A/N: I'm posting this for Sakura Lisel because of a reaction of hers concerning the Shinigami's reactions to a Hollow!Harry. I can say that the shinigami will be making minimal appearances in Hollow Inside but this was an idea I had before concerning the same concept, but then with a different spin on it and with a lot more involvement from the Shinigami, especially our favourite: Ichigo Kurosaki!
I hope you guys will enjoy this installment to the Thoughts and leave a review to let me know what you think of this idea!
Finally. The war had been waged and the final battle won. The dead were buried and it was finally time to draw back from the public masses and rest. He had been through a lot after all and had not been given the chance to truly rest, the stress of rebuilding their society looming over his head like a responsibility even though it wasn't his.
For a few days he hadn't been feeling well though. No, not well at all. His dislike of healers had kept him away from everyone though, Severus being the only one he would have let look at him at this point. Alas, he was among the dead as well.
He had thought it would hurt to think about the dead but time had passed now and he found himself incapable of feeling anything but a detached numbness for the losses he and everyone else had suffered.
Even more days passed and he could feel something gnawing at his chest every day, unaware of what was happening to him. Was this the end for the infamous Harry James Potter?
"What do you mean they're sending us to another section of patrol?" Rukia rolled her eyes at his immediate outburst. Same old Ichigo, huh? Well, it wasn't really her place to explain, considering she was only the messenger.
"Not we, you." She answered curtly. "The gotei 13 has decided to move you to our European district. Someone in the foreign affairs department alerted us that something big is coming. Apparently the captains have decided to send you." It wasn't much of an explanation considering there was no briefing whatsoever but she wasn't told much more than he was.
Ichigo ran a hand over his face and groaned. "So what, I pack up my bags and leave without a word? I can't just do that..." His powers had taken a long time but had finally been destroyed after the battle against Aizen, but he had gained a new form beyond his bankai now, not to mention the rest had caused his reiryoku to replenish beyond his normal levels, which was already a lot.
"Of course not! Soul Society isn't sending you without a good reason though. Be sure to report to the captain meeting room as soon as you can, today if possible. They want to brief you on the details, but you'll be given time to come up with something." With that Rukia vanished into the night to continue her patrol of the town.
Deciding he did want to find out what was going on he left a note for his sisters and idiot father and left the gigai he now used as a body, his soul clad in the traditional black shinigami robes. In no time at all he was standing in front of the meeting room, straightening his robes subconsciously before walking in.
When he arrived through the senkaimon he was met with a crazy amount of soul reapers running around in a panic. "No you idiot, get the captain!" Sounded through the space as someone ran off towards what looked to be a set of large barracks, all the while yelling for this captain.
Ichigo sighed as he spotted the mess. 'Looks like the catastrophe's started... Now how do I get anyone's attention?' A harsh laugh and comment in his mind caused him to sigh again. Shirosaki had a point though. Nodding to himself he suddenly released his reiatsu within the seireitei of the European division, causing almost everyone to grunt and drop to the floor because of the pressure.
"Now that I have your attention, can someone spare a few minutes and get me to the head captain?" The pressure eased as abruptly as it had come and many breathed a sigh of relief. It only took a few moments for one of what he assumed was a vice-captain to call to him.
"Are you the Japanese guy the eastern division was sending over? Kuro-something?" He snorted at the idiot not remembering his name. "Yeah that's me. Kurosaki Ichigo." Once the alarm bells rang again, everyone that had been watching in shock immediately got going, the loud mess from earlier starting up once more.
"Right this way sir!" Said the vice-captain, leading Ichigo to the centre of their seireitei and leading him in. "Captain Abler! The Japanese guest has arrived." He simply stood straight as he addressed the captain apparent. That was obviously an odd sight to Ichigo, considering how the old man Yamamoto was treated back home, bows and everything.
Well, it wasn't as if Ichigo was a very respectful person to those who hadn't proven they were worthy of said respect. The fact their men were running around like headless chicken didn't help their case. 'Heh, not much different then when they had to deal with us infiltrating the seireitei to free Rukia.' He mused before nodding at the man before him.
While looking quite old, the man didn't look anything like the old man. Instead he resembled a slim version of captain Kyouraku with sandy and short hair and rather tight looking robes. Now that he thought about it, Ichigo stood out like a sore thumb with his traditional Japanese uniform verses the tight-looking European variation. Still, black all the same.
"Ah welcome mister Kurosaki, I assume you had a nice trip?" Captain Abler ignored the rolling eyes of his visitor, though indeed the question was pointless considering he had travelled through the shinkansen. "Well, I suppose I shall tell you what the matter is then, you seem a man of business."
Ichigo nodded sharply. "Kurosaki Ichigo. I was told there was a predicted emergence and then vaulted off to a different continent. I'd appreciate an explanation." The captain once again nodded, rather eagerly it seemed. "Yes, yes of course, right this way." He led the boy through an antechamber hosting a large, long table, which was utterly covered in paperwork. "If you'll excuse the mess..." He had mumbled before proceeding to explain what the matter was.
"So you're telling me some 'magical' human kid has an imbalance in his soul, threatening to turn him into a Hollow, which will release his full power and could potentially wipe out the entire island he lives on?" It was understandable Ichigo was rather sceptical, but they couldn't afford to wait and see right now. "Sir!" Another minion barged through the door, not even apologising for the intrusion. "It's time sir, the boy's chain is almost gone all the way and he's been clawing at it..."
He was surprised by the hissed curse, considering Yamamoto was never caught doing such a thing, but was quickly distracted by the given orders. "Well, have you started setting up the barrier around him yet? I want it done five minutes ago Meyer!" The shinigami was out the door rushing to set everything up.
"Well, let's go meet a Hollow then, shall we?" Ichigo said casually, heading towards the door as if he knew where he was going. "M-Meet a Hollow? Hold on a minute here Kurosaki!" The captain immediately rounded on him, using a simple flash-step (to him known as shunpo) to get in front of the foreigner. "Are you telling me you have no intention of stopping this atrocity from happening?"
All he could do was chuckle, not at all surprised that the captain was so shocked. It wasn't exactly conventional but he was part Hollow himself, why shouldn't this little wizard child be able to fight it as well? Not to mention he had decided to practice his Hollow powers properly with Shiro's help after having transformed not only in Las Noches and Soul Society but also in Hell. He had the majority of his hollow powers under control now; thank kami.
A/N:Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed the concept. Please leave a review in the box below and tell me your thoughts!
Love,
~Lumina
