Ichigo Kurosaki hadn't slept in three days, his tired body curled up on his bed. The covers were still tucked into the sides, though wrinkled and disturbed from his countless nights laying on top of them. His eyes felt heavy, but his mind was heavier. As the moon shone in through his window, he stared at his shadow on the floor, his dark figure stretched and contorted.
It wasn't that he didn't want sleep. He desperately needed it, in fact. He'd basically failed his English test earlier that week, and his excuses of exhaustion were wearing thin with his teachers. His family rarely saw him anymore, and it seemed like they were afraid to address it at this point. What would he say to them? That he went out killing monsters in the night? That his own brain was becoming corrupted? Yeah, that didn't seem feasible at this point. But something had to be done. And this... monster in his brain was doing a real number on his life. He couldn't even sleep without it coming around, it's scraping voice and terrible laugh pounding in his head. This damned Hollow was preventing him from even saving his own friends. If Urahara and Yoruichi hadn't been there that day, he wasn't sure that anyone would have made it out alive.
Small squeaks could be heard from the far side of his room and quickly approached, followed shortly by a small, plush lion launching itself at Ichigo's face. Its pink felt paws beat harmlessly on his orange hair. "I-CHI-GO!" a whiny, nasal voice yelled out, each syllable matching up with the impact of a paw. "I-CHI-GOOOOOOO, GET IT TOGETHER! I'm tired of seeing you look so damn dead inside, man!" Groaning, Ichigo grabbed Kon by his torso, pulling him away from his face. The black beady button eyes glinted in the moonlight and his felt mouth still kept on flapping. All Ichigo could do was stare with glassy eyes at the yelling plush.
"Jesus, Kon, could you not yell?" he groaned, his voice deep and gravelly from lack of sleep. "You're gonna wake everyone in the house. I wouldn't be surprised if you attracted a Hollow at this point." This prompted even more yelling and wild motions from Kon, going on and on about Ichigo's attitude. Ichigo just chose to ignore it at that point, letting Kon hang over the side of the bed.
He was alerted to the sound of a knock on his window.
Turning his head, he spotted a slight figure in his window, and realized it was Rukia. Surprised he hadn't sensed her earlier, he tossed Kon on the desk, sat up and unlocked the window. Pushing her hand on the window pane, Rukia entered, her face partially hidden by shadow. Her violet eyes were soft as she looked at him. He sat cross-legged on his bed, his hair a mess and eyes dark. Kon leaping towards her. "RUKIA!" he yelled, latching onto her arm. A look of irritation etched onto her face as the plush shimmied up her arm. "Ichigo has been a complete MESS since you were last here! Tell him to hurry up and get back to normal, will ya?"
After tossing Kon to the floor gently, Rukia returned her attention to Ichigo, noticing his defeated shoulder slump. "Ichigo, you've pretty much been radio silent for a few weeks now," she said, her voice quiet. "What's been going on? Is the Hollow still giving you issues?"
Ichigo looked to the moon, sighing. Of course she would know that it was the Hollow. She didn't need to be there to understand that it was getting out of hand. "Look, it's... really not that bad," he muttered. "I'm fine."
Rukia's eyes knitted together, frustration burning deep in her throat. She remained gentle. "Clearly, you're not." She hated that he was lying to her and himself. Taking a seat on the side of his bed, she took a deep breath. "I … I know that your fight with the Arrancars was demoralizing for you," she said. "But you can't keep hiding. You need to prepare yourself. You need to get ready for what's coming."
He groaned, leaning his head back on the wall. "Prepare for what, Rukia?" he said, his tone laced with frustration now.
Rukia squared her shoulders, disappointed with his defeated behavior and lack of understanding. "Ichigo, there's a war coming," she said. "Surely, you must understand that. A war that will not only affect you, but possibly all of Karakura Town. Probably the entire world, if we fail." Kon climbed onto the bed, his squeaky grunts intertwining into the conversation. He sat, his plush legs spread out comically. But this time he watched in silence. He'd never seen Ichigo like this, even though he hadn't really known him all that long. It was disturbing.
A war. Ichigo his heart sink, realizing this wouldn't be like the last time. This wasn't a rescue mission. This was a war. And a war meant bloodshed, death. "And what good am I if I can't get rid of this stupid Hollow?" Ichigo retorted, fear rising up in his voice. "What if it keeps interrupting and not only am I unable to stop it, but someone I care about gets killed?" His voice caught in his throat, closing before he could say anymore. He wanted to say how could he protect anyone in the state he was in, but the words felt too real. His fingers ran through his hair, his normally-serious face contorted in barely hidden fear.
Her fists balling in the blankets, Rukia leaned forward, anger and desperation spilling out of her. "What are you not getting, you blockhead?" she said, trying to keep her voice level. She wouldn't keep the emotions from taking over for once. This kid needed to understand that he couldn't just sit here, in the dark, hiding from the not-so-distant future. "You are a substitute Shinigami, you're supposed to protect! We are soldiers!" Kon had to back away from her, concern shimmering in his black eyes. He looked between the two, unsure of what to do. "But you're just sitting here, thinking about yourself! Have you even thought about Orihime?! How she was also injured during that attack?" Her voice was raising higher and higher with each question, and Ichigo was surprised no one had burst into his room.
"O-of course… I've thought of Orihime…" he stammered quietly, his eyes softening. But honestly, he'd only thought of how he'd failed. How he'd been unable to stop the Arrancar. He hadn't thought of Orihime fully, his friend… "Clearly you haven't really thought about anything but your own failure, Ichigo," Rukia countered, her voice lowered, but angry. A small spell of silence lapsed between them. It was clear now that Ichigo was finally starting to understand, Rukia thought. But now she had to get him off his ass.
In a swift motion, she donned her red glove and reached for Ichigo, who had very little time to react as she pulled his soul from his body. Struggling to speak, he pushed himself off the floor, watching her take Kon's spirit and put it in his body as a temporary substitute. "What the hell, Rukia?!" he exclaimed. "Why'd you do that?" He stood, his black robes rustling on the floor boards. In the corner of his eye, he saw Kon excitedly jump up and down in his body, while Rukia turned back to face him.
"You need to snap out of this funk," she replied, her voice calm. "I understand how you're feeling right now. I've been there before." Her voice faltered, a dark memory flooding her mind. The eyes of her dying former commanding officer, Kaien Shiba haunted her for a moment. Snapping out of her small trance, she glared at Ichigo, determination burning in her eyes. "But sitting here and dwelling on the past isn't going to help your future," she said, her words final. Rukia opened the window, Ichigo's sleeve in her hand.
Before he could protest, she jumped, dragging him with her. As he yelped in surprise, Kon leaned out the window, waving as they left. "Don't worry!" he called out. "I'll take good care of this body, and your family too!" The lights in his sisters' room had turned on, indicating that the noise had finally woken someone in the house.
It was always an odd experience for even the most seasoned of Shinigami to enter the World of the Living. The shear difference of lifestyle and environment would be enough to overwhelm a new recruit. But even after decades, Toshiro Hitsugaya still felt he had to adjust himself for a few minutes before he could truly get his bearings on this world. Perhaps it came with being a spirit. He couldn't think on this for long, though, as one of his subordinates spoke up.
"What are our positions, Captain Hitsugaya?" Rangiku, his lieutenant, stood by his side, her hand on her hip. Looking down to him with her blue eyes, which were normally joyful and merry, but now glistened in a serious, determined way.
"Hollows have been spotted near the east end of Karakura Town, and there seems to be a good handful of them tonight," he stated, pointing to the far side of the river. He noted that it was fairly close to Kisuke Urahara's shop, and he wondered if they were giving him a hard time. "Rangiku, take half of the team with you and head to the east end of the street, cutting off their route to the more populated areas."
As she turned with her men in tow, he turned to the remaining members. "We'll be heading to the northwest, corralling the remaining Hollows and slowly whittle them down," he ordered. "It's important that none of them escape. We don't want this expedition to be any longer or complicated than it has to be."
Arriving to the quiet street was eerie, but Toshiro chalked that up to the anticipation they all shared. A small handful of them were new recruits, going out into the field for the first time. Emotions were high, to say the least. That he was used to. The bone-chilling scream of a Hollow filled the night air, echoing off the homes of the living who could not hear it. Silently, the Shinigami closed in on the creatures, leaping towards the rooftops.
In the air, they saw two dueling Hollows, crashing into buildings and ripping into the asphalt. Their dark bodies were slick with blood and other unknown substances, their white masks gleaming in the moonlight. Yellow eyes turned upward, watching as the Shinigami descended upon them. Between the shrill ring of zanpakutos ripping into Hollow flesh, the shouts of his men, and the Hollow screams, it was a cacophony that momentarily blinded them all to the rapidly emerging Hollows. Gargantas opened in the shadows, producing more of these monsters. The amount of spiritual pressure they had created just by attacking the Hollows had been enough to attracted at least five more. Toshiro grunted in frustration, the hope that they could have finished up with this area swiftly fading. Now they would have to deal with more damage to this street, higher possibility of casualties and possibly attract more Hollows.
Before he could call to Rangiku, who had made it to their side by then, Toshiro saw two figures pass over head, leaping down from the rooftops. One figure was dragging the other by their baggy sleeve – and from there he could tell who they were. Though he could barely hear what was said, he could make out Rukia Kuchiki yelling to Ichigo Kurosaki, pointing to the emerging Hollows surrounding them. He groaned a little, noting at just how volatile their relationship was, and after hearing about the incident Ichigo had with the Espada a few weeks ago, he wasn't surprised Rukia would bring him here. He went back to the task at hand, not feeling the need to investigate their unexpected arrival.
"This is your opportunity, Ichigo," Rukia said, pointing to the Hollows below their feet. "You need to prove to yourself that you can do this."
Ichigo looked to her, his brown eyes reluctant. "I-I know I can do this, Rukia," he countered. "I've defeated Hollows before." His voice was quiet, weak.
She shook her head, "Yes, Ichigo, I know. We all know. But somehow, in this short period of time, you let that battle with the Espada shake you." Her eyes met his for a moment. "You are letting your Hollow win."
Hollow screams filled the air, pulling them into reality once more. The expedition Hitsugaya was leading was holding their own, but it was clear they needed to get this done faster before any more damage was caused and any more Hollows showed up. "You know what you have to do, Ichigo," Rukia said, never looking away from the fight below. "Will you continue to hide in your fear, or will you protect your friends? That is your decision."
With a tsk, the substitute Shinigami descended unto the scene below, his hand reaching for Zangetsu. The Hollows below watched him descend, his brow furrowed and teeth gritted. There was no way in hell he would grovel in his room anymore, a selfish child scared of one failed battle. He needed to fix this.
Effortlessly, he dodged between the creatures, slicing into their flesh. His goal was their masks, right down the middle of the skull. Just like Rukia had taught him all those months ago. The first was an easy one to take, as it was sluggish and barely defended itself from any attacks. The mask split down the middle and it screamed as it disappeared into thin air. This alerted the other surviving creatures, sending two towards him.
Feeling a little fear in his gut, he hesitated slightly before moving forward. Ichigo was forcing himself to move, his stiff fear-infused muscles fighting him. He was afraid of using his Getsuga Tensho, afraid the mask would appear on his face, his voice raspy like before. He was focused solely on just cutting down his prey… but what if it wasn't enough?
"Come on, Ichigo!" he heard Rukia call out. "Where is your protective drive? Don't you want to protect your friends?" Ichigo gritted his teeth, cutting down another Hollow in his path. "Think about Chad! Orihime! Tatsuki!" The next Hollow swiped at him, its limbs fast and claws sharp. Its dog-like mask bared its teeth. He felt a yell form in his throat, dodging each attack. "Think about your sisters!" One swipe of Zangetsu loped off one of the creature's limbs, and Ichigo jumped into the air, his body and the Hollow's face aligned. His sword raised above his head, he shouted into the air with all of his might.
"Remember who you are fighting for, Ichigo!" Rukia shouted.
By this time, the expedition team had completed their objective with the Hollows that remained in the area and were focused on Ichigo's brief battle with the Hollows. A few of the Shinigami whispered to themselves. "That's the substitute you were talking about, right?" one of the new recruits whispered to a peer. "Yeah," they replied. "He helped clear Kuchiki's name. Isn't he incredible?"
"I sometimes forget that Rukia can be so stern." Rangiku stood next to Toshiro, her tall figure blocking the moonlight. "And I also forget how much of a child Ichigo still is."
Toshiro looked up, eyes serious. "How could you forget how old he is?" he asked.
Considering his own short, child-like stature always caused people to question his age, he wasn't really one to talk, and Rangiku refrained from saying so. "Well, he sometimes acts older than he is, Captain," she replied. "And I think that even Rukia forgets that too. So, when we see him act like a 15 year old boy, we all get a little frustrated, I guess. Scared, since he is so young, with so much power." Nodding in agreement, Toshiro watched the two of them talking, Rukia smiling as she spoke.
"I suppose your right," he muttered to himself.
"How are you feeling now, Ichigo?" Rukia asked, arms folded. She wasn't showing it, but she felt a little relief in his display of fighting the Hollows.
Looking at his sword, Ichigo lowered it, letting the remaining Hollow blood fall off. "We need to find a way to get this Hollow out of my head," he said. His eyes, though still tired, seemed full of life again. "I need to get ready. If you're right, and Aizen's going to attack soon, we don't have much time to waste." With a smile, Rukia nodded. However, before she could put in another word, a voice spoke from the rooftops.
"I think I can help you with that little problem, Kurosaki." Above the scene stood a tall, slender man, his blond bob waving in the wind. The moonlight caught part of his face, revealing a slick smile and slitted brown eyes. Ichigo knew him all too well.
"You again?" he groaned. "What do you want?"
Laughing, the blond man jumped from the rooftop, landing deftly on the sidewalk. "Oh, come on, Ichigo," he said. "Is that any way to address a guy who's here to help you?"
Rukia's eyes narrowed. "And just who might you be?" Her hand was ready to draw her sword, a little bit wary of this sudden stranger.
The man continued on towards them, thumbs in the waste line of his pants. "Shinji Hirako," he replied. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant Kuchiki."
Before she could ask any more questions, a voice cut in. "Oh, yeah, he's with me, don't worry." From behind Ichigo and Rukia came a man in a striped hat, wooden clogs and a cane. His voice carried a jovial tone as we walked over.
"Kisuke," Ichigo called out. "You know this… guy?" He jerked his thumb to Shinji, dumbfounded. He knew that Kisuke Urahara was an oddball, but to be acquainted with a skeezy guy like this was next level for him.
"Sure do! We go way back," he said, patting Ichigo on the back. "Don't we, Shinji?"
Shinji grinned again, arms crossed. "Long time, no see, Urahara," he said. "Love the new get up. Who knew shop keeping was in your cards? Not sure about the hat though, makes you look even shadier than usual."
Whipping out his paper fan in an exaggerated fashion, Urahara gasped. "Is that anyway to greet an old peer?" He grinned, legitimately happy to see his old friend once more.
Rukia seemed slightly annoyed at this point, but was genuinely intrigued as well. "How is this guy going to help Ichigo?" she asked, looking between Urahara and Shinji.
Urahara's face lit up, as if he were waiting for this question the entire time. "I'm glad you asked!" he exclaimed, snapping the fan closed. "You see, Shinji here is an expert, I would say, on the topic of Hollowfication."
Ichigo knew what he was referring to, remembering the first time he met Shinji on the rooftop with his Hollow mask. "You mean the whole Visored thing?" he piped up, looking at Shinji.
The blond man smiled, leaning towards Ichigo. "That's right," he said. "I'm so glad your remembered."
With a sigh, Ichigo sheathed Zangetsu. "Well then, what are we standing around here for?" he asked. "Show me how to fix all of this."
Shinji blinked in surprise. "Well, I figured you were gonna agree to this, but not that fast, Kurosaki."
Urahara turned. "Yeah, I'm surprised, Ichigo. You don't even fully know all that much about Visoreds."
"That doesn't matter right this second," Ichigo countered. "What matters is that I need to be ready for when Aizen makes his next move, and I can't do that if my Hollow powers are unstable."
From the side, Rukia smiled. She was so happy to see Ichigo back to his regular self, and she was excited to see him driven again. "He's right," she said. "We should start as soon as we can."
Shinji put his hands up in a slowing motion. "That's all well and good," he said. "But we'll start in the morning. Besides, don't we all have class tomorrow?" His taunting smile returned, and Ichigo groaned.
"I need to sleep, and we have a test tomorrow," he lamented. "What time is it?"
Urahara pulled out a small pocket watch, announcing loudly, "It's 1:30 in the morning!"
Ichigo sputtered, turning quickly and shouting incoherent goodbyes. "Wait, Ichigo!" Rukia said, pulling his arm to keep him from leaving. "We still have to make plans!"
Urahara put his hands in the air, smiling once more. "Alright, the game plan is that everyone goes home and sleeps. Tomorrow, we shall reconvene and get this show on the road!"
Ichigo nodded quickly, "Sounds good to me." He was antsy at that point, ready to leave. They were alone on the destroyed street, with the expedition team splitting up to find the remaining Hollows. He turned after saying his goodbyes once more, hoping to catch some sleep.
The last to leave were Shinji and Urahara. "You think he can do this?" Shinji asked, looking to the shopkeeper.
"It's not whether I think he can do this," the shopkeeper replied, his voice serious now. His eyes were hidden under the brim of his hat, thinking to himself. "It has to do more with how serious he is about this."
"So, the better question would be, how serious do you think he is?"
Silent for a few minutes, Urahara began to walk away, his cane tapping the asphalt. "I think he has the scariest levels of determination I've seen in a Shinigami in a long time."
Kon loved it when Ichigo left his body behind. He finally had free reign around the house, he could raid the fridge, and watch all the best night time TV shows to his heart's content. Leaping over the back of the couch onto the seat, he reached for the remote and turned on the TV. He made sure the volume was low so that he wouldn't wake any of Ichigo's family members again and downed a whole bag of chips.
What appeared on his screen was an international news broadcast. As it was in English, the subtitles were flashing on the screen and Kon was intrigued. The blonde American woman on screen was off to the right as a picture of a black hooded figure in a poor-quality photograph appeared to her left.
"This week, we once again have an update on the serial killer known as the Ghost of the North. We still know nothing of the killer, but they claimed the lives of Senator Glenn Truman and his wife earlier this Thursday. The senator and his wife were found in their home by their young children after they came home from school. Police say that the two were disemboweled by the serial killer and their faces covered by kitchen towels. This matches with the Ghost's previous victims, as that is the pattern police have picked up from these murders."
Kon stopped crunching on chips for a minute, intrigued by the screen. Usually, when he landed on any news station, he'd just change the channel, bored. But what the news anchor said next caught his attention.
"Witnesses say they saw a black figure quickly enter the house, but they never saw a face or anything that they could identify. Many say that this figure has reflexes so fast that many times it's difficult to actually spot the killer. The only thing linked to this killer is this photo taken by security cameras. The killing of Senator Truman and his wife makes this the 120th attack by the Ghost of the North, and police say they are still no closer to catching-"
The TV suddenly powered off, and Kon nearly jumped out of Ichigo's body in fear. "DON'T KILL ME, GHOST OF THE NORTH!" he shrieked, sending chips flying. A hand slapped over his mouth, preventing him from shouting.
"Kon, you idiot, stop shouting!" It was Ichigo, his face was contorted in anger. "You're gonna wake everyone up again!" he hissed. "Now shut up and get out of my body! I need to sleep for school tomorrow."
Before the Mod Soul could anything more, Ichigo knocked the pill out of his body and put himself in. Immediately, he felt the extreme exhaustion of his body overtake him once more, and he picked up Kon off the floor, carrying him upstairs gently. It was gonna be a long day tomorrow, that was for sure…