The Bird of Hermes, Free Again.

Wow you guys really did miss this story, so here's the next chapter as a thank you for the support.

There was one review that, rubbed me the wrong way a bit. And I want to address it. Don't worry I'm not angry or anything, but this needs to be understood right now.

"The purge is over. Please don't bend over and change the graphic scenes. To do so will result in the loss of all respect."

If I change some of the graphic scenes, it's because I want to and feel that it's in the story's best interest. Ichigo and Alucard will have vastly differing personalities this time around, so some scenes will be toned down, or brought up to keep in line with this.

Lemons; I don't even know if I'm going to have any this time round, since I personally feel like they brought the story down last time.

Rant over, read on and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Hellsing.

"Normal speech"

'Thoughts/Inner Speech'

"Kido/Zanpakuto release"

"Zanpakuto speech"

XXX

Chapter 2: The Master and his Fledgling.

As Ichigo tossed and turned in his sleep, his dreams consisted of him standing before a dark abyss, the bottom nowhere in sight. As he stepped back from the edge, he flinched as several pairs of arms burst from the ground, pinning him in place. Struggling against their hold, he heard the pounding of stampeding footsteps and looked over his shoulder. Charging at him in a cloud of dust, was a horde of soldiers, peasants and horseman, their faces horribly disfigured, while their bodies bled from various wounds, their intent clear as they raised their weapons at him. Renewing his struggle, he soon found himself swept up in the stampede, forcing him closer and closer to the edge, until finally he was pushed over into it, screaming at the top of his lungs as he fell.

"Hey wake up," Alucard said, kicking him in his ribs and jolting him awake.

"Dammit Alucard, that hurt!" Ichigo yelled at him, massaging the spot on his side where his zanpakuto had hit him. Looking up at the spirit, he could see a wide grin on his face, revealing his sinister fangs.

"Well if you would have woken up the first time I called, I wouldn't have had to kick you, now would I?" he asked, walking away from Ichigo, while the latter got up and dusted off his clothing. Seeing his new clothing though, Ichigo froze in place.

"Now hold on a sec!" he yelled. "What the hell am I wearing?"

"A suit master, it is what people where for formal occasions or work. Surely you know such things already?" the spirit said with a smirk, watching as Ichigo fumed behind him.

"That's not what I meant," Ichigo grumbled in answer. "What I want to know is why I'm wearing it? In fact, what happened to my old shihakusho?"

"If you want answers master, I suggest you take a seat," Alucard replied, taking a seat at the end of an ornate dining room table that could easily seat twelve people. "Might I offer you something to drink?"

"Uh, yeah sure," Ichigo replied, seating himself at the opposite end of the table. When he accepted a tall wine glass filled with a crimson liquid, he barely noticed it until the liquid passed his lips. Sputtering slightly, he set the glass down and turned to glare at his zanpakuto spirit.

"Is it not to your liking master? I personally prefer Dom. Romane Conti, but it seems that it is an acquired taste. Perhaps a fruitier sample is needed?" he asked innocently, watching as Ichigo continued to fume.

"That's not the point," he replied through gritted teeth. "The point is that I'm still a minor and should therefore not be drinking anyway!"

"Nonsense master," Alucard replied, tilting his glass to the side to catch the faint moonlight. "What matters, is knowing where your limit is. Here try this Petrus Pomerol. It should tease your palate with a blend of berries, vanilla, mocha and oak," Alucard continued on regardless, pouring Ichigo a fresh glass and sliding it over to him.

Catching the glass by reflex, he grumbled and hesitantly took a sip, finding that Alucard was right about it being pleasing. Not forgetting his own morals though, he set the glass down again and turned his attention back to his zanpakuto.

"Was there something you wanted to speak to me about?" he asked, seeing Alucard swirling the contents of his glass, before taking an appreciative sniff.

"Ah yes of course," the spirit replied, setting his glass down and locking his fingers together and staring at Ichigo. "I promised you answers and I shall give you them. Tell me, how does your clothing make you feel?"

"Well it's comfortable," Ichigo answered, his mind confused as to where this was going. Seeing that his spirit wanted him to go on, he took a longer look. What surprised him was the slight draw on his reserves, the power being siphoned off into each garment he wore, with more being directed to his gloves and shoes.

"It is also, drawing on my reiryoku," he continued, seeing the spirit grin at him.

"Correct, can you guess why?" Alucard asked, watching as Ichigo frowned.

"I…" he began, cutting himself before he said something stupid. Remembering that he didn't have a blade to wield, his eyes lit up in understanding. "It's to help me block another soul reaper's zanpakuto or a hollow's claws," he answered, seeing Alucard nod.

"Correct master, I amplify your physical aspects beyond your normal abilities and your clothing is a defence mechanism to aid you. It is not limited to that though, for just as it protects you from a blade; it can reinforce your attacks even further. Now do you remember what your main offense is?"

"Yeah, it would be hard to forget after yesterday," Ichigo replied, drawing the Casull from within his jacket. "She's a beautiful weapon after all."

"She is indeed master, but what are her uses?" Alucard asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Well it fires attacks made of my reiatsu. Charging more of my reiatsu into it will result in a volley of attacks," he said, his mind trying to make sense of his memories from yesterday. "Each attack has two components to it. The first is simply the raw force of the impact, while the explosion that follows, is the more destructive aspect of it."

"Correct and also incorrect," Alucard said with a smirk. "Yes it absorbs a bit of your reiatsu and the more you charge into it, the more powerful the attack. However, the splitting of the blast into smaller rounds is a result of control on your part, or rather on my part yesterday. It is a skill that you will need to master in order to make full use of me."

"Control? So in order to truly use your powers, to be able to manage my offence and defence I need to master my control over my reiatsu?" he asked his face slightly crestfallen.

"There's no need to look so glum master," Alucard said with a grin. "Your power is already quite destructive, but if you're not careful, you will quickly tire yourself out and become easy prey for others. After all, learning to control your reiatsu would lead to one of the most powerful tools in a soul reaper's arsenal."

Looking at his zanpakuto spirit with a confused expression on his face, Ichigo pondered what he meant. Looking back at his brief experience though, he sighed and berated himself for not realising it sooner.

"You want me to learn Kido, don't you?" he asked, seeing the spirit nod.

"The power to defeat an opponent by simply uttering an incantation master, it is a skill that you will need when you encounter an opponent faster and stronger than yourself."

Thinking back to his fight with Byakuya, Ichigo felt an uncharacteristic blood thirst flare within him, imagining ways to humiliate and break the stoic noble. Shaking his head to clear it of such thoughts, he turned his attention back to Alucard.

"I assume you have a teacher in mind for this?" he asked, seeing the spirit give him a rather bemused look.

"Come now master, must I spell it out for you? Perhaps you didn't notice it because of the encroachment, but the one man, Tessai I believe his name was, cast Bakudo no. 99 on you. And from what Rukia told us, casting a spell without the incantation is an incredible display of skill."

"I didn't remember that actually," Ichigo replied as his head sagged. "So that answers the 'who', I just have to learn the 'how' then.

"I told you not to look so glum master, after all this might be fun," the spirit said with a maniacal grin, making Ichigo sigh in exasperation.

Before he could utter a retort though, Ichigo heard his stomach growl and the urge to relieve himself build.

"We have talked long enough already master," Alucard said as he returned to his glass of wine. "Rest assured that we still have much to discuss later." Snapping his fingers, a hole opened up below Ichigo, plunging him into a dark abyss again.

XXX

Shooting upright from his futon, Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief at the solid wood floor under him. Feeling someone in the room with him, he turned to see Kisuke leaning against the wall by the sliding door, cooling himself with his fan.

"Oh good you're awake," the shopkeeper said in his jovial tone. "Tessai and Ururu are currently preparing breakfast so I suggest you get ready."

Nodding at the man, Ichigo clambered out of the futon and saw that he was only wearing his pants and shirt. Looking around, he found his jacket, tie, shoes, pistol and shades set down in a neat pile on the opposite side of the room.

"By the way, are you sure that, that pistol only weighs 24 pounds? It felt a lot more to me," Kisuke asked as he walked towards the sliding door, his eyes watching Ichigo carefully.

"Pretty sure Urahara-san," Ichigo answered as he pulled on his jacket and holstered the Casull within it. "She probably didn't like you holding her though."

Leaving to go to the bathroom, he missed Kisuke's look of surprise at the fact that his gun had 'feelings'.

XXX

Once they had all eaten their fill, Ichigo broached the subject that he had been waiting for. "Tessai-san I was wondering if you would take the time to help me learn to control my reiatsu? And hopefully if there's time, teach me Kido, or more specifically Bakudo as well?" the orange haired teen asked, startling the rest of the shop's inhabitants with his request.

"B-b-bakudo? Are you sure about that Kurosaki-san? I would have thought you would want to know more offensive than defensive spells," Kisuke stuttered. Next to him Tessai seemed floored that the brash and headstrong young man sought to learn his area of expertise.

Unfazed by their looks of surprise, Ichigo continued, "For reasons I can't fully explain yet, I don't need more offensive abilities, but greater control over my reiatsu so that I can control that which I currently have." Taking out the Casull from within his jacket, he placed it down on the table in front of him.

"She will provide more than enough firepower as soon as I can achieve an adequate level of control over my power. And if I do need a bit more help, then learning a few basic Hado will help, since I can surprise my opponent even further. The reason I want to learn Bakudo more though, is because it would mean that I can cripple my opponent more effectively, than if I have to rely on using my Casull to sever the tendons and ligaments in their body," he explained.

"What you're saying does indeed make sense Kurosaki-san, but if I'm not mistaken, you will need to refine your hakuda as well, especially since you don't have a blade that I can see," Kisuke said as he ran his eyes up and down the young man, looking for possible concealed weapons.

"You're right I could use some help in that area," Ichigo admitted with a nod of his head. "If you know someone that could help me out with that, other than having to do back to a dojo, then please tell me."

'Having Yoruichi-san train him, would be most ideal, but she's helping Inoue-san and Sado-san to gain their powers. So it will fall to me to teach him what I know. God help me if Yoruichi finds out how out of practice I am,' Kisuke thought with a sigh, turning back to see Ichigo's hopeful face.

"I know quite a bit about Hakuda, so I'll be the one to train you Kurosaki-san. Now drink up," he said as he gestured to a cup Ururu placed in front of him, "we begin as soon as you're done with your tea."

XXX

The next three days passed fairly quickly for Ichigo, with the first day being spent on learning how to control the ebb and flow of his reiatsu. He was shown how to accurately bottle up his leaking reiatsu within his body and how to release it when he had a clear need for it. From that training alone, he could control just how hard his punches and kicks hit, as he could reinforce both his fists and his gloves for maximum damage, or reduce it so that it was no harder than a normal soul reapers hit.

Surprised that he had managed to learn the basic concept so quickly, Tessai started the second day of training by teaching him how to manipulate the flow of reiatsu in order to bind his opponent. By the end of the day, he could cast Bakudo's Sai, Hainawa, Geki, and Horin without having the kido backfire and injure him, but needed to practice in order to maximise the power he could put into the spell.

Believing that the boy would be able to handle it, Kisuke had suggested to them over breakfast on the third day, that he learn Bakudo's Shitotsu Sansen, Rikujokoro and Hyapporankan, surprising them when he quickly became proficient in them.

He further surprised them when he instinctively reshaped the Bakudo's original purpose to suit his fighting style. The first time he had used Bakudo no. 10, Horin against Kisuke, the shopkeeper was understandably shocked when Ichigo had proceeded to swing him around like a rag doll and thanked his lucky stars that he was able to sever the rope just before he struck the pillar of stone Ichigo was aiming for.

Continuing with this astounding ability to adapt, he saw how Ichigo would use the rope to draw his opponent towards him at blistering speeds, increasing the force of his blows against them by a considerable amount. Even when faced off against Kisuke and Benihime, the teenager had started to learn a rough form of staff combat, where he cast Bakudo no. 62, Hyapporankan and kept the glowing rod in his hands, blocking and retaliating with it.

Unknown to the others though, Ichigo noticed that his personality was slowly changing as well. Some things were small like, he started to find more comfort at night than during the day, a greater appreciation for simple things like the sounds of children laughing as they entered the store with their parents, or a mother's cooing when she walked by with a toddler in her arms.

Others were more serious and worried him. He would toy with the combat dummies Kisuke had created before destroying them utterly and completely, leaving nothing but dust and splinters in his wake. He would also feint that he was losing against Kisuke, before turning around and fighting like a demon in disguise.

And then there were some that simply made him chuckle. He was calmer and more composed when Jinta or Kisuke teased him but was quick to return the favour ten-fold. Whether it was burying Kisuke under a pile of merchandise that he had spent hours meticulously stacking, or leaving Jinta with shivers running down his back from what the young boy called the 'Evil-Eye'.

He also noticed that he could sense the base intentions of those around him when he walked past or was having a conversation with them, whether it was mischievous or sincere in nature. When he brought it up with Alucard, he confirmed that this was another of Ichigo's powers, a basic form of telepathy. For now all he could sense was basic intentions but with time he may be able to peer into other people's mind and predict an opponent's next move. The ethical ramifications of such a power disturbed Ichigo, but he was placated when Alucard reminded him that sometimes such power was needed to prevent the continued suffering of others.

XXX

On the eve of the third day after regaining his powers, he felt the presence of a hollow appear in Karakura, while enjoying a night-time stroll. Relishing the chance to test his new found talent out, he sped towards it. On the way there though, he felt another presence near the hollow. Still new at the concept of feeling for other reiatsu signatures, he struggled to identify it, until he arrived on the scene. Looking around, he felt his blood freeze as he saw that the unknown signature belonged to Tatsuki, her limp form scant feet away from a bipedal, pig-like hollow. As the brute reached out for her body, he appeared in front of it, holding it back with a single arm.

Howling in frustration, the hollow attempted to crush him, its hand trembling violently, while Ichigo refused to budge. Said teenager didn't even look at to the hollow, as he was too busy making sure that Tatsuki was still breathing. Growing annoyed, the hollow reeled its free fist back and launched it at him. Seeing the attack out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo grabbed it with his free hand and twisted, breaking the limb of in a shower of crimson gore. Howling in rage at the loss of its limb, the hollow tried to lash out with a kick at Ichigo, only to be sent flying as the substitute grabbed its leg and tossed it away from him.

Crouching over the passed out girl, he breathed a sigh of relief as her injuries were minor, the worst being some cracked ribs. Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, he grabbed her and leapt to the side in an attempt to dodge the speeding projectile. To his dismay, he was a second too late, as the steel pole the hollow had thrown grazed past him and Tatsuki. Unlike his armoured suit though, her skin was unable to deflect the blow, leaving her with a deep gash across her side.

Jolting awake from the pain, her brown eyes shot open and stared back into Ichigo's blood red ones. "I-Ichigo…" she whispered, her eyes fluttering as she began to bleed profusely, before passing out from the pain again.

As his hands shook in fury, he turned his back on her and faced the hollow again, giving it a glare that showed full well the rage it had unleashed. Seeing the look, the hollow stiffened and took a step back, its instincts telling it to flee, while its whole body quivered in the presence of what it felt was a superior predator.

"Bakudo no. 4, Hainawa!" Ichigo chanted, causing a yellow rope to fly from his hands and wrap around the hollow's arm and legs, forcing it to the ground. Walking over to the creature as it howled and struggled against its bindings, he couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for it.

"You are obviously not like Shrieker or Grand Fisher, so I will give you a quick death," Ichigo said as he drew his pistol from within his jacket, pressing it into the hollow's mask. "I hope you have a happier afterlife from now on." Pulling the trigger, a muffled shot rang out across the area, while the bullet effortlessly barrelled through its head, exiting the back of its skull with a soft squelch.

Rushing back to where Tatsuki lay, Ichigo hoped and prayed that he wasn't too late to save her. Reaching her body though, he felt his hopes crumble, as the amount of blood that was pooled around her, told him otherwise. Kneeling down next to her, he could see her chest rise ever so faintly as her lungs struggled to take a breath. Cradling her head in his arms, he watched as her tired eyes fluttered open and took in his form.

"Heh. Figures…you'd be the one to…be at my side when I die…strawberry," she wheezed out, while her eyes acquired a far off look. "You know…it's not nearly as painful as I thought it would be. So how long have you…been killing those monsters?"

"It's kind of a long story," he said as he looked away from her, feeling anger at himself for failing again when there was something he could've done. He could've killed the hollow the first time rather than throw it away, or shielded her more completely with his body or…

"Don't do that," she whispered to him, making him turn his head to her in confusion. "Don't beat yourself up…for something…like this."

"But it is my fault Tatsuki," he muttered, watching the blood flow slow, indicating that she had little time left. 'Why is it always like this,' he cursed. 'Despite all this power, why is it that I still managed to fail?!'

"We could save her life master," Alucard spoke, making Ichigo's head snap up at his voice. Seeing the spirit before him with a grin on his face, Ichigo was tempted to leap at him and pummel him into the ground for acting so carefree. "You could try master, but then whatever time we have left to save her would vanish. Ask her if she wants to live? Ask her what price she is willing to pay for rising from Death's Door and living to fight another day?"

Feeling unsettled with his zanpakuto's request, he reached out with his powers, reeling back in shock when he could see what his spirit had in mind and warred with himself whether he should truly ask her.

"The choice is her own master, now hurry up for we have little time with which to work with," Alucard snapped at him, breaking Ichigo out of his reverie. Sighing to himself, Ichigo swallowed the lump in his throat and turned back to face her.

"Do you want to live Tatsuki?" he asked. "I…I can probably save you, but it would cost you more than you could possibly imagine."

"What do…you mean Ichigo?" she asked in a quiet voice, lacking any of her former strength or conviction.

"I could grant you a second chance, by turning you into something similar to what I am right now," he explained, seeing a bit of life return to her eyes. "The cost though, is that you will be bound to me; mind, body and soul."

"I…I don't want to die Ichigo," she whispered. "So please just do it, whatever it takes, just do it."

"So she has made her choice, now since you've already read my mind and know about the connection that will form between the two of you, I will tell you how to do it," Alucard said, removing his hat from his head. "By granting you my teeth, we will both infuse her with our own power, giving her a chance at a new life."

"I trust you to complete this task with all the care it requires Alucard," Ichigo said as he looked up at his zanpakuto spirit again. "But I know that this is not a power that a zanpakuto would normally possess. After this is over, you and I need to talk."

"And talk we will master, but for now, time is wasting away," he said with a smirk, disappearing from sight.

"This is going to hurt Tatsuki," Ichigo said as he felt his teeth shift to deadly fangs. "You might want to look away and grit your teeth."

"What are you talking about Ichigo?" she asked fearfully, freezing up when his jaws opened and she could see row upon row of deadly fangs. Seeing him lean closer to her neck, she felt his icy breath against her neck, sending a shiver of fear down her spine. Feeling his teeth sink into her skin, she released a soft whimper, lifting her arms hesitantly to the point of contact. As his teeth sunk deeper, she felt a strange sensation spread across her being, soothing her aching muscles and washing away the pain she felt from her earlier injuries. Surrendering to the feeling, she felt her limbs go slack, while her mind slipped into a deep sleep.

Feeling the process end, Ichigo withdrew his teeth from her neck and felt his teeth return to their normal form. Feeling a few faint streams of blood wash down his throat, he winced and felt slightly sick with himself. Hooking an arm underneath her knees and her lower back, he rose to his feet and began the walk back to the Urahara shop, wondering what he was becoming.

XXX

And that's the second chapter on our adventure redone. Right now the changes here are fairly obvious, but feel free to PM me for what changed exactly, or compare it yourself and find what I changed.

So what did you like, love or hate? Let me know please.