Home is Where the Heart Lies
Chapter 2:
Dressed in black samurai garb from edo period with sword on their waist, those unlikely pairs come through from his open window. Behind them is a woman with silver-blue hair, icy blue eyes, and white kimono with icy blue obi; and a man with long silver-white hair wearing an ornate Kimono it doesn't limited his movements, and sprouting a pair of silver fox ears from his head and five fluffy fox tail behind him.
"...I'm glad I just stocked the fridge with ice creams and tofu." Said Ichigo flatly.
His words made the snow woman and fox man turn their eyes at him, and their expression instantly brightened.
"Ichigo!" The man called at him happily. "It's nice to see you again. This is your house?"
Ichigo raised an eyebrow in what else look that made the man chuckled in embarrassment. Of course it was Ichigo's room. There, in the wall, lined in rope, is set of Ichigo's prized drawing he made over the years. And the stuff in the room is so Ichigo.
"Sorry about Shinso." The woman explained with a smile, as she pulled the man's ear. "He was pouting for days since his wielder is forbidden to unleash him even in Shikai."
"Ow ow ow Sode no Shirayuki, it's hurt." Whined the man.
Ichigo nodded. Yeah. Shinso was inconsolable for days. Pouting non stop and pacing back and forth that made Sogyo dumped basket worth of raspberries on him, while Koto saying a little more and Shinso will really made hole in the floor. Plus Haineko threatening him, one more wail and she will shaved him bald.
"Either way, have you seen any Hollow nearby?"
Just before Ichigo could open his mouth, or made answer via gesture, the silver-haired man turned at him and smiled in way that reminded Ichigo of Shinso. Particularly when the Kitsune is in prank mode.
"Why don't we ask this human, Rukia-san? He has huuuge reserves." He said before looked at Ichigo and waved his hand over the orangette's face. "Hey human! You can see us right?"
Ichigo grab the hand. "Yes I can. What can I do to you, Shinigami-san?" He ask with a sigh, more of exasperated than annoyed. Guess now he know how Shinso's wielder looks like, and the other must be Sode no Shirayuki's. Still, at least Ichigo can say he had practices in how to dealing with annoying, mischievous, attention-seeking man-child.
"Pssh. Man-child. Fitting." Snickered Zangetsu from their shared "Palace Room".
His response made the two Shinigami looked at him in surprise and no small amount of shock. In fact this silver haired man open his eyes for few seconds in shock, revealing them to be jaded and pained green than playful one. Ichigo is very glad when he composed himself and close those eyes again.
Those eyes... are different than Shinso's playful eyes.
"Ara? How did you know about us?"
Ichigo snorted. "You two aren't the first shinigami I've meet and certainly won't be the last." "True. There's some who lived in the town though they are more Retired than anything." "I also got crash course about Shinigami and their duties years ago." "Also friggin true. King. Ya ask lots questions." "Though you guys are the most annoying Shinigami I've met so far since you broke into my room without at least knocking or any form of asking permission." He scoffed. "Dumbass."
"Why you-?!" The midget look very irritated, and she launched a flying kick to Ichigo... who avoid it very easily.
'Puh-lease. Gekkou-san could do better while half-asleep... and He's retired!' The orangette mentally saying. Catch another attack with practical ease. Almost bored even. "Okay midget. You have five minutes to get out from here before I thrown you out." 'Sorry Shirayuki-san, but your wielder piss me off.'
"Okay okay, calm down here." The fox-faced man said, prying the shorter shinigami and holding her... by cuff of her uniform like one would do when they carried a cat, much to the female and Sode no Shirayuki's protests. "Right-o. So you know about us, I can assume you know about our job, right?" Ichigo nodded. "Great! So did you see any disturbances around the area this lately? Things like big, scary monster with weirdly shapes and weirder mask?"
"That... was one way to describe hollow..." Ichigo's raven-haired spirit blinked.
"Good thing I'm a Vastro Lorde cuz I don' wanna called like that." Snarled Zangetsu.
"Well?"
"The crossroad near here got weird earthquake. Go check there."
"Been there done that." The silver shinigami—who was his name again? Ichigo forget—waved his hand dismissively... and dropped the girl without warning when her kick nearly touched his groin. "There was at least two strong hollows. We're searching 'other one."
"Nope. Can't say I see others." Said Ichigo. "Why are you asking me? Don't you shinigami has, like, inner compass towards those thing since other shinigami I've seen seems to gravitate to this Hollow thing... though in some case they're late and someone already got injured." He finished with a scowl, reminded about one lazy shinigami who's more interest on sunbathing on a rooftop than doing duty. Ichigo had to skip school to deal with the hollow rampaging before it come close to his sisters' school.
"We did tracked the Hollow here." The short shinigami clapped dust off of her uniform. "But for some reason, the reiatsu is gone and we can't sense where it go."
Ichigo send the other two a confused look.
"Your reatsu drown anything else." Drawled Shinso. "Control it dammit."
"We know your reiatsu is on ocean worth of size, but you've taught how to blocked most of it. So please do." Added Shirayuki.
Ichigo stomped down urge to blushed, it won't do if he suddenly blushed out of blue without proper reason, and reigning in some of his reiatsu. He always forgot to do that. Think again, this is his room, his house, his safe haven so he has every right to let loose without restrain. Have been done that for years and no one had admonished him for the fact, nor it ever give him trouble before.
Yet, other Shinigami know better than approaching him.
"Well, try agai—"
A loud, earth shattering and inhumane howl cut through the night. The sheer amount of power it held made the house seems to shakes for a moment. Ichigo would've be shocked out of his wits... if he never see one angry, angry lady in red who had disintegration power. Or if he never meet hollow before.
"...that was the one you guys search... right...?"
A feminine screams echoes through the air, made Ichigo jerked up straight and look at the door with horror slowly creeping onto his face. He know that voice.
"Yuzu!"
Ichigo quickly races downstairs, ignoring the shinigami's cry for him to stay up there. He may not close to his fmaily like he should've been, and unconsciously replacing them with other people, but he still cares at them and wishing no misfortune to befall on them... except maybe in one or two or a dozen instance where he really have painful thought regarding one Kurosaki Isshin. But sick a hollow at them? Hell NO!
"Karin! Yuzu! Old Goat!" Ichigo called them as he burst open the door.
"Ichi... nii..." Yuzu gasped. There was a nasty gash on her forehead. "Karin... chan... dad... help Karin-chan..." And then she fainted.
Ichigo looked around. The room is in total mess with a big hole present in the wall. He feels some disgust and dissappointment when he saw his father laying unconscious near a counter. Probably his head hit the counter and knock him out. But what made his blood freeze was Karin.
She was in the hollow's grasp. A chokehold grasp to be exact.
Ichigo saw red.
Just as the shinigami finally arrived here, Ichigo channeled his reiatsu to his leg, reinforcing them, and put his years worth of training under master of hand-to-hand combat and dangerous parkour into action. He kicked the ground, leaped high, and performing a Kick to the hollow's hand. There was a satisfying breaking sound. If this hollow had bones on his hand, he hoped it break at least in two different places.
The thing howled in pain and dropped Karin. Ichigo jumped away from the hand, twisted his body sideways in midair, caught Karin, and do back flip before landing smoothly on the ground on his feet like a cat breaking its fall midair. All without missing a beat.
Karin looked at Ichigo. "...Ichi... nii...?" She ask. Trying her best to stay awake. But the air pressure, near death experience, and the low intake of oxygen he had just until less than a minute ago.
Ichigo smiled. "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay. Trust me." He said shootingly. Karin nodded and embrace the darkness.
Ichigo slowly put her down next to Yuzu, and look at the Shinigami, who watched his action with disbelief look and jaw slight open ajar, a questioning look.
"Suddenly I doubt you two are any better than slacker last time." He said with a sneer. "Guess that I have to do everything myself." He walks up to the hollow.
"Oi you big oaf!" He shouted at the enraged Hollow. "You want tasty soul, right? Guess you have to get your own meal—oh wait! You can't! And you know why?" An arrogant smirk decorated his face. "Because you are dump, slow, and weak." The hollow roared in angry and tried to swipe Ichigo off... but Ichigo was too fast for it as he jumped and landed perfectly on a lampost.
"Nyah nyah! Can't catch me!" Ichig stick a tongue out.
He spend too much time around Haineko it seems.
"Human!" Oh finally, finally the shinigami made up her mind. "What are you doing there?! You can't fight a hollow!" Did she seriously belief Ichigo's action—one that she saw by herself—is mere fluke? "Come down and run! Let us take care of this one!" Condescending too... how did she was Shirayuki's wielder again?
"Not going to happens." Ichigo flexed his limb and stretched out his hand. "Blut Vene," he whispered. His long-sleeved school uniform, pants, and black gloves hide how futuristic blue-black line formed across his arms and legs. Humming in power. Ichigo jumped to avoid the punch aimed from hollow, run across its hand, and perform sucker punch to its masked face. The prowess he possess is not enough to break the mask, but more than enough to made the hollow thrown back and losing its balance. Fell flat on its back and process to destroy the front house of neighbouring house.
Ichigo had decency to wince in guilt.
'Good thing one of those house is empty.' He thought.
"Human!" The shinigami approached him. "You... you!"
"Awesome!" Said the fox-man with bright, adoring smile and for a second there was flowers sparkling around him. "You're really strong! How did you punch out that Hollow? And jumped that high? I don't know human is that strong!" He gushed out. But his eyes open slightly, scrutinizing him with strong, intensive gaze that reminds Ichigo of an anaconda... right before it open its mouth and tried to eat you.
"Ichimaru-Taichou!" The female shinigami said, scandalized. "You should not saying such a thing! And you human! Are you out of your mind?! Attacking hollow like that? How if it eat your soul?! You had strong reiatsu for yo to be able to see us! You ARE the Hollow's intended target!"
"Let's give applause to the midget, yes?" Zangetsu draw lazily. Manifest in real world alongside his housemate. Of course only fellow "spirits" and Ichigo who can see and hear him. "Oi Shira! How slow your parnter can be? The friggin fox here already know that the second he's saw King!"
"...truth to be honest. Sometimes she's really slow. Last time she come to human world doesn't bode well with her. and she's been coddle up until recently."
"Oh great. Just what we need here, a sheltered damsel."
"Well, maybe if you two had done your job I don't have to!" Ichigo snapped. Both of his spirits are annoyed, even the usually calm his Other Spirit. It made him lose his temper faster. "But did you just, I don't know, cut it down or something? Noooo... you have to gawked like idiot there while my sister is in danger. So forgive me but I have to do something. I, unlike you imbecile idiots, have someone to lose if this damned thing doesn't go down." He fels flicker of satisfaction seeing both of them flinched as if been struck. But then his eyes widened.
"Get down!" He tackle both of them, cause both Shinigami to fall flat to the ground, narrowly avoided the attack, which thrown Ichigo at least half the bock away.
It seems he piss the thing real good.
"King!"
"Ichigo!"
"I'm fine!" Ichigo spat the blood that was pooling in his mouth. "Guess I have to get serious." He stretch out his hand and prepared to cast a spell. The Hollow, as if sensing what he's gonna do, roared and attack him. Ichigo open his mouth and...
"Watch out!"
His brown eyes widened in shock as the female Shinigami thrown herself in front of him. take the brunt of damage, and caused them both to smack over the wall. Creating a spiderweb cracks all over it.
"You stupid-!" Ichigo cursed. "Why did you do that! I got everything under control!" A bit broken bones here and there, and bruises. But nothing fatal nor unexplainable. In fact if he didn't get distracted, he already finished this pest long time ago!
"Because it is not human's job to fight these thing." The other Shinigami said with a wry smile. "So I suggest you to run."
"Hell no!" Ichigo get up. "This is my problem! That shitface hurt my family so it has to PAY!" he growled, charged up his reiatsu at his right hand. Ready to throw a spell anytime. The name is on his tongue already. Waiting to be spoken out loud. "Move aside!"
"You..." the midget coughed. "...idiot. Human can't fight Hollow..."
"Well then it's a good thing Ichigo-san is not normal human, is he?!" Shinso scoffed at her naivety. Really, what is she? Blind?
"I hear that Shinso. My wielder may be stubborn at most of time, but I don't appreciate you badmouthing her."
"You're gonna what? Freeze my underwear?"
"Well, if you're asking..."
"Can both of you STOP IT?! We got bigger problem here!"
Both spirits grumbled but cease their spat. Ichigo sighed in relief at that one.
"Right so what do you want?!" He snapped at the silver-haired man, who is no longer smiling. In fact he now take a fighting stance, expression while still closed eyes is serious. His form is different than one Ichigo recognize, but it probably because his sword is really short.
"You won't run away, right?" Ichigo scoffed and give him what-were-you-thinking-idiot look. "Fine. Help me take this down before we treat Rukia-san."
"Ichimaru-taichou?!"
"You were injured, I'm weakened!" Silver replied, his voice is uncharacteristically sharp, as Midget flinched at the tone.
"My Shinigami is pissed off lot of Nobles and other Captains, so they placed 95% Limiter on him on top of forbade him to call my name. Right now he is no more dangerous than Rookie Shinigami who haven't got their Shikai yet." Explained Shinso with pained look, especially on no calling name part.
"Rukia-san. Our hands are tied here so we need every help we can, get ok?" Silver smiled. "No biggie. This guy is strong fella. He can take hollows like nothing."
"Finally realized it?"
"Taichou, what are you implying?"
"Well," Silver cocked his head, casually send a spell on the monster though it only last for a few good minutes. "You said mere human have no chance against Hollow, right? What if the human become Substitute Shinigami? That way he can fight hollow and help us, no?"
Midget choked. As do Shinso.
"Gin... you're idiot."
"Undisputable fact." Agreed Sode no Shirayuki.
"Hey human." Silver turned to Ichigo. "Whaddya say? Become Shinigami for power? Your family is in danger here and this is the only way. Ya can fight other monster thingie later too. How? Interested?"
"This Guy need more lesson on advertising. I've seen middle schooler do better advertisement."
"Hn. And Ichigo doesn't actually need it. Well. It's up to you."
Ichigo sighed and put a hand on his waist. "Fine. What should I do?" He agreed "reluctantly". He actually is very curious. No one ever mentioned other way to become Shinigami aside from dying first, enrolled into Shinigami Academy and graduate. Uh wait. Sogyo and Koto seems like mentioned it at other time. When...?
"...to your heart."
Ichigo blinked. "Uh, wait, what?" He ask. What did he miss?
"I said, you take my Zanpakuto and thrust it to your heart." Midget repeated with a huff. "My sword is filled with my energy. By thrust it to your heart, there's small chance you absorb it and become Shinigami. But it had big chance of failing and you die."
"So what?" Ichigo ask. "I still able to kick this thing ass if I die, right? Might as well go with it."
He did raised an eyebrow when Silver placed his own Zanpakuto on the midget's sword, and Ichigo can see bluish aura transferred from his blade. It was...
"Taichou?"
"Maa maa Rukia-san. With how big this fella's reiatsu as human, do you think you had enough reiatsu to turn him?" Silver replied with carefree smile, as if he didn't just thrown another binding spell on the monster. "He might suck all of your power. So like any kind and responsible Captain, I give you some of mine. As support of course."
She look at him warily. "You have another idea, don't you."
"Why, of course! If he did become Shinigami then I have potential Squad Member! Early bird gets the worms, don't they?"
'Zangetsu. Ask Shinso if I can kick his parter.'
The fox spirit, upon hearing the request, smiled amusedly. "Anywhere is fine but the balls."
Ichigo nodded. "Alright Shinigami. Let's do it." He take the blade.
"The name is not Shinigami, human." Scoffed Midget. "My name is Kuchiki Rukia and this is Ichimaru Gin-Taichou."
"And my name is Kurosaki Ichigo. Remember it." 'Because your Zanpakuto knows me well.' Ichigo take a deep breath and plunge the sword to his chest.
Black, red, and bluish white reiatsu explode. Dancing in swirl of vortex, blew up anything that is close. The force of power caused even more cracks to appears in the road and surroundings as minor earthquake happens. Among them is screams of pain. It was not Ichigo's voice, but two voices that the Shinigami recognize as familiar but can't pin point whose voice is that and where did they hear it.
As soon as the vortex quieted down, Ichigo stepped forward, garbed in his new clothes.
"Alright you son of a bitch." He smirked at the Hollow. The bindings had come off sometimes during the energy transfer but it's fine. He got everything under his control and nothing can go wrong. "Time's to die."
The Hollow have no chance.
TBC