With a steady hand, Rukia performed whatever healing Kido she could. At the very least it stemmed the blood flow a little.

"It's done, fallback to Uruhara's shop," Toshiro ordered briskly, taking control of the situation, "Ichigo bring her with you."

Thanks to all who the read, review, and alert!

GW out.