For the next month, Masaki was very sick.

The twins were mostly oblivious, still being very young. Ichigo and Shiro were both very worried, but there wasn't much they could do. Shiro was examined quite thoroughly by a man in a hat and a man with silver hair, but they both said he had nothing to do with Masaki losing her powers. There were many discussions about adult things and Shiro managed to sneak around and eavesdrop. He figured out that the silver man's wife had died and they thought it was connected to Masaki's illness. The word Quincy came up but Shiro didn't understand what it meant.

In the end, though, they found a way to fix it. Shiro noticed one day that Isshin's power was much weaker and Masaki had a power that felt like him, not the light power she'd had before. He didn't really like that but she was feeling much better so he didn't say anything to Ichigo. He waited for a private moment to ask Isshin about it.

"What happened to mama's power? She feels like you now." He said as Isshin was reading a book. Ichigo's father started and nearly dropped the book.

"Shiro-chan! I didn't know you were there." He said with a smile that seemed a little strained. Shiro tilted his head to one side skeptically. He knew Isshin should have sensed him easily. He hadn't been trying to hide. "Yes, I've helped your mama. She'll be fine now." He assured the little hollow but he was not content with an easy answer.

"What is spiritual wasting?" He asked and Isshin stared at him. "I'm good at hidin' an' listenin'. Papi said the way to learn is to listen." Shiro had taken that advice to heart. Isshin rubbed his face with one hand.

"You're a very clever boy, Shiro-chan." He said with a smile that was more genuine. "Do you want to sit beside me?" He asked and Shiro consented, joining him on the couch. He'd long ago perfected the art of sitting so his tail was off to the side and not too uncomfortable. "Spiritual wasting is what happens when a rip is torn in someone's aura and their spiritual pressure bleeds off, lowering them below normal human levels." He explained and Shiro didn't need to be told what had happened to Masaki.

"What ripped a hole in mama's aura?" He asked and Isshin shook his head.

"We don't know. Honestly, at first we wondered if it was you." He said and Shiro-chan appreciated the honesty if not the suspicion. "But there was no trace of hollow reiatsu at all, and hollows just can't do that. A hollow attack always leaves traces." Shiro nodded. He understood why… a feeding hollow just couldn't keep their reiatsu off the target, it was like leaving spit behind. No matter how well you tried to clean it there was always some there. "We finally gave up on that and just concentrated on fixing it. Masaki and I bound our souls together a long time ago, so I was able to lend her my powers. They're keeping us both stable, but at almost human levels."

"So you both lost your powers." Shiro summed up. "That's not so good. That hollow might come back for Ichi-chan." He was pretty sure that hollow would hold a grudge. Hollows in general were good at that.

"Yes. But he'll have you to protect him, Shiro-chan." Isshin said, putting an arm around his shoulders. That made Shiro-chan feel bad. He knew they'd said he was powerful when they examined him, but Shiro knew they were wrong.

"I… I can't really protect him." He admitted, dropping his head. His horns pointed at the ground, making him look dejected indeed. "My power is growing with his power… I know you said I'm strong, but I can't do anything. I can't use a cero, I can't roar right." Then he looked up, brightening a little. "I do have a poisonous bite! Just like my mama." He confided but then became sad again. "That's all I have though." His hands were clawed, but he was still only a child. Shiro had no illusions about his chances of actually defeating Grand Fisher.

"We'll just have to hope for the best." Isshin said calmly and Shiro saw he wasn't really surprised. Maybe they'd picked up more than he'd thought. "You can warn him when there are hollows, can't you Shiro-chan?" He asked and the little hollow brightened again.

"I can! I'm great at sensing things. I'm good at hiding too." He said happily. "Maybe I can teach Ichi-chan to hide." If Ichigo could learn to hide his reiatsu that would help keep him safe. And hollow cubs were always masters of hiding reiatsu. Small ones had no other defense. "I'll do that." He decided. It was something he could do to keep the family safe. "And maybe Karin too!" He couldn't teach Yuzu anything, since she couldn't see him properly. She had to take it on faith that he was there, although she could see some of the things he did, like the time he'd been playing with Ichigo's skateboard. He could still remember the wide eyed wonder on her face as the skateboard had moved around, completely on its own as far as she could tell.

"That's the spirit!" Isshin encouraged him and Shiro grinned behind his mask of bone. This would be fun!

So Shiro-chan went to work. Karin-chan was easy. She was still very young and impressionable and he showed her how to hide her reiatsu. Ichi-chan was much harder. It wasn't just that he was older, it was the fact that he had so much more to hide. Shiro had no idea how much it would increase as he turned from a pup into an adult, but he thought that Ichigo would be very strong someday. He was powerful enough right now to be an excellent hollow snack.

Grand Fisher didn't come back, though, and as time passed the family relaxed. Ichigo gradually learned to hide his reiatsu, although it worked much better from a distance. And Shiro learned a trick that made everyone happy indeed.

"Mama! Mama! Look!" Shiro-chan ran into the house with Ichi-chan hot on his heels. It had been a year since the incident with Grand Fisher and they'd both grown a bit. He danced around Masaki who stared at him with wide eyes. "Look at me!" He grinned up at her, feeling the pleasure of knowing she could really see his expression.

"Shiro-chan!" Masaki came out of her shock to give him a hug. "This is marvelous! How did you do it?" She asked, looking into the face of her second son. The bone was completely gone. The tail had vanished too, and what was left was a pure white version of her boy, with black and gold hollow eyes.

"I learned how to hide some of my power inside of Ichigo." He explained and Ichigo nodded. "It was Ichi-chan's idea." Ichigo had mentioned that even when he was hiding his power, it was all still there. That had made Shiro think about what might happen if he put a bit inside Ichigo instead. They'd both been shocked when all his bone had vanished.

"Not really. I just said something that made you think of it!" Ichigo said with a grin. "But I'll take the credit if you want to give it to me!" He added and Shiro stuck out his tongue at him. Then they both laughed. Masaki smiled at the happy sound, marveling at her twin boys.

"What's for supper mama?" Shiro asked eagerly but Masaki shook her head.

"You won't like it. We're having stir fry with bean curd." She told him and the little hollow made a face. He absolutely refused to touch soy and could recognize it immediately. The smell was completely off. The only exceptions were natto and soy sauce, which he didn't entirely despise. It was close though. Ichigo grinned and poked him in the side.

"You're so picky Shiro-chan!" He said cheerfully as Shiro growled. It would have been more intimidating if it hadn't broken into a squeak at the end. "I'll eat your share, how's that?" Although Masaki wouldn't be making a share for him. She knew Shiro-chan wouldn't eat bean curd.

"Go ahead. I'll play in your inner world while you eat." Shiro said almost graciously. He didn't mind spending some time in Ichigo's sideways world. It was always bright and sunny there and he could play on the skyscrapers. He vanished as Isshin came home with the twins. They'd been getting a dental checkup and everything was fine. Yuzu was traumatized and Karin was scowling, though. Shiro was glad he would never go through such a thing. Concentrating hard, he made a ball appear and kicked it onto a nearby skyscraper before running after it. He couldn't do a lot, but he was learning to manipulate Ichigo's inner world a little.

It helped to keep him occupied.

At Christmas, Shiro received a remarkable gift.

Christmas was not a national holiday in Japan, but it was often celebrated and the Kurosaki family followed that tradition. They were nominally Buddhist but Masaki's family had Christian roots, so it felt natural. They set up a small tree, complete with lights and decorations. Supper was roasted chicken stuffed with water chestnuts, sweet potatoes, and a sponge cake covered in cream and adorned with strawberries for dessert. Shiro-chan tucked into his slice as he watched the other children open their gifts.

Ichi-chan went first, grinning hugely as he pulled out a little hand held video game. Shiro smiled to himself. He'd quietly told Masaki and Isshin that Ichigo was pining over the newest version, and wanted one game in particular. Sure enough, the right game was there was well and Ichigo hugged his mother and father before trying out his prize. Yuzu got a 'Mother and Me' cooking set while Karin got a new baseball glove. She loved soccer but she liked baseball too.

Shiro was baffled at first as his gift was presented to him. It looked like a boy-sized doll?

"It's a gigai Shiro-chan." Masaki explained as Ichigo and the twins stared at the thing. It was featureless and more than a little creepy, really. Shiro examined it dubiously. "You should be able to use it, we had it made just for you. It will turn into a body matching yours and everyone will be able to see you. But it will hide your reiatsu so you won't have to worry about it." That was important. They didn't want any shinigami to pick up on Shiro-chan. There had already been a few close calls.

"But how do I – oh!" Shiro had touched the doll and it seemed to suck him in. He vanished and Ichigo and the girls exclaimed in surprise as the doll seemed to mold itself to him, taking his appearance. He blinked and flexed his fingers before stretching. "Feels… different." Honestly, it didn't feel that good. He felt oddly trapped and his powers felt muffled.

"Shiro-chan!" Yuzu hugged him and that made everything better. Shiro hugged her back, smiling at the pleasure on her face. "I can finally see you!"

"Yep, you can." He said fondly, gently ruffling her hair. "Hey, we should learn how to bake a fish together." Shiro said with a smile. He loved fish and Yuzu loved cooking, so that could be fun. Then Ichigo hugged him and Shiro laughed before returning the affection. It seemed this was his day for hugs!

His gigai got some immediate use as they all went to see the local light display. The trees were festooned with lights, although they weren't really meant for Christmas. This was for the New Year's celebration, which was far more important in Japan. Shiro marveled at them as he sipped a cup of hot cocoa. He'd seen them before, but only from within Ichigo's mind. This was the first time he'd really been able to come out and feel the snowflakes on his face. He also got to really see Ichigo. His brother was super cute in a little blue touque with his bright red hair sticking out. Shiro watched with a smile as he took a sip of his cocoa, wonder on his face as he looked at the lights. When they were both finished their drinks, he took Ichigo's hand. It felt so good, being close to his brother, and from the smile on Ichigo's face he felt so too.

They were walking back to the car when Shiro slowed, turning his head as a familiar scent impinged on his awareness. Shivering, he moved closer to Isshin. Their father might not have his powers anymore, but he still seemed like the strongest of the family.

"That hollow is around." He said quietly as Isshin looked down at him questioningly. His expression immediately went grim as Ichigo clutched at Masaki. They hurried back to the car and Shiro breathed a small sigh of relief as they pulled out of the parking lot. He wasn't even sure Grand Fisher had known they were there. In fact, he likely hadn't. There was a stream that went through the park and he would no doubt lure some unlucky person to their death. But Shiro couldn't bring himself to care much about that. Eating people was what hollows did, it was nature at work… although…

"That hollow is strange." He mused and Ichigo looked at him questioningly. "He's too powerful to be here. Why isn't he in my old home?" Shiro didn't know the name for it, but he knew that place was where powerful hollows belonged. Before his 'death' he'd been too powerful for the Living World, and that had been why he couldn't find any food. It was a pity he hadn't run into the nasty hollow then. He'd been much stronger than him and would have eaten him and gone right home. "Oh well." His question was unanswerable and the past was over and done with. Shiro didn't really regret being part of Ichigo and having this family. He missed his sire a bit, but the odds were that he was dead. If so, there really had been nothing to go back to except cold sands and danger.

He was better off in the Living World.

"Oi, Shiro? Can you take care of this for me?" Ichigo shoved himself away from his computer with a disgusted sigh.

"Oh sure." Shiro manifested and took a seat at the computer. Quickly glancing over the sheet beside it he got a feel for the assignment. "Write a critique of Atlas Shrugged? OK, I can do that. Boring as hell. Over!" He'd read the book because he knew this was coming, but he'd wished he hadn't. Ichigo had suffered through it manfully but writing the critique was just too much.

"Something that will get me an A? Please, Shiro-chan?" Ichigo asked plaintively and Shiro grinned before beginning to type. It would all be bullshit about the deep inner meanings and a whole lot about the sociological implications. But really, who gave a shit when you got on down to it?

He and Ichigo were sixteen now. Shiro's powers really hadn't improved much, since Ichigo's hadn't awakened, but he was still a much nastier proposition than he'd been at nine. Just like Ichigo could kick and fight hollows, Shiro's claws could do some damage. They'd managed to keep everyone safe so far.

Isshin's training had helped with that. Shiro thought about it as he typed. Their father had trained them with swords, but it was the lessons in hand to hand combat that had really come in handy. Not just against hollows, but against random thugs. It had started with Ichigo meeting Chad and kicking some serious ass and things had progressed from there. Most of the gangs were still interested in challenging them, but one particular group was simply terrified. Someone had drawn a knife and Shiro had manifested to keep his Ichi-chan safe. The police had labeled it a wild dog attack but the surviving gang members knew better. They would cross the street to avoid Ichigo.

For Shiro, things weren't bad although they could have been better. Chad was aware of his existence and Shiro could use his gigai freely with the big teen. The rest of his friends thought he was a cousin, which posed problems. The brighter ones had noticed he was around a lot and had questions he couldn't answer, like where he lived and what school he was going to. So far Shiro and Ichigo had managed to redirect things but it was difficult and he had to be careful not to come out too much.

One thing they had going for them was their combined skills. Ichigo loved to read but he wasn't very good at creative writing, and book reports drove him bananas. Especially with his current teacher, who loved stuff about inner meanings. Shiro and Ichigo both believed that a cigar was just a cigar, but Shiro was good at pulling out the bullshit. Their teacher seemed to love it and Ichigo's grades were up. The other area Shiro was really helpful was English. He had a knack for languages and while Ichigo was passable, he was excellent.

Shiro loathed math, though, and refused to even be present during that class. Which didn't matter much, because Ichigo was great at it. They complimented each other and managed to cover each other's weaknesses quite handily, which had resulted in some amazing grades. Right now Ichigo was running straight A's and looked destined to make the list of honor at the end of the year. Shiro didn't much care about that but he was willing to help anyway he could.

"…" Shiro looked up with a frown as he scented a hollow. They were all over the damned place. He hadn't noticed as much when they were younger and mostly went around with their parents, but it was getting awfully obvious now. It didn't feel like a strong one, though, and Shiro hesitated. "Ichigo? There's a hollow out there. Should I go eat it maybe?" He had to be very cautious about eating other hollows. The main problem was his own strength or lack thereof. But the secondary problem was shinigami. He couldn't let them see him.

"How close is it to the house?" Ichigo asked, looking up from his math homework. Shiro's eyes narrowed as he sharpened his senses.

"…Close." He muttered before shoving himself away from the desk. "Be right back." Ichigo frowned and followed. Shiro wanted to tell him to stay put, but he wasn't going to insult his other half that way. He couldn't kill the hollows, true, but Ichigo could definitely distract them for him.

They were both pissed when they realized the hollow was stalking Karin and Yuzu on their way home from school. After a quick check for any shinigami, Shiro assumed his full hollow form and attacked. The fight got a bit nasty but Ichigo quickly proved his worth, kicking the thing in the back of the head and stunning it long enough for Shiro to get a fatal blow in.

Then he ate the hollow as Ichigo stood watch. His best friend and brother had been horrified the first time he'd seen that. They'd only been twelve at the time. But Shiro had explained to him, quite firmly, that rejecting a kill was a gesture of absolute contempt. It meant that you didn't want to take the souls inside yourself, that the one you had killed was unworthy even of that. It was not the sort of thing a hollow did frivolously.

The funny thing about it was that Karin and Yuzu completely missed the excitement. Shiro finished his meal and shed his bone covering before walking with Ichigo back home. He was outside his gigai, but there were no soul reapers here.

"Karin and Yuzu are both attracting them." Ichigo muttered, concerned and Shiro nodded. Karin's spiritual pressure was starting to come in and Yuzu's was going up a bit too. Her power felt a bit like Masaki's old power, before she'd lost it. Karin felt more like Ichigo but without the darker power that was Shiro-chan. "What should we do?" He asked and Shiro shrugged.

"What can we do?" He countered and Ichigo bit his lip. "I've taught them both to hide their reiatsu, but…" He shrugged again. They both had to concentrate on hiding and they couldn't do it all the time. Ichigo was the same, only worse. "Besides, you're attracting more than they are." He added and Ichigo scowled before poking him in the side.

"Well, you attract flies, Mr. We Can Play Squirtguns with Rootbeer." He said and Shiro grinned widely at the reminder. That had happened years ago, when the water was out for some reason. There had been no real danger – the tank had plenty – but it had been reserved for drinking. So the two boys had improvised when it came to having fun. Shiro had been in his gigai and for some reason he'd decided he was NOT going to have a bath when the water came back on. He'd summoned his bone around his gigai… a rather shocking feat that he'd never managed again… and attracted fruit flies until Masaki had finally threatened to lock him out of the house. Then he'd finally gotten his bath. No one was ever going to let him forget but Shiro didn't mind. Those had been good times, when they were both young and carefree.

"Shinigami incoming!" Shiro suddenly said and vanished to Ichigo's inner world. He was unhappy to see that it was cloudy and threatening rain. The inner world reflected Ichigo's moods and as they'd grown older, those moods had darkened. So instead of just staying inside he took a peek through Ichigo's eyes. The soul reaper looked like a young girl with black hair and she was gazing around with a puzzled air. Ichigo studiously ignored her as he walked back home.

"Ichigo!" Masaki greeted him with a smile and Shiro smiled to himself as Ichigo's inner world immediately brightened. The sun chased away the clouds and he basked under the brilliant skies. "You went for a walk?"

"There was a hollow pretty close, Shiro went and caught it." Ichigo answered honestly. They'd decided a while ago not to keep things from their parents. Masaki frowned a little in worry but nodded. Isshin wasn't keen on Shiro eating other hollows but it was the only way the family had to get rid of them, these days. Isshin couldn't even leave his gigai anymore.

"Om nom nom… but I still have room for ice cream!" Shiro said as he materialized, grinning. That cheered their mother up and she smiled at them both.

"Yuzu made some brownies, but you can have ice cream." Shiro's prejudices about baked goods were still firmly in place. That made Yuzu a bit unhappy but she'd gotten an ice cream maker for Christmas and was starting to make him homemade flavors. His favorite so far was her pumpkin ice cream.

"Thanks mom. C'mon Shiro, you need to finish my homework." Ichigo said with a grin and Shiro groaned. He'd almost forgotten about the book report in the excitement. "Suck it up, or you can do the math instead."

"Yeah? You wanna get an F now?" Shiro bantered back as they went up the stairs. "I can just see Kino-sama now! 'Ichigo, whatever happened? Are you alright? Any family problem…'" His voice faded away as the two boys disappeared up the stairs. Masaki smiled again as she started putting together dinner.

With so many healthy appetites there was always plenty of cooking to do.