Thank you everybody who has reviewed especially lolopixie who left such nice reviews. They help my self esteem some :D And when my self esteem is up my muse seems to work a little harder. Anyway I won't say anything else on with chapter 4!

Chapter 4

Yumichika tried to push away his worries. That became much easier when it came time to get dressed for dinner. That really put him in a better mood. It had been a while since he had dressed up for anything. He chose one of the more outstanding pieces from his limited wardrobe. The main color was a deep, dark wine with large white leaves. His hair almost seemed to blend in with the color.

As he sat on his bed roll brushing his hair Ikkaku jumped up from his own spot apparently fed up with the grooming he could not participate in.

"Ready to go yet? I'm starving." Ikkaku had opted for the same thing he always wore. Yumichika wasn't expecting anything different, after all these years he had learned not to get his hopes up. The white ragged outfit was at its seam's breaking point. No matter how many times Yumichika fixed it the same hole's kept appearing. So, on his own, he had decided to buy him a whole new set of clothes as soon as they hit a major town. Ikkaku didn't have to know that though.

As the sun set low in the horizon it lit their room a sepia color and they left the comfortable space. The dining hall was draft which helped with the heat but from that room you could hear every creak and groan of the building. The candles allowed for the creepy factor to increase as shadows danced along the walls with the flicker of the flames. They entered the already occupied room. It seemed like the only people at dinner would be the siblings. They were at the end of the table near the entrance to the kitchen.

Sitting opposite each other Ikkaku and Yumichika could only see Riku as Mina had her back turned to them, her hair out of the tightly woven bun. They had been served and were in the middle of a heavily animated conversation that ceased when they heard the door. The brother smiled broadly and waved them over.

"We thought we'd be the only ones at dinner." Riku and his sister had stayed in their green grass and powdered pink but they seemed a lot more amiable then earlier. Yumichika smiled happily at the invitation and hurried to sit next to Mina. She hadn't said a word to either one of them and Ikkaku was just happy for that.

Walking around the table he decided to sit across from Yumichika but stopped as he went to pull the chair out. He must have looked like a mad man. His eyes had widened and for some reason he had forgotten how to close his mouth. Both Yumichika and Mina answered the bewildered glare in unison.

"What?"

It was the weirdest thing he had seen in a while. Mina's hair was the same dark shade as Yumichika's and almost just as long but the similarities didn't end there. Ikkaku wasn't sure why he hadn't seen it before. Maybe it was because Yumichika rarely picked up his hair but now looking at them sitting side by side, close to each other it was like they were related. Mina was shorter than Yumichika and looked physically younger and her face was feminine and round and not as striking as Yumichika's but everything else down to the way her eyes glittered pale in the light seemed to match his friend's appearance.

Of course he would never mistake Mina for Yumichika in a million years because for one thing Mina had breasts, Ikkaku thought quickly, but it was dizzying just looking at them both. Riku was the first to pull it together as it seemed his own internal dialogue had somewhat followed Ikkaku's.

"Wow. This is strange."Riku tried to say something else but it didn't seem like it would come out of his mouth. Ikkaku finally broke out of his trance and sat down speaking somewhat nervously.

"You're telling me."

Yumichika looked over his female counterpart but didn't seem fazed. Mina just burst into giggles apparently amused at the prospect. Mina addressed her brother.

"See I told you. He looks just like me."

"It's very disturbing." Riku said and was met with an angry look from both Mina and Yumichika while Ikkaku laughed. "I just mean it seems very weird is all." Looking around for nonexistent help he decided his soup was a lot more interesting and became engrossed in eating it. Mina turned her attention back to scrutinizing Yumichika.

"Don't bother with my brother. He just doesn't know when to shut up. Wow your hair is very well kept." She pulled the tips of Yumichika's hair and then studied them in the light. Grabbing her own she compared them both under the soft candle light. "How do you keep the ends from splitting all up?" Yumichika looked positively ecstatic at the conversation of his beauty so he obliged her with secrets he had come across to keep his hair from suffering in such a harsh world.

The door to the kitchen opened and both Rei and Shibuya entered. Both of them with several bowls in their hands. Shibuya spoke with surprise in his voice.

"How nice of you two to join us. We were actually on our way to bring these up for you." Setting the bowls down one in front of each of the newcomers they then put two extra spots next to Yumichika and Ikkaku. "Rei, go and take the last bowl to Takahiro-san." The boy nodded before leaving. You could hear his footsteps as he climbed the stairs and walked around above them. Shibuya sat down, deeply sighing at the strain of the day.

"Hey, pops," Ikkaku addressed Shibuya. "You don't happen to have any Sake to go with dinner do you?" Shibuya shook his head.

"If you stay another night I guarantee there certainly will be enough Sake for everybody. My wife, brother and sister-in-law have gone to the nearest town to buy provisions." Scratching his head as he thought he spoke again. "They should have been here already. I just hope they were delayed and haven't met some trouble. " Ikkaku looked at the worn down man as he rubbed his eyes. They seemed to shine with worry.

Ikkaku got up and excused himself.

"I'll be back." Yumichika followed him with a questioning gaze but remained as Mina chattered on.

"I swear you could be like my big sister." Yumichika snapped back to the younger woman. The vein in his head twitched with anger.

"Mina!" Her older brother chastised her.

"What? I was just saying it because he's pretty enough to beat out any girl back home."

"Really?" Yumichika's smile returned at the sentiment as the discussion turned back to how beautiful he was. Shibuya chuckled at the conversation.

"May I ask where you're headed, uh....? Forgive me what is your name?" Yumichika somewhat less angry at being called a woman answered pleasantly.

"My name is Yumichika Ayasegawa and my friend is Ikkaku Madarame we're on our way to...."

A scream interrupted the conversation. Shibuya rose from his chair hastily, shouting.
"Rei!" Yumichika too was up and heading towards the stairs. He let Shibuya rush past him but followed closely behind. He shouted orders over his shoulder for the other two.

"Stay down here."

Shibuya took the stairs two at a time reaching the landing faster than normal. They turned into the hallway on the left. Shibuya spotted Rei on the ground in front of an open door holding his arm. Red droplets spilled over his fingers. He had been hurt. Shibuya rushed over to his son.

"Rei! Are you alright."

Yumichika heard his friend's voice coming from the open room. Shouting orders he tried to hurry passed the two men.

"Get downstairs and stay in the dining room." Swooshing passed them he entered the room. The bed roll had been ripped to shreds and there were stains from the overturned bowl of soup. His friend was hanging halfway out the window screaming in anger.

"Get back here!"

"Ikkaku!" Yumichika ran over to the window and grabbed the back of the garment trying to help his friend regain his leverage. The sound of ripped clothes sent shivers down Yumichika's back and he was flung back with a piece of white cloth in his hand. Looking up his friend was nowhere to be seen. "Crap!" He almost flung himself out the window searching for Ikkaku. Straight down his friend seemed to be crumpled in a heap on the ground outside. "Ikkaku!" He ran from the room almost clearing all the stairs in one go. As he passed the dining hall Riku followed him.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know." He ran out the front door and rounded the building.

"What do you mean you don't know? What was all that noise just now? What happened?"

"I don't know dammit!" He didn't even spare Riku a glance he just picked up the pace. Spotting his friend he got down beside the man. "Ikkaku, are you alright?" The floored man groaned in pain.

"Just peachy. Did I get him?" He raised his head from the dirt and grass to try and look around.

"Who?"

"That thing." Trying to see in the already dark evening he cursed. "It was there in the room and when I tried to attack it jumped out the window." Hearing enough Yumichika lifted his friend off the ground and passed his disoriented body over to the annoying sibling.

"Riku take him inside and have Shibuya take a look at him."

"What are you going to do?"

"Stop asking me useless questions I don't have answers too." He snapped. Looking displeased with the situation Riku took the overly limp Ikkaku and decided to do as he was ordered without any more complaints.

"Don't go out on your own, Yumichika." Ikkaku grumbled as he was being led away.

"I'll be there in a second." With that they were gone and Yumichika was left alone in the dark, the only light coming from the windows of occupied rooms from the inn.

Picking up Ikkaku's sword he glanced toward the woods. They looked daunting in the dark but he wasn't scared. Looking around he made sure he truly was alone.

He put his left hand out in front of him, palm up. Concentrating on a spot in the middle of his palm a pinprick of what looked like light emerged. It grew somewhat larger shining white and illuminating the area just around him. It wavered as sweat began to come off his brow but he continued. Not sure how to stabilize it he tried doubling his effort.

With a push from somewhere in his gut the light burst in his palm sending him back on his butt. His hand up to his wrist burned and he was dazed from the flash.

"Ok bad idea. Ow." Getting back up he decided it was a bad time to experiment when something was out stalking people. Taking one last glance into the dark trees he thought he saw something moving around but in the dark his eyes were just catching shadows. The moon would be farther in the sky later tonight he would come back then so it could light his way.

Yumichika returned to the dining room pulling his sleeve far down over his injured hand. He walked into another argument. Sighing deeply he took in the scene. Takahiro had finally appeared from wherever he had been. He hadn't been up in his room now that Yumichika thought of it. He was arguing with Shibuya who seemed furious. His son was sitting at the dining table his arm bandaged and looking seriously at Takahiro. Riku stood next to his sister shouting just as much as the other two although he didn't seem to be part of the conversation. Butting in seemed to run in the family, Yumichika thought acidly. The other sibling, Mina, stood tending to Ikkaku.

Yumichika swallowed, suddenly feeling weird. Ikkaku was sitting in a chair while Mina bandaged his scratched and red head. Yumichika felt out of place and suddenly very alone. It was stupid. It was weird because it looked like it was himself taking care of Ikkaku.

He felt... Yumichika growled inwardly and shook his head to clear his mind. Stepping into their line of vision he called for order thoroughly angered by everything.

"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" He threw the blade on to the table for emphasis.

The room became very quiet. They looked surprised at the outburst. "Thank you." He sighed.

"Let's figure this out calmly." He rubbed his eyes as they still ached. "Sit down!" At the command everybody scattered to find a chair. Ikkaku turned his chair around and rested his legs on top of the table looking rather displeased. Mina rushed to sit next to him.

Rolling his eyes Yumichika stood at the head of the table too jittery to sit. "Why don't we start with what happened upstairs? Rei, mind explaining what happened?" Yumichika's voice was low and soothing now. The young man shifted uncomfortably under everybody's gaze.

"Yeah. I had taken up the bowl for Takahiro. I knocked on his door but there wasn't an answer. I heard some rustling and growling so I knocked harder. Something slammed into the door and I jumped back because it had startled me. I thought he was having a seizure or something so I opened the door. This little creature was staring back at me. It looked like some sort of chimp. All black except for his face. It had some sort of white mask over its face. It attacked me. All I could do was throw the damn bowl at it. If Ikkaku hadn't been there I don't know what it would have done to me. One slash from its claws left a freaking deep incision." He wiggled his bandaged arm but winced from the pain. Takahiro whispered almost to himself with surprise in his eyes.

"A white mask? That can't be."

"Speak up old man! We can't hear you." Yumichika spat. Glaring back at him Takahiro continued, loud enough for the rest of the group to hear.

"It was a hollow." Riku shook his head confused.

"What is a hollow doing in the Rukongai. I thought the soul reapers vanquished them in the real world so that they either ended up here as a harmless spirit or ended up in that other place."

"Well that's the ideal situation isn't it?" Takahiro responded, unimpressed at Riku's information. "A hollow can create a rift in space. That rift usually takes them to their own hollow world, Hueco Mundo, but sometimes the rifts' destination can be changed. I don't know the technicalities but it happens and it seems we have one around here." He became silent as he contemplated something. "But for that to happen it takes a lot of spiritual energy." Ikkaku became vocal at that.

"What do you mean? That little thing couldn't have had very much spiritual energy. He was pretty damn fast but I would have felt if his power matched or even exceeded my own."

"That's what's troubling me." Takahiro closed his eyes and placed his hand on his forehead.

"How do you know so much?" Shibuya glared relentlessly at Takahiro apparently holding him responsible for this whole mess.

"You pick up a lot being around this place as long as I have." That's all he said as a defense.

"Well, what was it doing in your room and more over, where were you?" Everybody fixed Takahiro an expecting glare.

"I didn't make this happen! For that matter I don't know why it was in my room. I was outside getting water for a bath. I'm sorry I didn't mention it before dinner but I wanted to wash myself in peace. When I heard the ruckus I was a little apprehensive and didn't come in straight away."

"What a convenient excuse." Shibuya rebutted.

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"I'm saying I don't believe you!" Yumichika not wanting another argument to transpire yelled to stop it.

"Alright you two stop it." Their voices became louder and they stood up to face each other. He hated being ignored so he shouted. "We aren't getting anywhere by fighting!"He slammed his left hand on the table completely forgetting the injury.

He yelled in agony. Ikkaku stood up concern knitted into his brows.

"Yumichika you're hurt?"

"I'm fine." He shut him up with a look that said 'we'll talk about it later'. "I suggest we all sleep in the same room to make sure no incidents occur during the night. Since Ikkaku and I have fighting experience we'll both take turns keeping watch. We don't know if this thing will be back or not and it's better to be safe than sorry." Riku stood up.

"Let me help. I have some training in swordplay." Yumichika contemplated it but Ikkaku was the one who responded.

"As long as you don't get in our way." Ikkaku glared at the man. He nodded slowly, looking nervous.

"All right then, let's finish dinner and then get ready for a long night." Yumichika locked eyes with Ikkaku who just shook his head and sighed deeply.

It would be a long night indeed.

What? Hollows!? Who saw that coming!? lol Thanks again for the reviews.